TSI Passing Score for Math: TSIA2 Cut Score and Ranges Explained

If you are heading to a public college in Texas, one number decides whether you can start in a regular credit-bearing math course: your TSIA2 Mathematics score. The good news is that the state standard is the same at every public college, and there are two different ways to meet it. This post explains the score scale, the cut score, the diagnostic route, the exemptions, and a practical plan for getting there.

What Is the TSI Passing Score for Math?

Strictly speaking, the TSIA2 has no “pass” or “fail.” What it has is a college readiness standard set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Rule 4.57. For TSIA2 tests taken on or after January 11, 2021, you meet the mathematics standard in one of two ways:

• A College Readiness Classification (CRC) score of 950 or higher, or
• A CRC score below 950 plus a Diagnostic Level of 6.

The Texas Education Agency lists the same benchmarks on its TSIA information page. Rule 4.57 also says colleges may not set a higher or lower standard on any part of the assessment, so 950 means the same thing at a community college in El Paso as it does at a university in Houston. Where colleges do differ is in how they place you after the test, which course you start in, and how they handle retests.

TSIA and TSIA2 results are valid for five years from the test date under the same rule, so a score from early 2021 has already expired by late 2026.

How the TSIA2 Math Test Is Built

The TSIA2 math section is really two tests in a row. According to the THECB’s TSIA2 Mathematics test specifications, everyone starts with a short CRC test. If your CRC score is below the cut, the system moves you into a longer Diagnostic test that measures your skills in more detail.

The four content strands

The same four strands appear on both parts, but the CRC test does not weight them equally. Here is the item count per strand on the 20-question CRC test from the official specifications:

For a deeper look at each strand, see our overview of the TSI mathematics test.

The Diagnostic Level 6 Route

Many students do not realize that missing 950 on the CRC test is not the end of the story. The Diagnostic test reports a National Reporting System (NRS) level. Per the specifications, Level 6 (“adult secondary”) results in a college ready classification, while Levels 2 through 5 lead to a diagnostic classification, which means you have not yet met the standard.

In practice, this gives you a second chance on the same day. A student who scores 945 on the CRC test and then reaches Diagnostic Level 6 meets the math standard. A student who scores 945 and reaches Level 5 does not, but the strand ratings (basic, proficient or advanced) show exactly where to focus before a retest. Some colleges place Level 6 students into college algebra with a support lab; Texas Southern University, for example, lists this option on its score guide, so ask your college what it does.

What Happens If You Don’t Meet the Standard

A score below the standard does not keep you out of college. It changes what your first math semester looks like. Here is what to expect:

• Co-requisite placement. Most Texas public colleges now place students in a college-level math course paired with a support course taken at the same time. UTSA, for example, describes this on its TSI scores page and adds a TSI hold to your account until you complete the co-requisite or pass the test.
• Developmental courses. Some students, depending on their diagnostic results, may be placed in a non-credit developmental math course first. Rule 4.57 asks colleges to look at diagnostic results “along with other holistic factors” when they plan support.
• Retesting. State rules do not set a statewide retest limit or waiting period. Each college sets its own policy and fee. UTEP, for instance, says on its TSI information page that students may retake sections as needed. Check with your testing center before you schedule.

Before your first attempt, every college requires the Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA), a short, unscored information session required by Rule 4.55. Amarillo College and UTEP both state that you cannot schedule the test until it is complete.

TSI Math Exemptions in Texas

You may not need the TSIA2 at all. Under 19 TAC Rule 4.54, the following scores exempt you from the math portion for five years from the test date (as of October 2026; confirm with your college because rules are amended from time to time):

Other exemptions include holding an associate or bachelor’s degree, transferring with satisfactory college-level coursework, current or past qualifying military service, enrolling in a Level-One certificate program, and completing a qualifying college prep course in high school (valid for 24 months at the partner college). Older SAT scores (before March 2016) cannot be combined with newer ones.

What 950 Means for You: A Worked Example

College Board and the THECB do not publish a raw-score conversion, and the CRC test is adaptive, so no one can honestly say “you need exactly 14 out of 20.” Harder questions count differently from easier ones. What you can do is use the strand weights to decide where your study time goes.

