TSI Requirements

To be eligible to enroll into dual credit courses, students must meet TSI course requirements for their specific dual credit course load.

What is TSI?

TSI stands for the Texas Success Initiative. The TSI assessment (TSIA) is a test designed to determine if a student is ready for college level course work in reading, writing, and math. UT Tyler accepts the TSIA and TSIA 2.0 .

Why are dual credit students required to be TSI Complete?

Dual credit courses are college level courses. Students must meet the same TSI requirements to ensure they are ready for college level coursework.

TSI Policies and Examples:

• We will not require students be TSI complete for subjects/courses that they will not be taking during their dual credit career.

• Dual Credit Students will always be checked for exemptions first before being counseled to take the TSI test.

• Once the student graduates and attends a Texas public higher education institution, they are required to be TSI complete or exempt in math, reading and writing.

• For example:

  • If a student is exempt in reading/writing they will not have to take the TSI for courses that require reading/writing completion.
  • If they do not plan on taking any math or science courses that requires the math TSI, then they will not have to be complete in math while they are a dual credit student.
  • However, if they do decide to take a math or science course that requires the math TSI, they will then have to take the math portion of the TSI if they are not eligible for exemption. 

For students with previous TSI scores:

Students who have already taken the TSI test at another institution will need to have their high school counselor send those TSI scores to the Dual Credit Coordinator or complete the authorization form that will allow UT Tyler to access your official scores online.

The following approved scores can be used to exempt students from taking TSI and allow them to be eligible to enroll in specific dual credit courses:

TSI Exemptions for Dual Credit

COURSE AND PROGRAM COMPLETION EXEMPTIONS

Student Category	Institution Where Course or Program Completed	Applicability	Exemption	Exemption Expiration
High School Student who successfully completes College Prep Course (TEC 28.014)	School district partners with any public, private, independent institution of higher education	Applies at the institution of Higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide course(s), or at an institution that accepts the student as TSI-met based on course completion	Corresponding English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and/or Mathematics sections	24 months from date of high school graduation & student must enroll in college-level course in exempted content within first year of enrollment at institution
Student enrolled and met readiness standards in mathematics and/or ELAR by institution	Any Texas public, private, independent institution of higher education or accredited out-of-state institution	Student has met college readiness standards in mathematics, reading, or writing as determined by receiving institution	Corresponding ELAR and/or Mathematics sections	No Expiration
Student completed college level coursework with C or better	Any Texas public, private, independent institution of higher education or accredited out-of-state institution	A student with a transcribed grade of ‘C’ or better is not subject to TSI in accordance with Rule 4.52(b).	Corresponding ELAR and/or Mathematics sections	No Expiration
College level coursework in a dual credit course as defined by Rule 4.83(11), including a College Connect dual credit course offered under Rule 4.86, with C or better.	Any Texas public institution of higher education	A student with a transcribed grade of ‘C’ or better is not subject to TSI in accordance with Rule 4.54(c)(2)(b).	Corresponding ELAR and/or Mathematics sections	No Expiration
Student earned Texas First Diploma	Any Texas public institution of higher education	A student who has earned the Texas First Diploma is TSI exempt under Rule 4.54(c)(3).	ELAR and Mathematics sections	No Expiration

 

ASSESSMENT EXEMPTIONS

Assessment Type	Assessment Version	Minimum Score	Combined?	TSI Exemption?	Exemption Expiration
ACT
ACT Composite + English	Prior to 2/15/23	Composite 23 and English 19	May combine with scores on test administered aer  2/15/23	English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) Section	5 years from date of test
ACT Composite + Math	Prior to 2/15/23	Composite 23 and Math 19	N/A	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test
ACT Math	After 2/15/23	Score of 22; No Composite	N/A	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test
ACT English + Reading	After 2/15/23	Combined score of 40; No Composite	May combine with scores on test administered prior to 2/15/23	ELAR Section	5 years from date of test
SAT
SAT Evidence Based Reading &  Wring (EBRW)	After  3/5/16	EBRW 480	Not allowable	ELAR  Section	5 years from date of test
SAT Mathematics	After  3/5/16	Math 530	Not allowable	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test
GED
GED Mathematical Reasoning		Mathematical Reasoning 165	N/A	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test
GED Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA)		RLA   165	N/A	ELAR  Section	5 years from date of test
HiSET
HiSET Mathemacs Subtest		Math Subtest minimum of 15	N/A	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test
HiSET Reading Subtest, Writing Subtest, and Essay		Reading minimum of 15, Writing minimum of 15, and Essay minimum of 4.	N/A	ELAR  Section	5 years from date of test
STAAR EOC
STAAR EOC -English III		English III EOC 4000	N/A	ELAR  Section	5 years from date of test
STAAR EOC –Algebra II		Algebra II EOC 4000	N/A	Mathematics Section	5 years from date of test

 

 

TSI Requirements for Dual Credit

If student does not meet TSI exemptions, they must receive the following scores:

TSI Complete-Reading	TSI Complete-Writing	TSI Complete-Math
351 Reading	A placement score of at least 340, and an essay score of at least a 4; or A placement score of less than 340, and an ABE Diagnostic level of at least a 4, and an essay score of at least a 5.	350 Math

 

 

TSI 2.0 Requirements for Dual Credit

If student does not meet TSI exemptions, they must receive the following scores:

Mathematics (for college-level coursework with a mathematics-intensive designation):

A college readiness classification (CRC) score of at least 950; or
A CRC score below 950 and a Diagnostic level of 6. 

English Language Arts Reading (for college level coursework with reading, writing, or reading and writing-intensive designation):

A college readiness classification (CRC) score of at leas 945 and an essay score of at least 5; or
A CRC score below 945 and a diagnostic level of 5 or 6 and an essay score of at least 5.