TSI Content Areas

TSI Mathematics Assessment

The Mathematics Assessment is a multiple-choice assessment with four basic content areas with scores ranging from 310 to 390.

Shown below are brief descriptions of each of the four content areas.

Elementary Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge of linear equations, inequalities and systems; algebraic expressions and equations; and word problems and applications.
Intermediate Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge of quadratic and other polynomial expressions, equations and functions; expressions, equations and functions involving powers, roots and radicals; and rational and exponential expressions, equations and functions.
Geometry and Measurement measures your knowledge of plane geometry; transformations
and symmetry; and linear, area and three dimensional measurements.
Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability measures your knowledge of interpreting categorical and quantitative data, statistical measures and probabilistic reasoning.

TSI Reading Assessment

The TSI Assessment in Reading is a multiple-choice assessment with scores ranging from 310-390 that covers the four content areas listed below. There are approximately 24 items on the TSI placement test and 10 to 12 items in each section of the TSI diagnostic test.

Literary Analysis measures your skill in identifying and analyzing ideas in and elements of literary texts.
Main Idea and Supporting Details measure your skill in identifying the main idea of a passage and in comprehending explicit textual information in a passage.
Inferences in a Text or Texts measure your skill in synthesizing ideas by making a connection or comparison between two passages and in making an appropriate inference about single passages.
Author’s Use of Language measures your skill in identifying an author’s purpose, tone, organization, or rhetorical strategies and use of evidence and in determining the meaning of words in context.

TSI Writing Assessment

The Writing Assessment is an assessment that contains a multiple-choice section and an essay section. The multiple-choice section has four content areas with scores ranging from 310 to 390. Shown below are brief descriptions of each of the four content areas. There are approximately 20 items on the TSI placement test and 10 to 12 items in each section of the TSI diagnostic test.

Essay Revision measures your ability to provide coherence, organization and good word choice and your ability to achieve rhetorical effectiveness and use evidence.
Agreement measures your ability to perform subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement as well as your ability to determine verb tenses.
Sentence Structure measures your knowledge of topics like comma splices and run-on sentences; improper punctuation; fragments and parallelism; and subordination and coordination.
Sentence Logic measures your ability to correctly place modifying phrases and clauses and your ability to use logical transitions.

Essay Section

You may be asked to write a five-paragraph persuasive essay (approximately 350-500 words) on a controversial issue or one of current interest. You will be expected to clearly state a main idea and provide specific examples and details to back up your main idea, as well as follow conventions of Standard English. You will not be allowed to use a dictionary or other outside resources, but you may use plain scratch paper (provided at the testing center) to plan our essay and write your rough draft(s). Items will test the student’s ability to arrange the parts of sentences in the most logical way, including the use of logical transitions and the correct placement of modifying phrases and clauses and the student’s ability to use logical transitions.

How to Prepare

Take advantage of free sample questions to improve in areas where your academic performance is not the strongest. These sample questions help you familiarize yourself with the types of questions asked on the TSI Assessment. Access the full sample questions document

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TSI Content Areas