TSI Scores Explained: What 950, 945, and Diagnostic Levels Mean

On the TSIA2, you are college ready in math with a score of 950 or higher, and college ready in English (ELAR) with 945 or higher plus an essay score of at least 5. Both tests are scored from 910 to 990. If you land below those numbers, your diagnostic level decides what happens next, and it can still make you college ready.

Your score report has more on it than one number, though. Here is how to read every part of it, what each result means for your first semester, and what to do next.

The college-ready scores at a glance

These benchmarks come from the Texas rule that governs TSI, 19 TAC §4.57. They are the same at every public college and university in Texas: a school can't raise or lower them.

Reading your math score report, part by part

The CRC score (910 to 990)

CRC stands for College Readiness Classification. It is the score from the first 20 questions everyone takes. At 950 or above, you are done with math testing. Below 950, the test sends you straight to the diagnostic section, and that section's result is the one that counts for placement.

A higher CRC score above 950 does not earn you anything extra. A 951 and a 990 both mean "college ready."

The diagnostic level (2 to 6)

If you took the diagnostic, your report shows a level from 2 to 6. The levels follow the national adult education scale used in the official TSIA2 specifications:

The exact course each level leads to depends on your college, so treat the third column as a general guide and confirm with an advisor.

The four area scores: basic, proficient, or advanced

The diagnostic also rates you in four areas, the same ones the test is built on:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Algebraic Reasoning
• Geometric and Spatial Reasoning
• Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning

Each area gets a label: basic, proficient, or advanced. This is the most useful line on the report. A "basic" in Algebraic Reasoning tells you exactly what to study before a retest, far more than the overall number does. Our TSI math practice test groups its questions by these same four areas, so you can practice the weak one directly.

Read nextTSIA2 Quantitative Reasoning Practice: 12 Questions Solved

A worked example

Say your math report reads: CRC 938, Diagnostic Level 6. The 938 is below 950, but Level 6 meets the second route to the benchmark. You are college ready in math, and you can register for college-level math.

Now say it reads: CRC 938, Diagnostic Level 5, Algebraic Reasoning: basic. You are not yet college ready, but you are close, and the report tells you where the points went. A few weeks of algebra practice before a retest is a reasonable plan.

What about the essay?

The ELAR test ends with an essay, scored from 1 to 8. You need at least a 5 for ELAR college readiness, whatever your CRC or diagnostic result. A strong reading score with a 4 on the essay is not enough, so the essay deserves real practice time.

How long TSI scores last

TSIA2 results are valid for five years from the date you tested. The TSIA2 replaced the original TSI Assessment in January 2021. The old test used a different scale, 310 to 390 in each subject, and any score from it is now more than five years old, so it no longer counts. If your only TSI scores are on the 310 to 390 scale, plan to take the TSIA2.

What to do if you are not college ready yet

• Read the four area scores and start with the one marked basic.
• Retest when you are ready. Texas rules allow retesting, and many colleges ask you to do some review first. Your college's testing center sets the fee and the schedule.
• Ask about support courses. Many Texas colleges let students who are close to the benchmark take college-level math together with a support class in the same semester, instead of a separate developmental course first.
• Check whether you are exempt. SAT, ACT, GED, HiSET, and STAAR scores can exempt you from TSI altogether; the full list is in our TSI math practice test guide. A 165 on the GED math test, for example, exempts you from TSI math.

Teacher's note: When students show me a score report, I skip the big number and look at the area scores first. The big number tells you where you stand today; the area scores tell you what to do tomorrow. Pick the weakest area, give it two focused weeks, and the overall score usually follows.