If you have a high school senior completing college applications, then you’ve probably heard of “TSI Compliance.” It sounds scary, especially when you receive notice that your child has been accepted, but you need to ensure TSI compliance. On one hand, you want to be excited about that college acceptance letter, but on the other hand, you may be caught off guard by another hoop you have to jump through.

TSI compliance is a Texas skills standard. It stands for Texas Success Initiative, and it is an assessment of basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It also allows universities to make decisions about entry levels in some suggested courses or pathways students should take. It is up to each university to determine how spent the results, but it is part of the state admissions codes for Texas universities, and knowing what it contains is important.

TSI compliance is achieved by taking one of several possible exams and scoring above certain benchmarks in each section. The THEA, COMPASS, ASSET, and ACCUPLACER exams will serve to meet this standard, and they also have exam preparation guidelines. Minimum passing scores vary, but each exam has an expected score for individual subjects in order for students to pass these exams. It is possible to pass one section but not another, for example. Colleges will expect students to score at or above these benchmarks to demonstrate readiness to work at the college level or be eligible to enroll in particular courses.

Now, if you are the parent of a high school senior, you may be wondering, “Why does my child have to take other test if they already took an ACT or SAT?” Well, the answer is that there are exemptions from the TSI completion tests based on SAT and ACT test scores, as well as others. That means, depending on how your child did on the SAT or ACT, he or she may not have to take any additional tests. They may already comply with the TSI.

To determine that, the colleges your child is applying to will have information about the scores that are required to be exempt. However, please note that in some cases, the exemption is based on combinations of scores. For example, not only must students have a specific composite SAT score to be exempt from TSI tests, but that SAT composite score must also be based on each subject area achieving a specific score. Composite and subject scores must also be achieved on the same test date. You cannot take two different SAT tests and combine your scores.

Learn what it means to meet TSI before you panic when those acceptance letters arrive for your student. They are most likely already exempt, and if not, there are many tools available through TSI testing services to help your child qualify in plenty of time.