Unlike the more recognizable SAT and ACT, the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA2) is a placement test that LIT uses to determine if a student can be placed in certain college classes.

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) has replaced the original TSIA. If you meet the college readiness benchmarks with the current TSIA exam, the scores will be valid for five years from the date that you took the exam. The same will be the case for the TSIA2 exam. The TSIA2 differs from the TSIA by having reading and writing combined into one section, which is called the English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) section. There is still a Mathematics section for the exam.

As before, the TSIA2 still requires the completion of the mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) before taking the TSIA2 exam. Also, the exemptions currently in place (ACT, SAT, Military, etc.) continue with the TSIA2.

The updated assessment includes the following enhancements:

• Integration of separate Reading and Writing assessments to one English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) assessment.
• Students not meeting college readiness benchmarks will now have one diagnostic assessment.
• Free, online library of TSIA2 learning resources for instructional and practice materials that relate to the objectives of the assessments.
• Mathematics section will contain the following:
  • College readiness classification (CRC) assessment – 20 items
    • Quantitative Reasoning
    • Algebraic Reasoning
    • Geometric and Spatial Reasoning
    • Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning
  • Diagnostic assessment – 48 items (to be taken if the CRC passing benchmark is not met).
• ELAR section (Integrated Reading and Writing):
  • College readiness classification (CRC) assessment 30 items
    • Literary text analysis
    • Informational text analysis and synthesis
    • Essay revision and editing
    • Sentence revision, editing, and completion
  • Diagnostic assessment – 48 items (to be taken if the CRC passing benchmark is not met).
  • Essay

The following are the new TSIA2 College Readiness Cut Scores as set by the state. With the TSIA2, there is a second chance to prove college readiness with high scores from the diagnostic section.

• ELAR (Integrated Reading and Writing)
  
  • CRC score of a 945-990 with an Essay of 5-8, or
  • CRC of a 910-944 with a Diagnostic Level of 5-6 and an Essay of 5-8
• MATH
  
  • CRC score of 950-990, or
  • CRC score of 910-949 with a Diagnostic Level of 6