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Free TSIA2 practice · Next

TSIA2 practice questions, and how a missed benchmark routes you to a Diagnostic

TSIA2 is Texas’s college readiness assessment. The ELAR CRC test is 30 questions and the Mathematics CRC 20; both are untimed and adaptive. ELAR also requires an essay of 300–600 words scored at least 5. Miss a benchmark and you are routed into a 48-question Diagnostic.

Formally the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0. Awarding body: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Neuron Trainer is an independent study app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the organization that owns this exam.

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TSIA2 at a glance, with the source for every line

Every row below is quoted from a document published by THECB and carries the date we checked it. Where THECB publishes nothing, the row says so instead of quoting a number from somewhere else.

Sections
Two subject areas: English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR), and Mathematics. Each has a College Readiness Classification (CRC) test and, if needed, a Diagnostic test. ELAR also has a separate Essay test.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Questions
ELAR CRC 30 questions; ELAR Diagnostic 48 (24 reading-focused, 24 writing-focused); Mathematics CRC 20 questions; Mathematics Diagnostic 48, 12 from each of the four content categories (quantitative reasoning, algebraic reasoning, geometric and spatial reasoning, probabilistic and statistical reasoning). The Essay is a 300–600 word response to one randomly selected prompt.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Format
Untimed and computer-adaptive. There is no time limit on completing the assessment.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
College-ready benchmark, ELAR
A score of 945–990 on the ELAR CRC test plus at least 5 on the Essay; or an ELAR CRC score below 945 together with an ELAR Diagnostic level of 5 or 6 and an Essay score of 5 or higher.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
College-ready benchmark, math
A score of 950–990 on the Mathematics CRC test; or a Mathematics CRC score below 950 together with a Mathematics Diagnostic level of 6.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Calculator policy
Handheld calculators of any type are not permitted on the online TSIA2 Mathematics test. Some questions provide a pop-up calculator: basic, square-root, or graphing (TI-84).Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Before you can register
A mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) must be completed, and your participation documented, before you can register to take TSIA2.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Exemptions
You may be exempt if you met the college readiness standard on the SAT, ACT or the English III / Algebra II STAAR End-of-Course tests; completed a high school College Preparatory Course; completed college-level courses; enrolled in a Level-One certificate program; are not seeking a degree; or have been or currently are in the military.Source: College Board, TSIA2 Student Informational Brochure, verified 7 August 2026
Essay scoring
The essay is scored on six qualities: purpose and focus, organization and structure, development and support, sentence variety and style, mechanical conventions, and critical thinking.Source: College Board, TSIA2 Student Informational Brochure, verified 7 August 2026
Retake policy
You may retake a TSIA2 test at any time, though College Board advises studying first because scores are unlikely to improve substantially otherwise.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
How long you get
Untimed. There is no time limit on completing the assessment.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
Passing standard
The TSIA2 is not pass or fail. Texas sets college-ready benchmarks instead, and the ELAR and Mathematics benchmarks are listed separately in the rows below.Source: College Board / Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, verified 7 August 2026
How long scores last
TSI assessment results, TSIA and TSIA2 alike, can be used up to five years from the date of testing.Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Success Initiative, verified 7 August 2026
Fee
Not published by THECB. TSIA2 is administered by each Texas institution or district, which sets any cost. There is no single statewide fee.
Passrate
Not published by THECB. We do not publish a TSIA2 pass rate.

Always verify: benchmarks, exemptions and the mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity are set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and your institution. Confirm current details at highered.texas.gov or with your adviser before you register.

What our TSIA2 question bank covers

What this app's question bank covers — our own category shares across 649 questions, not THECB's published blueprint.
CategoryQuestions in our bankShare of our bank
English Language Arts and Reading
Reading-focused analysis of literary, informational, and paired argumentative texts, plus writing-focused revision and editing
39060.1%
Mathematics
Quantitative, Algebraic, Geometric and Spatial, and Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning
25939.9%

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Try it

4 questions from our TSIA2 bank

Two ELAR items and two mathematics items out of the 649 in the TSIA2 bank. No essay prompt appears here, because the app does not score essays and ELAR readiness needs one.

TSIA2 · Free practice Every answer explained. No signup, no email wall.

  1. Question 1 of 4

    A student is asked to condense a five-paragraph article into three sentences that capture only its most essential ideas. This task is best described as
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: summarizing

    Summarizing involves condensing a longer text down to its most essential ideas in a much shorter form while preserving the original meaning, which matches reducing five paragraphs to three sentences. Annotating refers to adding notes or marks directly on a text, not condensing it. Paraphrasing a single sentence involves restating one sentence in different words, not condensing an entire article. Citing a source refers to giving credit for information, unrelated to condensing content.

