TSI Resources

TSIA2 English, Language Arts, and Reading (ELAR)

Unless you’re exempt, you’ll first be administered the multiple-choice College Readiness Classification (CRC) Test. This CRC Test, made up of 30 questions, covers 4 sub categories, and addresses these 2 content categories:

• Reading-focused questions measure your skills in comprehension and analysis of literary texts, as well as informational and argumentative texts, including paired passages.
• Writing-focused questions measure your skills in revision and editing of sentences, paragraphs, and early drafts of essays.

If you don’t meet the college readiness benchmark on the CRC you’ll then take the multiple-choice ELAR Diagnostic Test. Take your time and answer each question to the best of your ability. This test provides you with a second opportunity to demonstrate your readiness in ELAR. The results of this test will provide information on your strengths and weaknesses in the areas of reading and writing. Your advisor or counselor will use this information to make the best recommendations for courses or interventions you need to prepare for success in college-level courses. The ELAR Diagnostic Test contains 48 multiple-choice questions, of which 24 are reading-focused and 24 are writing-focused.

TSIA2 ESSAY

The TSIA2 Essay Test is used along with the multiple-choice ELAR component to see if you’re college ready with respect to reading and writing. The Essay Test requires you to provide a 300- to 600-word essay in response to one randomly selected prompt.

Your essay is scored based on six qualities that are highly valued in college-level courses:

• Purpose and Focus: The extent to which you present information in a unified and coherent manner, clearly addressing the issue
• Organization and Structure: The extent to which you order and connect ideas
• Development and Support: The extent to which you develop and support ideas
• Sentence Variety and Style: The extent to which you craft sentences and paragraphs demonstrating control of vocabulary, voice, and structure
• Mechanical Conventions: The extent to which you express ideas using Standard English conventions
• Critical Thinking: The extent to which you communicate a point of view and demonstrate reasoned relationships among ideas

You’re not allowed to use a dictionary or other outside resources. To help you plan your essay and write rough drafts, you may ask the proctor for plain scratch paper, which will be collected at the end of your test session.

Learn more about the TSIA 2.0 ELAR & WritePlacer Exam 

Click here to download the presentation in the video.

Need some practice?

• TSIA Learning Resources (reading and editing practice)
  Students: to get started, enter a Learning Locator^™ code from page 2 of your TSIA2 score report in the box provided. Or, click Enter Student Site to browse or search all resources.

• ACCUPLACER Practice Tests
  Sign up for a free account to access practice materials. 
  
  
• WritePlacer Guide with Sample Essays
  
  
• English, Language Arts, and Reading Sample Questions 

Text Analysis & Structure Practice

• Literary Analysis
  • A Short Guide to Close Reading
• Main Idea and Supporting Details
  • Understanding Main Idea & Supporting Details
• Author’s Use of Language
  
  • Figurative Language
• Reading Practice Tests
  • HCC TSI Reading Pre-Test
  • TSI Practice Test (Reading)
  • Practice Tests--Accuplacer
  • Practice Tests--TestGuide.com
  • UGO Prep Reading Practice Tests
  • Study Guide for Reading Section

Content Revision & Editing for Conventions Practice

• Subject Verb Agreement (Purdue)
• Subject Verb Agreement (The Grammar Book)
• Subject Verb Agreement (Towson)
• Subject Verb Agreement (Nova Southeastern)
  
  
• Sentence Logic--Clauses (Dalton State)
• Sentence Logic--Clauses (Brandeis U)
• Sentence Logic--Clauses (U of Nevada, Reno)
• Sentence Logic -- Clauses (Easy Teacher Worksheets)
• Sentence Logic--Clauses (Grammar Wiz)
  
  
• Sentence Structure (Purdue)
• Sentence Structure (ThoughtCo.)
• Sentence Structure (Grammarly) 
• Editing Practice Test 
• Paragraph Correction Worksheets 
• Practice Tests--Revising
• TSI Practice Test (Writing)

WritePlacer 

• TSI Practice Test (Essay)
• HCC Writing Pretest
• Reading Area Community College
• Sample WritePlacer Topics

For information about TSI testing at Brazosport College, click through Counseling & Testing's information page.