Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Test Online Preparation with Free Practice Questions & Answers [2024’s Guide]

What is the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Test?

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test is a placement exam that Texas colleges and universities use to place students into the correct course levels. Texas has been using a version of this placement test since 2003, the test that students take today was created by the CollegeBoard ACCUPLACER platform.

The TSI exam assesses students’ aptitude in math, reading, and writing. Students who do well on the tests will be placed in higher-level classes during their first year of college. Those who do not do well on the tests must take remedial courses to catch up to their peers.

Each section consists of 20 multiple-choice questions. Additionally, the writing section includes a five-paragraph essay. The exam is untimed but typically takes students between three to five hours to complete.

One thing that makes the TSI particularly difficult is the adaptive nature of the test. The questions will get progressively more challenging or easier as you move along. While a little intimidating, this format is an excellent way for the schools to quickly determine where you are at in your knowledge of that topic and easily place you at the appropriate level. Try not to let this test method scare you and remember that if the questions seem a little challenging, you are likely doing well.

Who Has to Take the TSI Test?

The TSI is given to incoming freshman at the university and is done before students register for their freshman year classes. While most students will have to take the exam, there are a few exceptions, including:

Receiving a score of 480 or higher on the evidence-based reading and writing sections of the SAT and received a math score of 530 or higher
Receiving an ACT score of 23 or higher with a 19 or higher on both math and English
Receiving TAKS scores of 2200 on English and Math with a 3 or higher on the writing subsection
Being active military personnel, a veteran, or a reservist
Being a transfer student who has already completed college-level courses
Enrolling in a 1-year certificate program at a public school

If you fall into any of these categories, you may not need to take the TSI. Check with your school to inform them of your situation.

If you do not fall into any of these categories, keep reading to learn more about the test and what TSI prep you should complete to do well on the exam.

TSI Pre-Assessment Activity

Before taking the TSI exam, students must first complete the TSI Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA). Each school has a different activity for this section, but it will ultimately include:

Resources to help students succeed in college.
An explanation of the TSI test and why it is crucial to do well on it.
Practice questions and feedback on how to come to the correct answer.
An explanation of options available to students who do not do well on the test and the consequences of failing.

After you have completed this activity, the school will give you a certification of completion that you must bring with you when you take the TSI exam.

TSI Math Test

The first section you will encounter on the TSI test is the math section. As mentioned earlier, the math section consists of 20 multiple-choice questions. These questions are based on four mathematical topics:

Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: Questions in this topic area will ask you to interpret categorical and quantitative data, probabilistic reasoning, and statistical measures.
Elementary Algebra and Functions: For these questions, test-takers can expect to see linear equations, algebraic expressions, inequalities, word problems, and applications.
Intermediate Algebra and Functions: This topic covers more advanced algebraic concepts such as polynomial expressions, equations, functions, and rational and exponential expressions.
Geometry and Measurement: The questions in this topic will cover plane geometry, symmetry, transformations, and 2D and 3D measurements.

All the topics covered in this psychometric test should have been covered in your high school studies. Students who passed their high school math classes should have no problem on this exam.

However, if math is one of your weaker topics or it has been a while since you took a math class, you may want to take some extra time to focus on TSI math practice during your exam preparation. Check out an online TSI math practice test to help you prepare for the exam.

TSI Math Example Questions

Question 1:

Solve for x in the following equation:

(x + 10) = 32

x=52
x=54
x=62
x=64

Answer 1:

The correct answer is b: x=54.

Question 2:

Find the slope and y-intercept of the following function:

m=; b=7
m=1; b=21
m=; b=7
m=1; b=21

Answer 2:

The correct answer is a: m= and b=7.

Question 3:

Every Wednesday Samantha and her running group meet at a local coffee shop. The table below shows how far they run and how long it takes them to get there. On average, how many miles does each person in the running group run?

