The digital architecture of the self · Est. 2024

TSI sample questions, with worked answers

Here are 12 original TSI-style questions covering both TSIA2 subject tests, with the answer and the reasoning under each: 3 reading, 3 writing, and 6 math across Quantitative, Algebraic, Geometric and Statistical Reasoning. Try each one before you open the answer, then take a full practice test to see how the categories compare.

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Last checked · Original questions written for LifeScore, not College Board or TSIA2 items

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored

What do TSI reading questions look like?

A short informational passage or a pair of texts and one question about the main idea, a detail, an inference, the purpose of a sentence or how two authors relate. All three are answered in full.

  1. TSI-style question 1 · Detail

    According to the passage, why are plastic bags not accepted in curbside bins?

    1. AThey cannot be recycled at all.
    2. BThey are collected on a different day.
    3. CGrocery stores sell them back to the city.
    4. DThey tangle in the sorting machines.
    Worked answer

    D: They tangle in the sorting machines.. The second sentence gives the reason directly: plastic bags "tangle in the sorting machines."

  2. TSI-style question 2 · Synthesis

    How does Text 2 relate to Text 1?

    1. AIt explains how districts save on heating.
    2. BIt agrees that four-day weeks help recruit teachers.
    3. CIt argues that school weeks should be longer.
    4. DIt points out a cost that Text 1 does not mention.
    Worked answer

    D: It points out a cost that Text 1 does not mention.. Text 1 lists savings and benefits; Text 2 adds a cost to families (extra child care) that Text 1 leaves out.

  3. TSI-style question 3 · Author's purpose

    The author's main purpose is to

    1. Achallenge a simple explanation by pointing to an earlier cause
    2. Bdescribe how digital projectors work
    3. Cargue that streaming services should be banned
    4. Dencourage readers to visit small theaters
    Worked answer

    A: challenge a simple explanation by pointing to an earlier cause. "It is tempting to blame... entirely on streaming. But..." sets up a correction: the costly switch to digital projection was hurting theaters before streaming.

On the real TSIA2, literary passages often carry several questions each; our full mocks include a four-question literary set in every ELAR part. The method for both kinds is on the TSI reading practice test page.

What do TSI writing questions look like?

A single sentence to fix or complete: punctuation between clauses, agreement, pronoun case, verb tense and the right word. The first is worked in full; try the others before you open them.

  1. TSI-style question 4 · Commonly confused words

    Which choice best completes the sentence? "The students left ___ backpacks in the gym."

    1. Athere
    2. Bthey're
    3. Cthier
    4. Dtheir
    Worked answer

    D: their. "Their" shows that the backpacks belong to the students. "There" is a place, "they're" means "they are," and "thier" is misspelled.

  2. TSI-style question 5 · Sentence combining

    Which choice best combines the two sentences? "The museum reopened last week. It had been closed for repairs for two years."

    1. AThe museum reopened last week, and it had been closed and it was for repairs for two years.
    2. BThe museum, which had been closed for repairs for two years, reopened last week.
    3. CClosed for repairs for two years and reopening last week, the museum.
    4. DThe museum reopened last week, it had been closed for repairs for two years.
    Show the answer

    B: The museum, which had been closed for repairs for two years, reopened last week.. A "which" clause tucks the background into the main sentence cleanly. The others are a comma splice, a wordy run-on and a fragment.

  3. TSI-style question 6 · Transitions

    Which choice best completes the sentence? "Most plants need full sunlight to thrive. Ferns, ___, grow best in shade."

    1. Afor instance
    2. Bby contrast
    3. Cin addition
    4. Das a result
    Show the answer

    B: by contrast. Ferns are an exception to most plants, so a contrast transition fits. "For instance" would wrongly present ferns as an example of sun-loving plants.

The other kind of TSI writing question, essay revision, asks about a short numbered draft. Every full mock has a five-question draft, and the TSI writing practice test page has a worked example and the rules list.

