What Is TSI Compliance Articles | Accuplacer

By: Camille Rodriquez

If you have a high school senior who's filling out applications for college, then you've probably heard mention of "TSI Compliance." It seems a scary thing, especially when you get a notice that your child has been accepted, but needs to ensure TSI Compliance. On the one hand, you want to be excited about the college acceptance letter, but on the other hand, you may be caught off guard by yet another hoop to have to jump through.

TSI Compliance is a Texas standard of abilities. It stands for Texas Success Initiative, and it's an assessment of basic skills in reading, writing, and math. It also allows for colleges to make determinations about starting levels in some courses or suggested paths that students should take. It's up to each college to determine how to use the results, but it is a part of the state codes of admittance for Texas colleges, and knowing what's on it is important.

TSI Compliance is achieved by taking one of several possible exams and scoring above certain benchmarks on each section. THEA, COMPASS, ASSET, and ACCUPLACER exams will all serve to meet this standard, and they have test preparation guidelines as well. The minimum passing scores range, but each test has an expected score for the individual subject areas in order for students to pass these exams. It's possible to pass one section but not another, for instance. Colleges will expect students to score at or above these benchmarks in order to prove their readiness to work at the college level or be eligible to enroll in particular courses.

Now if you are the parent of a high school senior, you might be asking, "Why does my child have to take another exam if they've already taken an ACT or SAT?" Well, the answer is that there are exemptions from TSI compliance testing based on scores for the SAT and ACT tests, as well as others. That means, depending on how your child did on the SAT or ACT, they may not have to take additional testing. They may already be TSI compliant.

To determine that, the colleges that your child is applying to will have information on scores that are required in order to be exempt. Be aware however, that in some cases, exemption is based on combinations of scores. For example, students need to not only have a specific composite SAT score to be exempt from TSI testing, but that SAT composite score must be based on each subject area reaching a specific score as well. The composite and subject scores have to be achieved on the same test date, too. You can't take two different SAT tests and combine your results.

Know what it means to be TSI compliant before you panic when those acceptance letters come in for your student. There's a good chance they may already be exempt, and if not, there are plenty of tools available through the TSI testing services to help your child become compliant in plenty of time!