Name	Distance (miles)	Time (minutes)
Samantha	3.5	49
Jo	4.2	75
Jenny	1.3	30
Anne	2.4	60

65 miles
75 miles
85 miles
95 miles

Answer 3:

The correct answer is c: 2.85 miles.

Question 4:

In a manufacturing company, there is a probably of 1 in 5 that an order will be returned due to a defect in the product. There was a sale this past weekend and the company sent out 350 orders. Of those orders, how many will likely be returned due to a defect?

Answer 4:

The correct answer is b: 70 orders.

Question 5:

Solve for z in the following equation where x = 4 and y = 5:

3x²+ 6y = 6z

z=7
z=9
z=11
z=13

Answer 5:

The correct answer is d: z=13.

TSI Reading Test

The TSI reading test will be focused on your understanding of written text. You will answer 20 multiple-choice questions that will be based on four different categories:

Main Ideas and Supporting Details: You must be able to identify the main idea of a passage and understand explicit information stated in the text.
Inferences: You must be able to make connections between multiple passages and compare them to make appropriate inferences.
Literary Analysis: You will need to analyze and identify ideas and specific elements of the written passage.
Author’s Use of Language: You’ll need to understand the author’s tone, rhetorical strategies, and purpose. You’ll also have to use context clues to determine word definitions.

Remember that this test is not timed. Therefore, you should feel free to take all the time you need to read the passages carefully and understand each question before responding. Doing TSI reading practice questions during your preparation will help you understand what kind of information you should look out for on the test.

TSI Reading Example Questions

Passage 1:

Evelyn owns a bookstore with her husband, Hugo. At the end of every month, they host a sale where all used books are $10. Last month they sold $500 worth of used books during that sale. Evelyn and Hugo pride themselves on having an affordable bookstore from which locals can buy new and gently used books. They even have a buy-back program that allows patrons to sell their books to the store for a store credit that they can use on new books.

Passage 2:

Christine owns a rival bookstore down the street from Evelyn that only sells new books. She also has a monthly sale and marks her best sellers down to $25 for a weekend. Last month Christine made $675 during that sale. Locals love going to Christine’s bookstore for author events, where she hosts author discussions and serves refreshments. Christine never has the same author twice a year. This year she has had Kylie Anderson, Jacob Yaw, Sally Bush, and Steven Fork.

Question 6:

How many used books did Evelyn sell during her last sale?

Answer 6:

The correct answer is d: 50 books.

Question 7:

How many books did Chistine sell during her last sale?

Answer 7:

The correct answer is c: 27 books.

Question 8:

Tyler has five books that he no longer wants. Who should he sell his books to if he wants to buy new ones?

Evelyn
Chistine
Neither
Either

Answer 8:

The correct answer is a: Evelyn.

Question 9:

As used in the first passage, affordable most closely means?

Expensive
Inexpensive
Used
Good condition

Answer 9:

The correct answer is b: inexpensive.

Question 10:

Which of the following authors cannot be a guest at Christine’s author event later this year?

Taylor Smith
Jacob Yaw
Sandy Ford
Not enough information to tell

Answer 10:

The correct answer is b: Jacob Yaw.

TSI Writing Test

The last section of the test is the writing portion. The writing section consists of two main parts: multiple-choice questions and an essay.

There are 20 multiple-choice questions in the first section. These questions will consist of the following four categories:

Agreement: Students must demonstrate an understanding of verb tenses, pronoun agreement, and subject-verb agreement.
Sentence Logic: Test-takers must use logical transitions and modify phrases and clauses.
Essay Revision: Students must make good word choices and display organization and coherence.
Sentence Structure: Test-takers must structure sentences correctly and demonstrate that they can correct comma splices, punctuation, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and other grammatical issues.

Writing skills are essential for college students. No matter your major, you will be expected to compose several papers and must be able to communicate clearly and effectively. Therefore, you should be sure to include writing questions in your TSI test prep.