  2. Question 2 of 4

    In the sentence "The senator's speech was laced with veiled threats disguised as diplomatic language," the word "laced" most nearly means:
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: permeated or infused

    In this figurative usage, "laced" describes something woven throughout the speech, matching "permeated or infused," consistent with the context clue "disguised as diplomatic language," which implies the threats are embedded within the wording. "Tied together" reflects the literal meaning of lace as cord but ignores the figurative sense used here. "Physically bound" is an overly literal reading with no support in context. "Weakened or diluted" describes an opposite effect, since lacing intensifies rather than dilutes. Context-based vocabulary items require selecting the sense that fits the figurative usage, not the most common literal definition.

  3. Question 3 of 4

    A bag contains 5 red marbles, 4 blue marbles, and 3 green marbles. Two marbles are drawn at random without replacement. What is the probability that both marbles drawn are red?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: 5/33

    Since the marbles are drawn without replacement, the events are dependent. The probability the first marble is red is 5/12, and given a red was removed, the probability the second is also red is 4/11. Multiplying gives (5/12)(4/11) = 20/132, which simplifies to 5/33. The distractor 25/144 results from incorrectly treating the draws as independent with replacement (5/12 x 5/12). The distractor 5/12 is only the probability of the first draw alone, and 1/3 misapplies the total red count over total marbles without accounting for two draws.

  4. Question 4 of 4

    Pipe A can fill a tank in 6 hours, and Pipe B can fill the same tank in 4 hours. If both pipes are opened together, how many hours will it take to fill the tank?
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: 2.4

    Combined work rate is 1/6 + 1/4 = 2/12 + 3/12 = 5/12 of the tank per hour. Time to fill one full tank is the reciprocal: 12/5 = 2.4 hours. Choice 5 mistakenly averages the two times instead of combining rates. Choice 2 comes from subtracting the times rather than adding rates. Choice 3.4 reflects an arithmetic slip in combining the fractions. This tests the work-rate (rate = 1/time) model for combined labor problems.

What actually trips people up on the TSIA2

Not knowing the essay is compulsory for ELAR readiness

A 990 on the ELAR CRC still does not make you college ready without an essay score of 5 or higher. Candidates who treat the essay as optional lose the whole subject area.

Planning for a 30-question test and getting 78

Missing the CRC benchmark routes you straight into a 48-question Diagnostic. It is untimed, so there is no penalty other than stamina, but only if you expected it.

Bringing a calculator

No handheld calculator of any type is allowed on the online Mathematics test. Some items supply a pop-up calculator, and some do not, so mental and paper arithmetic has to be reliable.

The Mathematics distractors are built on the intuitive move

Two of the four published Mathematics categories generate most losses. In probabilistic and statistical reasoning, ’without replacement’ problems are the signature item, and treating the two draws as independent is the answer the distractors exist to catch. In quantitative and algebraic reasoning, the recurring shape is two workers finishing a job together, where averaging the two times feels right and is never right. In both, the wrong answer is the one you reach for without writing anything down.

Assuming the exemptions do not apply to you

Texas publishes a list of ways out of the TSIA2 altogether: meeting the college readiness standard on the SAT, the ACT or the English III and Algebra II STAAR End-of-Course tests, finishing a high school College Preparatory Course, completing college-level courses, enrolling in a Level-One certificate program, not seeking a degree, or military service. Candidates prepare for the whole assessment, then discover an adviser could have exempted them in one conversation.

How long should you study for the TSIA2?

Three to five weeks, front-loaded on the CRC because clearing it ends the day early. If you already meet one of the published exemptions, check before you study at all.

Week 1 · Book the PAA, then diagnose

Get the mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity done first, you cannot register without it. Then run a Smart Quiz in both categories. Our TSIA2 bank is 649 questions: 390 ELAR and 259 Mathematics.

Week 2 · Mathematics content categories

Topic Drill the four published categories: quantitative, algebraic, geometric and spatial, and probabilistic and statistical reasoning. The Diagnostic draws 12 items from each, so an even spread matters.

Week 3 · ELAR reading and revision

ELAR splits evenly between reading-focused comprehension and writing-focused revision and editing. Practice both; the Diagnostic is literally 24 and 24.

Weeks 4–5 · Essay practice against the six qualities

Write 300–600 words to a prompt and check it against the six published qualities: purpose and focus, organization and structure, development and support, sentence variety and style, mechanical conventions, and critical thinking.

Is the TSIA2 hard?

TSIA2 is untimed, which removes the single biggest source of test-day difficulty, and it gives you two chances at the same outcome: miss the College Readiness Classification benchmark and you are routed into a longer Diagnostic that can still get you there. That is a forgiving design. What is not forgiving is the essay. ELAR readiness requires an essay score of at least 5 regardless of how well the multiple choice went, and a 300-600 word response written cold is where a lot of otherwise-ready candidates lose the subject area.

