TSI Assessment

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSI) is the state-approved placement test offered at TCC.

TSI Assessment Process Overview

The following is a start-to-finish overview of what to do if you're required to take the TSI.

Please make sure the campus you start this process with is the same campus you continue this process with from beginning to end.

  1. Contact one of the following for a test referral:
  2. Complete your Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) online through the College Board website.
    • To take the PAA,
      1. Log in or create an account with the ACCUPLACER Practice App.
        • We recommend using your personal email address when creating your account.
      2. Choose Texas Success Initiative 2.0 Pre-Assessment Activity (TSIA2 - PAA).
      3. Begin the assessment.
      4. Choose Tarrant County College as the institution.
      5. Complete the rest of the PAA.
  3. Request a date to take your test and pay. On-campus and remote options available.
  4. Take the TSI.
  5. Meet with a career advisor to review your scores and determine your next steps towards registration.

More About the TSI Assessment

You can also learn about:

Before You Take the TSI Assessment

If you attend or plan to attend TCC

You must complete the Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) before you can register for the TSI Assessment. The PAA provides an overview of the TSI Assessment, including sample questions and additional resources to help you study.

To complete the PAA,

  1. Log in or create an account with the ACCUPLACER Practice App.
    • We recommend using your personal email address when creating your account.
  2. Choose Texas Success Initiative 2.0 Pre-Assessment Activity (TSIA2 - PAA).
  3. Begin the assessment.
  4. Choose Tarrant County College as the institution.
  5. Complete the rest of the PAA.

If you attend an institution other than TCC

To take the TSI Assessment at TCC for another institution, you must:

If you're testing for another institution, you will be required to pay both the TCC TSI Assessment fee, and the $25 Examity proctored test appointment fee. TCC will not cover the cost of your Examity proctored test appointment fee.

Your fees must be paid before you can obtain a voucher and schedule your testing appointment.

If you're a dual credit student

You must contact your high school counselor or the dual credit office for your service area before completing your TSI Assessment.

For college-level coursework, you must meet TSI eligibility requirements or prerequisites.

Dual enrollment (dual credit and early college high school) students must have TSI Assessment scores on file with TCC or an exemption/waiver on file.

ID Requirements

You must show a current photo ID to take the TSI Assessment. TCC accepts the following photo IDs:

  • Driver's license (A DMV receipt for ID renewal may be presented with an expired ID)
  • State-issued ID card
  • Passport
  • High school ID card
  • College ID card

Expired IDs, photocopies, or digital pictures of IDs will not be accepted.

If you do not have one of these IDs, you may submit the ACCUPLACER Student ID Form (PDF)Listen to Testing Services.

Registering for the TSI Assessment through the TCC Testing Center

What are my testing options for the TSI Assessment?

The TSI is being offered through one of the following options:

  • Remotely through Examity
  • In person by appointment only at an on-campus testing center

If you do not have the technical resources or equipment to take TSI online remotely, contact the Information Center at 817-515-8223 or asktcc@tccd.edu.

How do I get started?

  1. The career advisor/Success Coach/dual credit office will create a test referral.
    • Note: Your referral is only valid September 1, 2023–August 21, 2024.
  2. You will request an appointment to take your TSI and pay testing fees. (See next question to request appointment.)
  3. You will receive a confirmation email from RegisterBlast via Testing Services.
  4. For remote testing appointments: Testing Services will create a voucher, and Accuplacer will email you a link with your voucher code and more instructions.
    For on-campus appointments: You will not receive a voucher.

You can contact the Information Center at 817-515-8223 or asktcc@tccd.edu for additional assistance getting started.

I have my test referral. How do I request an appointment time?

Request your appointment time and pay testing fees for your campus:

What if I no-show or miss my remote scheduled test appointment?

Contact your campus Testing Services for next steps.

What to Expect During the TSI Assessment

What's the difference between taking the TSI remotely through Examity versus taking it in-person?

The main difference between taking the test in our testing centers and taking the test online is using a live proctor via webcam with Examity.

The live proctor will monitor you while you're testing, and you will be video recorded.

You may use scratch paper; however, you will be required to show both sides of scratch paper to the online proctor at the beginning and end of your test appointment.

You are not permitted to have the following during your test:

  • Food and beverage
  • Electronics (such as phone, smartwatch, TV)
  • Aids (such as dictionaries or thesauruses)

You can a watch a live test demo.

How long does the TSI Assessment take?

The TSI Assessment is not a timed test.

The average time to complete all sections of the test is 3–5 hours.

What if I can't finish my test during my appointment?

In-Person Testing

You must complete the TSI within 14 days after you've started.

If you fail to complete your test during your scheduled appointment, you will be required to schedule your follow-up appointment before you leave.

Remote Testing via Examity

You must complete your assigned test section during your scheduled appointment.

If you fail to complete any or all sections in a single appointment during remote testing, you can:

  • Request another voucher from Testing Services to retake your test remotely. You will be required to schedule another appointment with Examity and must start the entire test over.