TSI Essay

In addition to the multiple-choice questions, each student must write a five-paragraph essay. The essay will be roughly 300 to 600 words long and need to state the main idea, clearly communicate the supporting arguments, and use correct grammar throughout the text.

Four specific areas will be scored in your essay:

Organization and structure
Purpose and focus
Development and support of ideas
Sentence variety and style

This will be a persuasive essay, so you must take a stance on a given topic and do your best to argue your position. Remember that in persuasive essays, there are no right or wrong stances. You will be scored on how effectively you argue your point and how well you structure the essay.

TSI Writing Example Questions

Question 11:

Which of the following words is most different in meaning than the other words?

Assist
Facilitate
Aid
Obstruct

Answer 11:

The correct answer is d: obstruct.

Question 12:

Which of the following is spelled correctly?

Particularly
Particulerly
Particulurly
Particularley

Answer 12:

The correct answer is a: particularly.

Question 13:

Which of the following words is most similar to the word Abysmal?

Great
Terrible
Mediocre
Wonderful

Answer 13:

The correct answer is b: terrible.

Question 14:

Which of the following words is spelled incorrectly?

Accommodate
Collegue
Immediately
Successful

Answer 14:

The correct answer is b: collegue.

Question 15:

Which of the following sentences is correct?

Grace’s favorite herb is thyme so she planted some in her garden next to the basil and dill.
Grace’s favorite herb is thyme, so she planted some in her garden, next to the basil and dill.
Grace’s favorite herb is thyme, so she planted some in her garden next to the basil and dill.
Graces favorite herb is thyme, so she planted some in her garden next to the basil and dill.

Answer 15:

The correct answer is C: Grace’s favorite herb is thyme, so she planted some in her garden next to the basil and dill.

TSI Exam Scoring

How you do on this test will determine what classes you can take during your first year of college. A higher score on a particular topic will place you in a more advanced class. In contrast, a lower score will put you in a remedial class to allow you to better learn the material before moving on to college-level courses.

Each exam section is scored individually, so even though you may get into an entry-level English class, you may still get placed in remedial math. The test sections are each graded slightly differently, so a “college-ready” score looks different for each test.

The table below shows the possible scores in each section and the scores that are considered “college-ready.”

Subject	Possible Range	College-Ready Range
Math	310 – 390	350 – 390
Reading	310 – 390	351 – 390
Writing	310 – 390	340 – 390
Essay	1 – 8	4 – 8

Please note that to pass the writing section of the test, you must receive college-ready range scores in both the multiple-choice section and the essay.

If you score lower than the college-ready benchmark on any test, your school may ask you to take the ABE Diagnostic Test to further understand your strengths and weaknesses in each area. If you receive a passing score on the ABE, you may be able to take a college-level course while concurrently taking a developmental education course.

The table below shows what scores you would need on the TSI and the ABE to qualify for this corequisite model:

Subject	TSI Score	ABE Score
Math	336 – 349	5 – 6
Reading	342 – 350	5 – 6
Writing	310 – 339	4 – 6
Essay	5	—

To qualify for the corequisite path in writing, you must score a 310 – 339 on the TSI multiple-choice section, a 5 on the TSI essay, and a 4, 5, or 6 on the ABE writing section.

Since the test is computer-based, test takers will receive their scores the same day they take the test. If you do not do well, you may retake the exam.

How to Prepare for the TSI Assessment?

Doing well on the TSI test is extremely important because the test results will determine your freshman year placements. If you do not do well on the test, you may take classes below your readiness level, leading to more time in college and more money spent on college classes.

The best way to ensure a higher score is proper preparation. Online resources like practice tests and study guides are the best way to study and prepare for the TSI exam.

The TSI study guide will walk you through how to come to the correct answer and will give you test-taking tips to help you achieve a high score. Taking a TSI practice test will allow you to work through sample problems and better understand what will be on the test.

Use all the resources available to ensure high TSI scores on each test section.