Imagine Maria, a high school senior with a practice CRC score around 930. Her practice results show she is solid on percents and ratios but shaky on systems of equations and probability. The math works in her favor:

1. Algebra first. Algebraic Reasoning is 7 of 20 questions. Gaining two or three more algebra questions is the biggest single lever she has.
2. Statistics second. Probability and statistics is 4 questions and usually quick to improve: mean, median, reading a table, and simple probability.
3. Keep quantitative skills sharp. Six questions come from this strand, so she reviews percent change and unit rates once a week rather than ignoring them.
4. Geometry last. Only 3 questions, and a formula reference covers much of it, so a few focused sessions on the Pythagorean theorem, area and volume are enough.

A sensible target is to score above 950 on practice tests consistently, not just once. Scoring 960 or more on two or three separate practice tests gives you a margin for test-day nerves. You can track this with our free TSI math practice tests.

A Four-Week TSIA2 Math Study Plan

This plan assumes about 45 minutes a day, five days a week. Stretch it if your starting point is lower.

If you want a longer roadmap with skill lists and test-taking strategies, our TSI math test preparation guide walks through each step, and the TSI math online center collects lessons, worksheets and flashcards by topic.

Test Day Reminders

• Calculators. You cannot bring a handheld calculator to the online test. Some questions open a built-in calculator (four-function, square root or graphing), as UTEP explains. Practice mental arithmetic so you are not stuck on questions without one.
• Timing. The TSIA2 is not timed, according to Amarillo College. Use that. Check each answer before you submit it, because on an adaptive test you typically cannot return to a question once it is submitted.
• Read the question twice. A common way to lose points is a reading slip, such as solving for x when the question asks for 2x or giving a percent when it asks for a decimal.
• Know your next step. If you land in the Diagnostic test, keep going with full effort. Level 6 still meets the standard.

The standard is clear, the content is defined, and you can retest. Find your weakest strand, put your hours there, and walk in with practice scores comfortably above 950.

Practice Quiz: 10 TSIA2 Math Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a passing TSI math score?

For the TSIA2, you meet the Texas math standard with a College Readiness Classification score of 950 or higher on the 910 to 990 scale. If you score below 950, you still meet it by reaching Diagnostic Level 6 on the follow-up diagnostic test. The standard is set by the THECB and is the same at every public college.

Is the TSIA2 math test timed?

No. The TSIA2 is untimed, although colleges schedule sessions that typically last several hours for all sections. Because it is adaptive, you typically cannot return to earlier questions, so take the time to check each answer before moving on.

How many times can you take the TSI math test?

Texas does not set a statewide limit. Each college testing center sets its own retest rules, fees and any waiting time. Many students retest after a few weeks of focused practice on the strands their diagnostic report flagged as basic.

Does an SAT or ACT score exempt me from TSI math?

Yes, if it is recent enough. Under Texas rule 4.54, an SAT math score of 530 (tests since March 2016) or an ACT math score of 22 (tests since February 15, 2023) exempts you from TSI math for five years from the test date. Confirm with your college's admissions or testing office.

What does Diagnostic Level 6 mean on the TSIA2?

It is the highest level on the 48-question math diagnostic test, labeled adult secondary. Reaching Level 6 counts as meeting the college readiness standard even when your CRC score is below 950. Levels 2 to 5 mean you have not met it yet.

How long are TSIA2 scores valid?

TSIA and TSIA2 scores are valid for five years from the date you test, under Texas Administrative Code rule 4.57. Exemption scores from the SAT, ACT, GED, HiSET and STAAR also generally last five years.

Sources

• 19 TAC Rule 4.57, College Readiness Standards (via Justia)
• 19 TAC Rule 4.54, Exemptions, Exceptions and Waivers (via Cornell LII)
• THECB: TSIA2 Mathematics Test Specifications
• Texas Education Agency: The TSIA
• UTEP Testing: TSI General Information
• Amarillo College: TSI Testing
• UTSA: TSI Scores
• Texas Southern University: Understanding TSIA2 Scores