The math bar is also fractionally higher than the ELAR one, a CRC of 950-990 against 945-990, and the Mathematics Diagnostic route needs level 6, the top level, where ELAR accepts 5 or 6. So if you only have time to prepare one subject properly, the numbers say math. Our TSIA2 bank of 649 questions runs 100 at our easiest level, 250 in the middle and 299 at the top two, with 390 of them in ELAR and 259 in mathematics.

How the TSIA2 differs from the exams beside it

TSIA2 is the only test here with a branching structure that most candidates never see coming. You start on the College Readiness Classification test: 30 questions for ELAR, 20 for Mathematics. Clear the benchmark and you are done. Miss it and you are automatically routed into a 48-question Diagnostic that gives you a second, longer route to the same outcome. That means a bad CRC is not the end of the day, and it also means the sitting can run more than twice as long as you planned for. The second peculiarity is the essay: ELAR readiness requires an essay score of at least 5 even if your multiple-choice score is at the top of the range. No amount of CRC performance substitutes for it.

Questions people actually ask about the TSIA2

How many questions are on the TSIA2?

The ELAR CRC test has 30 questions and the Mathematics CRC has 20. If you miss a benchmark you are routed to a Diagnostic of 48 questions in that subject.

What scores do you need to be college ready on the TSIA2?

ELAR: 945–990 on the CRC plus at least 5 on the Essay, or a CRC below 945 with an ELAR Diagnostic level of 5 or 6 and an Essay of 5 or higher. Mathematics: 950–990 on the CRC, or a CRC below 950 with a Mathematics Diagnostic level of 6.

Is the TSIA2 timed?

No. TSIA2 is untimed and computer-adaptive. Allow enough time in case you are routed into a Diagnostic, which adds 48 questions.

Can you use a calculator on TSIA2?

Not your own. Handheld calculators of any type are barred on the online Mathematics test. Some questions supply a pop-up basic, square-root or graphing (TI-84) calculator.

How long does the TSIA2 essay need to be?

300 to 600 words, in response to one randomly selected prompt. It is scored on six qualities including purpose and focus, development and support, and critical thinking.

Can you retake the TSIA2?

Yes, at any time. College Board advises studying between attempts, since scores are unlikely to improve substantially without it. Your testing center handles retest logistics.

Do you have to take TSIA2 at all?

Not if you are exempt. The published exemptions cover meeting the SAT, ACT or English III / Algebra II STAAR End-of-Course standard, completing a high school College Preparatory Course, completing college-level courses, enrolling in a Level-One certificate program, not seeking a degree, and military service. Check with an adviser first.

Are these real TSIA2 questions from the actual exam?

No. Reproducing live items would violate Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s test security rules. These are original questions written to the same blueprint, format and difficulty as the real TSIA2, each with the explanation we ship inside the app.

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The app

The TSIA2 app is still in development

The TSIA2 Test Prep app ships 649 questions, 390 ELAR and 259 mathematics, each with a written explanation. Smart Quiz targets your weaker subject area, Topic Drill isolates one at a time, and there is a calculator and an AI tutor built in. Note that the real Mathematics test bars handheld calculators, so practice without one where you can. The app does not score essays, and the TSIA2 essay is compulsory for ELAR readiness. The app isn’t on the App Store yet; it’s in development. When it ships it will be free to start, with a subscription for the full bank.

  • Smart Quiz — keeps returning to the categories you keep missing
  • Topic Drill — one category at a time, on its own
  • Exam Simulator — a fixed-length timed paper (50 questions in 75 minutes, as this app sets it). It does not get harder as you go; the length and the mix are fixed.
  • AI tutor — re-explains any question in plain English
  • Progress tracking, reported per category
  • On-screen calculator
  • Study reminders
  • Light and dark themes

The app calls you ready at 65% on its own simulator. That is an in-app practice target we chose, not THECB's passing standard.

Not on the App Store yet. This one is still in development, so there is nothing to download today. The practice questions above are the whole of what we can give you right now, and they are free and complete. See where it sits in the queue, or browse the apps that are live.

Clear the CRC and skip the Diagnostic

The TSIA2 app carries 649 practice questions with explanations across ELAR and mathematics, plus an AI tutor for anything the explanation does not settle.

See the apps that are live

Sources, and when we last checked them

This page was last reviewed on . The 13 facts quoted above were last checked against their sources on . Where THECB publishes nothing, the table above says so rather than guessing.

TSIA2 is administered for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by College Board. Neuron Trainer is independent study software and is not affiliated with, authorized by or endorsed by either organization.