Texas Success Initiative (TSI)
For support navigating TSI related matters, please contact tsi@utdallas.edu.
The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state mandate that requires students to demonstrate college readiness in English Language Arts Reading and mathematics prior to enrolling in college. For students enrolling without a TSI Exemption, they will be required to take the TSI Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2), to measure student proficiency in the basic areas of study for fulfillment of the TSI requirement, and to be advised based on the results of that assessment (See TSI Rules).
Students are required to enroll in developmental education coursework if they do not reach the college level standard on the TSI Assessment. Students are granted unlimited opportunities to take the TSI Assessment before being required to enroll in developmental education. Note: UT Dallas requires students be TSI complete prior to upper level coursework beyond 59 credit hours.
Students required to take the TSI Assessment are subject to the following standards to be considered college-ready:
- English Language Arts Reading: 945 and an Essay of 5 or more.
-or-
Less than 945 and a Diagnostic Level of 5 or more and an Essay of 5 or more. - Math: 950
-or-
Less than 950 and Diagnostics Level of 6
If you have previously taken the TSI Assessment prior to January 2021, the minimum score requirements are as follows:
- Math: 350
- Reading: 351
- Writing: 340 and 4+ on Essay
If you are a student who requires the TSI Assessment 2.0, please see the UTD Testing Center TSIA2 Assessment information.
Additional information on TSI Assessment 2.0 (pdf) is available from CollegeBoard.
Texas Success Initiative State Regulations – Texas Legislative Requirements
Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4 of the Texas Administrative Code describes in detail the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) for Texas public institutions of higher education.
Texas Success Initiative Transfer Student Provisions
Students transferring to UT Dallas from private or out-of-state institutions must meet TSI requirements (be tested or exempted) prior to being allowed to enroll in any college-level work. Students who transfer accumulated semester credit hours to UT Dallas from a private or out-of-state United States institution may use certain transferred courses which are given common course numbers corresponding to courses approved by UT Dallas to satisfy TSI requirements. Students must have earned a course grade of C (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or better in the corresponding courses to meet TSI requirements. If coursework does not satisfy exemption requirements, students must be tested for the remaining skill areas and must comply with all other TSI requirements. Students transferring from other Texas public institutions of higher education must be TSI exempted or comply with the UT Dallas policies for Developmental Education.
Students entering UT Dallas are permitted to enroll in upper division (3000 and 4000 level) courses for which they have completed the prerequisites while completing the TSI requirements. However, no student with 60 or more earned credit hours and having attempted any credit hours at UT Dallas shall be permitted to register for upper division courses without having satisfied all TSI requirements.