Question 1Multiple choice
What are all the solutions of √(x + 6) = x?
Is the TSIA2 hard?
The TSIA2 adapts to you: your answers set the difficulty of the questions that follow, so strong students still meet questions they cannot answer. The content is high school math up to Algebra II, reading, grammar and a short essay.
| Content | Algebra II math, reading, grammar and an essay |
|---|---|
| Format | Adaptive multiple choice and one essay |
| Time limit | None: the tests are untimed |
| Retakes | Allowed; your testing center explains how |
Why it feels hard
On an adaptive test, right answers bring harder questions. That is how the test finds your level, so meeting questions you cannot answer is normal.
Math reaches Algebra II: quadratics, exponential growth and radical equations. If your last math class was years ago, those cost points until you practice them again. In ELAR, the essay must reach a 5 even when the multiple-choice score is high.
How to prepare
- Ask your college whether you are exempt and which parts you must take.
- Take a short diagnostic to find your weakest content area.
- Work that area for a week: one lesson a day, then timed practice.
- Write two or three practice essays and read them against the six scored qualities.
- Sit a full practice test before the real one.
If you do not meet a benchmark
You may retake a TSIA2 test, and your college's testing center explains how retesting works. College Board strongly encourages studying first, because scores are unlikely to rise much otherwise. After the first ELAR sitting, you retake only the part you did not pass.
Try 3 questions
Watering rules
Passage 1
(1) In much of Texas, summer lawn watering makes up a large share of the water a household uses. (2) When reservoirs fall during a drought, cities usually ask residents to cut back voluntarily, and the results are often disappointing. (3) Polite requests rely on the most careful residents, while the heaviest users keep their sprinklers running. (4) Mandatory limits, such as allowing lawn watering only one day a week with fines for violations, spread the burden fairly. (5) Everyone follows the same rule, and a city can plan around the savings it will actually get. (6) In a state where droughts return again and again, cities should make such limits permanent instead of waiting for the next emergency.
Passage 2
(1) No one disputes that Texas cities must use less water in dry years. (2) The question is how. (3) Permanent watering rules treat a family with a small yard the same as a household that waters an acre, and they require cities to pay inspectors to drive the streets looking for wet sidewalks. (4) A better approach is to reward change. (5) Some cities offer rebates to homeowners who replace thirsty grass with native plants that can survive on rainfall, and every yard converted saves water every year, drought or not. (6) Mandatory limits have their place in a true emergency, but as a permanent policy they breed resentment instead of lasting change.
Question 2Multiple choice
The authors of both passages would most likely agree that
Question 3Multiple choice
Select the best version of the part of the sentence in brackets. If you think the original sentence is best, choose the first answer.
The coach gave [we] new players a list of drills to practice over the summer.
Next step
Questions people ask
Can you fail the TSIA2?
Not in the usual sense. Each subject is either college ready or not yet. Scores below a benchmark lead to a Diagnostic Test and, if needed, developmental or corequisite support at your college.
What is the hardest part of the TSIA2?
It depends on the student. Algebraic Reasoning carries the most math questions, and ELAR also needs an essay score of 5, so those are common places to lose ground.
Can I retake the TSIA2?
Yes. College Board says you may retake a TSIA2 test at any time; your college's testing center explains its process.