TSI - Exemptions

A student may be exempt from meeting Texas Success Initiative standards by meeting one of the following standards:

For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards that cannot be raised by institutions:

• ACT - Effective February 7, 2023 (Request your scores to be sent here school code 4223)
  • ACT administered prior to February 15, 2023 : composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the English test shall be exempt for both the reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment, and/or 19 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessments
  • ACT administered on or after February 15, 2023 : a combined score of 40 on the English and Reading (E+R) tests shall be exempt for both reading and writing or ELAR sections of the TSI Assessment. A score of 22 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. There is no composite score.
  • The use of scores from both the ACT administered prior to February 15, 2023, and the ACT administered after February 15, 2023, is allowable, as long as the benchmarks set forth in clause (ii) of this subparagraph are met.
  • A minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test shall be exempt for mathematics.
  • A minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject test shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)
  • A minimum score of 15 on the mathematics subtest shall be exempt for mathematics.
  • A minimum score of 15 on the Reading subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the essay, shall be exempt for English Language Arts Reading (ELAR)
  • IMPORTANT NOTE:HiSET has informed the Texas Education Agency that it will no longer administer its test after 8/31/21. Therefore, HiSET scores with test administration dates after 8/31/21 will no longer be useable for the TSI exemption. However, HiSET college-readiness scores with test dates on or prior to 8/31/21 will still be useable up to five (5) years from date of testing. Note also that it is not relevant where the student has taken the approved HSE test (in or out-of-state) when considering applicability for the TSI exemption, only the test date and its related test score(s).
  • (administered since March 5, 2016)
    • Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW): 480
    • Math: 530
    • Combined verbal and math score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the verbal test and/or math test
    • • ESC- Region 19 -Students must obtain an overall grade of 75 each semester.
      • Course Placement for Exemptions at UTEP

      For a complete list of TSI exemptions, see Texas Administrative Code and Coordinating Board Rules.