TSI ASSESSMENT (TSIA2)
The Texas Success Initiative
(TSI) is a state-required assessment test to determine college readiness in
reading, writing and math. All new CBC students are required to take the TSI
Assessment prior to enrolling in classes unless you are exempt, complete or pursuing
a Level I certificate.
IMPORTANT: Starting
January 11, 2021, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board revised the
standards for the TSI testing in Texas. There will be an updated Texas Success
Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) will take the place of the current TSI
Assessment. The TSIA2 will have the Reading and Writing combined into one
section which will be called the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)
section. The Reading and Writing will NO longer be offered as separate testing
sections. There are no changes to the Mathematics section. All TSI Assessment
scores are valid for 5 years from the date you took the exam.
Not planning to be a CBC student - be aware that CBC will administer the TSIA2 exam to only our CBC students during May - August - due to the high volume of traffic during this time. September - April we will be glad to administer the TSIA2 exam to non-CBC students.
1.
Are
you TSI Exempt? Please review TSI Exemptions.
If you are exempt – submit your paperwork to the Admissions office at admissions@coastalbend.edu.
If you don’t meet the exemptions – then continue reading.
2. Call
the Beeville Test Center (361) 354-2334, Monday - Friday – 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and
pay the TSI Fee. TSI ELAR - $20.00 / TSI
MATH - $10.00 – Total of $30.00 for both. No refunds. [From May 1 - 10, 2024 TSIA2 and BCIS Test Out exams will not be administered - due to CBC final exams.]
3. After
payment, you’ll receive an e-mail from the Test Center to complete the Mandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity and submit the appropriate TSI Voucher Request
Form. These links will be in the e-mail sent to you. When you click on the Mandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity link - you'll first create your account with Accuplacer. Then when you login - there will be an option to choose a practice exam. Select - Texas Success Initiative 2.0 Pre-Assessment Activity (TSIA2-PAA). Turn off your pop-up blocker on your browser so that you'll be able to do the two practice exams.
Be aware that the examinee must forward the e-mail that they receive after they complete the new TSI Pre-Assessment Activity - showing that they've completed it to CBCProctor@coastalbend.edu before they will be allowed to test. If the examinee is testing with a CBC TRIO advisor - they must e-mail the proof of completion to their TRIO Advisor.
4. After
you’ve submitted the above, the voucher will be created and you’ll receive a
second e-mail with your voucher information along with instructions on how to
make your appointment for testing – whether with CBC or with the proctoring service
– Examity.
5. TSIA2 IN Person Testing at CBC is conducted on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays.
TSIA2 CBC Remotely Proctored Testing is conducted on Wednesdays.
If you use the Proctoring Service - Examity - you may test 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week - but you do pay an additional $25.00 proctor fee per session to that company for the convenience of testing at any time.
For more in-depth details read below.
TSI
Assessment: Online Testing
CBC is offering TWO options for taking the TSI Assessment
remotely:
Option 1: Take the TSI Assessment through a program called Examity which provides an online
proctor for you while you take the assessment. The proctors are available 24
hours, 7 days a week. The proctor fee is $25 and you pay directly to Examity.
STEP 1: Contact the CBC Testing Center and indicate you are interested in
taking the TSI Assessment through Examity.
STEP 2: Once approved by the CBC Testing Center, you will receive an email
from ACCUPLACER with your voucher code. This voucher code will allow you to
schedule and take your exam.
STEP 3: Click the Examity link in the email which you need for the Examity
registration page. Enter your first name, last name, email, and click
"register"
STEP 4: Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email with
login credentials from Examity. You will then log into the Examity dashboard.
Next, you will set-up a profile and schedule your exam using the voucher code
provided.
For assistance, please contact the Examity support team at 866-EXAMITY or
support@examity.com.
Technical Requirements:
Browser: Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, please disable your pop-up
blocker.
Equipment:
Desktop, Chromebook (for automated proctoring only), or a laptop computer
(tablets & mobile devices are not supported)
Built-in or external webcam
Built-in or external microphone
Built-in or external speakers
Internet Connection:
An upload and download speed of at least 2Mbps
Tutorials are available on the Examity
webpage.
Option 2: Take the TSI Assessment with a CBC Proctor
online - exam administrations on Wednesdays.
You will need to install Microsoft Teams App onto your computer before the CBC remote proctoring session can be started.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/download-app
Please complete the Remote CBC Proctored Voucher Request Form.
|
TSI Assessment: In-Person Testing
STEP 1: Contact the CBC Testing Department
to schedule your exam. When you call, the testing services staff will need to
verify that you have completed the Mandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity
[Effective - After 2/28/22] - you will need to complete theMandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity Be aware that the examinee must forward the e-mail that they receive after they complete the new TSI Pre-Assessment Activity - showing that they've completed it to CBCProctor@coastalbend.edu before they will be allowed to test. If the examinee is testing with a CBC TRIO advisor - they must e-mail the proof of completion to their CBC TRIO Advisor.
STEP 2: Pay for your exam either in-person or by phone through the CBC Testing
Department.
STEP 3: Submit the CBC In-Person Voucher Request Form
STEP 4: Review schedule below based on the CBC location that is closest to you. TSIA2 In-Person Testing is administered at CBC Test Centers on multiple days during the week.
2024 Exam Schedule for each site
The exam
is not timed. For each section, it may take an individual anywhere from
one (1) hour to three (3) hours to complete a section. So if you need to
take the complete exam, you may take anywhere from three (3) hours to six (6)
hours to complete your exam. You will want to complete the exam within
the week that you start the exam so that your exam information isn't lost over
the weekend when the system is updated.
