TSI Assessment Exemption Students

In accordance with Texas Education Code, Subchapter F-1, students in the following categories who enter public institutions of higher education may be exempt from the TSI Assessment.

The law allows for exemptions for the following categories of students:

1. For a period of five years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards:

a. ACT: Composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and mathematics tests (partial exemptions are allowed).

b. SAT:

1. SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016: A combined critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on both the critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and the mathematics tests.
2. SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016: A minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test exempts for both reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment; a minimum score of 530 on the mathematics test exempts for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. There is no combined score.
3. Mixing or combining scores from the SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016 and the SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016 is not allowable.

2. For a period of five years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards:

1. On the exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) with a minimum score of 2200 on the English Language Arts with a minimum writing subscore of at least 3 and a minimum score of 2200 on the mathematics test (partial exemptions are allowed).
2. STAAR end-of-course (EOC) should contact the Academic Advising Center (AAC) about TSI exception)

3.  A student who has graduated with an associate's or baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education.

4.  A student who transfers to an institution from a public, private, or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by the receiving institution.

5.  A student who has previously attended any Texas institution of higher education and has been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution.

6.  A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the U.S. armed forces, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.

7.  A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States.

8.  A student who successfully completes a college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 is exempt for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of high school graduation with respect to the content area of the course. The student must enroll in the student's first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student's first year of enrollment in an institution of higher education. This exemption applies only at the institution of higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course. Additionally, an institution of higher education may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with a partnering institution of higher education to accept the exemption for the college preparatory course.