Transcripts

Hi, My name is Elaine Krieg and I am an instructor of Reading here at Houston Community College.

I want to give you some information about the reading portion of the TSI assessment.

Then after you take the little sample test, you will probably want to review all of the additional reading materials before you take the actual TSI., because you will be placed into the most appropriate course based on your performance.

The more prepared you are before you take the TSI, the more likely it is that you will be placed into a higher level course, which will save you a lot of time and money.

The TSI will measure your reading skills according to both college and career readiness standards, so let's look at these standards as stated in the material provided by the state of Texas.

Here are the categories of questions that you can expect to see on the TSI. As we look at the four categories of questions, think about how they apply to college and career readiness.

The TSI will measure your ability to analyze literature, or documents or other written material. For this category of questions, you will need to read passages of 400 words or about a page and a half. The passages may be fiction or they may be factual in nature. These questions will ask you to demonstrate your ability to identify and analyze elements in written material such as the elements that tell you about the structure of a paragraph, as well as the elements of written material such as the elements that indicate an author's purpose for writing.

The TSI will measure your ability to identify the main idea and supporting details in written material. For this category of questions, you will read shorter passages of 75 - 125 words in length. The passages are factual in nature, and the questions are discrete, meaning that they are isolated to the passage you have just read rather than providing a question that describes a separate situation. So you might see questions like, "What is the main idea of paragraph 1?" or "Which of the following statements directly supports the main idea of the passage?" These questions will ask you to demonstrate your ability to identify the main idea or supporting details of explicit material. Explicit means that the information you will need in order to answer each question is directly stated in the passage.

The TSI will measure your ability to draw inferences from written material. For this category of questions, you will need to read passages of about a page in length. The passages are factual in nature. These questions will ask you to demonstrate your ability to make reasonable conclusions from evidence presented in the passage, or you may need to read two passages and answer questions wherein you will be asked to compare and contrast what was presented in both passages.

Finally, the TSI will measure your ability to analyze an author's use of language. For this category of questions, you will read passages of about a page. The passages are factual in nature. The questions in this category will test your ability to analyze the language used in order to convey the author's purpose, tone, organizational structure or use of evidence. In some cases, the questions will ask you to demonstrate your ability to determine the meaning of a particular word by the way it is used in the passage.

If you have any questions about the courses you need to take, please see an advisor at the Counseling Office right away so that you can arrange your schedule in the way that best meets your needs.

The TSI is not timed, so you don't need to rush. You can read patiently and think carefully about each of your responses.

Now, see how well you do on the little sample quiz. If you have any trouble at all, you should consider reviewing all of the additional reading materials available to you in this site before you take the actual TSI.

Good luck!              

  I want to tell you a little bit about the TSI assessment you are going to take so you know what to expect. Then, if you think you might need more practice, you can review the materials in this site.

The TSI assessment is an assessment used by Texas colleges to make sure you are placed into the most appropriate courses based upon your math abilities. Your success is our priority and you are more likely to be successful when you are placed into the correct course.

The questions are multiple-choice and will assess both college and career readiness standards for mathematics. The TSI assessment is adaptive. This means that the number of questions you answer is determined by your previous answers. So, based on the way you answered the previous question, the TSI will seek to accurately identify your math level. You will answer between 20 to 60 questions.

Here are the categories of questions that you will find on the TSI:

Elementary Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge in linear equations, inequalities and systems; algebraic expressions and equations; word problems and applications. You will not be timed on this test. So, take the time you need to do your best.

Intermediate Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge in quadratic and other polynomial expressions, equations and functions; expressions, equations, and functions involving powers, roots and radicals; rational and exponential expressions, equations and functions.

Geometry and Measurement measures your knowledge in plane geometry; transformations and symmetry; linear, area and three-dimensional measurements.

Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability measures your knowledge in interpreting categorical and quantitative data, statistical measures and probabilistic reasoning.

You will receive your results immediately after completing the TSI assessment. These results will allow us to place you in the appropriate course. Depending on your performance, you will be place into adult basic education courses, developmental education courses, or college level courses. Your advisor will explain your options when you attend the pre-enrollment session.

As you can see, being prepared for the test can save you time and money. Below are a few selections followed by several sample questions. See how well you do. Your results will indicate where you might place when you take the actual TSI assessment. But if you think you might perform better with more practice then please review the additional instructional materials within this site before you take the TSI assessment. Good luck! 

Hello, my name is Jamil and I’m a student at HCC.

You are about to engage in an online prep for the new college placement test, which is called the TSI. TSI stands for the Texas Success Initiative. Unless you have scored high on the college ACT or SAT, you will have to take the TSI before you enroll at HCC. Now many students don’t know this, so they show up to the test unprepared.

The purpose of the TSI test is to measure your current skills in reading, writing, and math to determine if you are ready for college level courses. Now, it is very important that you prepare in advance and brush up on your skills, especially in math. In fact, you will not even be allowed to take the TSI until you take the practice tests on this web site as a TSI Pre-Assessment Activity. The higher you score on the TSI, the less likely it will be that you will have to take developmental courses prior to college level courses. This will save you a lot of time and money on your way to earning a certificate and degree at HCC.

To begin, click on the “About TSI” tab to learn about the new test and whether you might qualify for an exemption. Next, click on the TSI practice tests to see how you do. If you’re not satisfied with your results, we’ve prepared review materials for you in reading, writing, and math. There is a tab available for each and each section will have instructions to guide you through the review. Now good luck; I know you will enjoy your classes at HCC. Have a good semester.