  • Schedule an appointment to complete the unfinished test session at a testing center on campus. Testing services will re-open your unfinished test.

This could impact you if you've split you're reading/writing and math sections into two appointments. Two appointments will use two vouchers, which means you will only have one left for retesting.

If you need additional testing after your third testing appointment, you will be responsible for paying the $25 proctor fee before you can obtain a voucher and schedule your test appointment.

Reviewing Your TSI Assessment Score

You can access your score report any time through the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

TSI scores from a successfully completed test appointment will be available in your TCC student record within 1 business day, in most cases.

What score do I need on the TSI Assessment?

To satisfy TSI and course prerequisite requirements, you must meet or exceed the following college-ready scores:

Subject Area College-Ready Score
Mathematics Placement score of at least 950
or
Placement score of 910–949 and a diagnostic level of 6
Integrated Reading/Writing Placement score of at least 945 and an essay score of 5–8
or
Placement score of at least 910 and a diagnostic level of 5–6 and an essay score of 5–8

You cannot pass or fail the TSI Assessment.

Based on how you perform, you may either enroll in a:

  • College-level course that matches your skill level
    or
  • College readiness course or intervention to improve your skills and prepare you for success in college-level courses

Dual enrollment (dual credit and early college high school) students cannot participate in developmental studies, including co-requisite course models.

What is this code at the bottom of my score report?

This is your Learning Locator code. The Learning Locator code is a custom code you receive with your test results to show what your strengths and weaknesses are.

You can access customized study materials to help you study for the TSI Assessment by going to the 60x30TX ACCUPLACER Learning Resources page and entering your Learning Locator code.

When you feel ready to improve your score, you can retake the TSI Assessment.

Can I take the TSI Assessment again?

Yes. You may retest at any time, upon availability.

Before you retake your test, you must meet with a career advisor to receive another test referral. Once you have requested a retest referral, you may submit another test registration in RegisterBlast.

Examity Retakes

TCC will only cover the Examity $25 proctor fee 3 times. If you need to take the TSI Assessment more than 3 times, you will be responsible for paying the $25 Examity proctor fee per assessment.

Improve Your Score

To help improve your scores, look for the Learning Locator code in your TSI-A score report, found in the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

What do I do with my TSI scores once I've finished the test?

Contact Career Advising to go over your TSI scores and talk about your course placement options.

How long is my score valid?

TSI Assessment (TSIA and TSIA2) results are valid for 5 years from date you took the test.

If you have tested more than once, all copies of your results are available through the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

Sharing Your TSI Assessment Score

If you took the TSI at TCC

TSI scores will be available in your TCC student record within 1 business day, in most cases.

If you took the TSI at another school

You can choose one of the following options to share your TSI Assessment score:

  1. Request TCC access your scores (if you took TSI at another institution): Contact TCC to request your official scores be pulled from the school where you originally tested. To do this, submit the CIR TSI Score Request Form to Testing Services.
  2. Request your intended transfer school access your scores: Contact your intended school and request your official scores pulled from TCC.

Need help?

Contact Testing Services if you need help sharing your scores with other institutions, or sending your TSI scores to TCC from other institutions.

Cost of the TSI Assessment

The TSI Assessment costs $29.

However, your testing fee is waived if you are a high school student between September 1, 2023–August 21, 2024, and you're either:

  • Attending a Tarrant County public, charter, private, or home school,
    or
  • Classified as an in-county resident.

If you are testing for another college, you will need to pay a retest fee of $10 per section, or $29 for the entire test.

How do I pay for the TSI Assessment?

You'll pay through RegisterBlast when you register for the TSI Assessment.

What is my cost if I'm taking the TSI Assessment for another institution?

If you're testing for another institution, you will be required to pay the TCC TSI Assessment fee, and (if taking the test remotely) the $25 Examity proctored test appointment fee. TCC will not cover the cost of your Examity proctored test appointment fee.

Your fees must be paid before you can obtain a voucher and schedule your testing appointment.

Are there any additional costs to use Examity for my TSI Assessment?

Examity charges a $25 fee per proctored test appointment. However, TCC will cover this fee up to 3 times per TCC-bound student.

How long will TCC continue to cover the cost of the Examity proctor fees?

TCC will cover the cost for up to 3 proctored appointment fees per TCC-bound student until otherwise noted.

Do I have to pay for my test before I can get a voucher and schedule my test?

Yes. You must pay any testing fees before you can receive your voucher. If you cannot pay your testing fees online, you should contact Testing Services.

Studying for the TSI Assessment

From the College Board

From Accuplacer

  • TSIA2 Learning Resources
    Website with specific materials targeted to helping you improve areas identified on your score reports.

Contact

Contact your campus Testing Center for more information.

Have questions? Contact our Information Center
817-515-TEST (8378)

Updated February 02, 2024