On the day of your exam, please bring a Photo ID and CBC ID number
with you. If you are a prospective student, please complete the Apply Texas Application to obtain a CBC ID. Please keep in mind the Apply Texas
application may take up to five (5) business days to process.
Prior to the administration of your exam, all personal items must be left in a
designated area away from the seating area in the testing room. No cell phones,
smart watches, electronics, books, notes, purses, bags are allowed on the
examinee while testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to take the TSI
Assessment?
Yes, unless you are exempt, complete or pursuing a Level I certificate. Please
review the TSI
Exemptions to see if you qualify for an
exemption.
What is a Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) and do I have to do it?
If you are an incoming college
student in Texas, the State of Texas requires ALL students to complete a
Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) before taking the Texas Success Initiative (TSI)
Assessment. For students retesting, the PAA is not required. After you
complete the PAA, you will receive an email with a Certificate of Completion;
make sure you save this email for your records as we may require you to show
proof of completion.
Click here to complete the PAA: Mandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity
[Effective - After 2/28/22] - you will need to complete the Mandatory TSIA2 Pre-Assessment Activity When you will be testing with Coastal Bend College - you must select Coastal Bend College as the institution when you are doing the Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity. Be aware that the examinee must forward the e-mail that they receive after they complete the new TSI Pre-Assessment Activity - showing that they've completed it to CBCProctor@coastalbend.edu before they will be allowed to test. If the examinee is testing with a CBC TRIO advisor - they must e-mail the proof of completion to their CBC TRIO Advisor.
What is the cost of the TSI Assessment?
2-sections which include Math and ELAR - $30
1-section, ELAR - $20
1-section, MATH - $10
To pay for the TSIA2, please contact the Testing Department at (361) 354-2334,
Mon.-Fri., 8 am – 4 pm.
How do I request for accommodations?
Please contact the Office of Accessibility Services for assistance or follow the
steps to request accommodations at http://www.coastalbend.edu/oas/
What to study, if you want to retest:
You can look at the TSIA2 Score Report that you were given when you took your exam. There wil be a section named: TSIA2 Learning Resources. You'll go to the https://tsia2.pearsonperspective.com/perspective/site and enter your Learning Locator Code that is on your score report.
You may also sign up for TSI Bootcamp courses that are offered online with the company Crossroads.
First, you'll fill out and submit their referral form: https://crossroads-esc2.jotform.com/92815581699171
Then you'll click on their link to schedule your preparation course: https://crossroads.esc2.net/
TSI Exemptions
You may be exempt from taking the TSI2 exam, please refer to the information
below:
*Graduated with an associate or bachelor’s degree; or
*Have earned a C or higher in a college-level course at an accredited institution
of higher education; or
*Previously attended college and have been determined to have met college
readiness standards by that institution (must show proof with official transcript);
or
*Student who is enrolling in a Level I certificate program and are taking
courses ONLY in the certificate plan; or
*Are serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United
States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the
armed forces of the US and have been serving for at least three (3) years
preceding enrollment; or
*On
or after August 1, 1990, were honorably discharged, retired, or released from
active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas
National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of
the US; or
*You have completed the SAT, ACT, or other approved assessment exam with the
minimum sore needed for a TSI exemption.
Effective May 12, 2021 - students who meet the college readiness benchmarks on the state's approved high school equivalency (HSE) tests will qualify for a TSI exemption.
GED: A minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test shall be exempt for mathematics.
A minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject test shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)
HiSET: A minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest shall be exempt for mathematics.
A minimum score of 15 on the Reading subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the essay, shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR).
The high school equivalency test exemptions are valid up to five (5) years from date of testing. While the date of testing can be anytime within the five (5) year time frame, applicability for TSI purposes and placements starts 5/12/21. HiSET will no longer administer its test after 8/31/21. Therefore, HiSET scores with test administration dates after 8/31/21 will no longer be useable for the TSI exemption. However, HiSET college-readiness scores with test dates on or prior to 8/31/21 will still be usable up to five (5) years from date of testing.
TSI
Exemptions
Dual Enrolled - TSI Exemptions
| TEST |
READING & WRITING EXEMPTION |
MATH EXEMPTION |
| SAT (March 2016 & later) |
480 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing |
530 Math |
| SAT (Before March 2016) |
1070 Combined with 500 Critical Reading |
1070 Combined with 500 Math |
| ACT |
23 Composite with 19 English |
23 Composite with 19 Math |
| TAKS |
2200 ELA with 3+ Writing sub-score |
2200 Math |
| STAAR |
4000 English III (EOC) |
4000 Algebra II (EOC) |
NOTE: Combining score from SAT administered prior to March 2016 and the SAT administered after March 2016 and later is NOT allowed.
TSI Complete Scores
Effective January 11, 2021, below are the state-approved minimum scores
| TEST |
English Lang. Arts & Reading (ELAR) |
Math |
| TSI Assessment |
945 and 5+ on the Essay OR
Less than 945 and a Diagnostic Level 5 or more
and an Essay of 5+ |
950 or Less than 950 and Diagnostic
Level of 6 |
You are TSI complete IF you meet the criteria below and you took the TSI Assessment prior to January 11, 2021 (good for five (5) years from date of exam)
| TEST |
Reading |
Writing |
Math |
| TSI Assessment |
351 |
5 or 4 with 340 |
350 |
Requesting TSI Assessment Scores
Preferred method - quickest and easiest way to get your score reports: Retrieving your ACCUPLACER (TSIA/TSIA2) scores
You can request a copy of your TSI Assessment scores by completing the forms below.
TSI Cross-Institutional Release Form
TSIAssessment Score Report Request Form
Page revised 1/12/2024