More questions like these

Eight full TSI-style mocks and 24 drills, with every answer worked like the ones on this page.

The TSI Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 24 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The TSI Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the TSI Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked
8
timed mocks
24
topic drills
1
score predictor

What do TSI Quantitative Reasoning questions look like?

Percents, ratios, rates, exponents and money problems, usually in a short everyday setting where the trap is an arithmetic slip rather than a hard idea.

  1. TSI-style question 7 · Scientific notation

    A cell is about 0.00067 meters wide. How is this written in scientific notation?

    1. A6.7 × 10⁻⁵
    2. B67 × 10⁻⁵
    3. C6.7 × 10⁴
    4. D6.7 × 10⁻⁴
    Worked answer

    D: 6.7 × 10⁻⁴. Move the decimal point until one non-zero digit is in front of it: 6.7. It moved 4 places right, so the exponent is negative: 6.7 × 10⁻⁴.

What do TSI Algebraic Reasoning questions look like?

Equations, inequalities, function notation, lines and systems, from one-step problems to ones that need two or three careful steps.

  1. TSI-style question 8 · Exponents

    Which is equal to x⁶ · x⁴?

    1. Ax¹⁰
    2. B2x²⁴
    3. C2x¹⁰
    4. Dx²
    Worked answer

    A: x¹⁰. When you multiply powers of the same base, add the exponents: x⁶ · x⁴ = x¹⁰.

  2. TSI-style question 9 · Writing expressions

    Which expression means "the quotient of a number n and 7, increased by 11"?

    1. A7/n + 11
    2. Bn/(7 + 11)
    3. Cn/7 + 11
    4. D7n + 11
    Show the answer

    C: n/7 + 11. Translate piece by piece. "Less than" and "more than" put the second amount after the first: n/7 + 11. Watch the order: "11 less than x" is x − 11, not 11 − x.

What do TSI geometry and statistics questions look like?

Area, angles, right triangles and coordinates for Geometric and Spatial Reasoning, and averages, tables and probability for Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning.

  1. TSI-style question 10 · Angles

    Two angles form a straight line. One measures 97° and the other measures (2x + 11)°. What is the value of x?

    1. A126
    2. B38
    3. C83
    4. D36
    Worked answer

    D: 36. Angles on a straight line add to 180°: 97 + 2x + 11 = 180, so 2x = 72 and x = 36.

  2. TSI-style question 11 · Similar figures

    Triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF. Side AB = 5 cm and side BC = 7 cm. The side that matches AB is DE = 20 cm. How long is EF, the side that matches BC?

    1. A14 cm
    2. B27 cm
    3. C28 cm
    4. D14.3 cm
    Show the answer

    C: 28 cm. Similar triangles scale every side by the same factor: 20 ÷ 5 = 4. So EF = 7 × 4 = 28 cm.

  3. TSI-style question 12 · Mean

    A student's scores on 5 quizzes were 71, 71, 69, 60, 89. What is the mean (average) score?

    1. A72
    2. B74
    3. C74.5
    4. D71
    Show the answer

    A: 72. Add the scores and divide by how many there are: 71 + 71 + 69 + 60 + 89 = 360, and 360 ÷ 5 = 72.

How should I use TSI sample questions?

Answer each one before you open the working, then sort your misses by the rule behind them; sample questions are for finding rules, and a full practice test is for checking you have fixed them.

A sample set is small, so a good score here does not mean much on its own. A wrong answer, though, almost always points to a rule you can learn in minutes: part = percent × whole, add the parts of a ratio, square before you multiply, find the subject before the verb, name the whole before you divide. Write each rule on a card and keep the card with you until test day.

Then take the free TSI practice test, which has 20 ELAR and 20 math questions and scores each category separately, or a free drill on the math, reading or writing page, where every answer is explained.

College Board also publishes free official TSIA2 sample questions. Use them too: they show the real screen layout, which ours does not copy exactly, and they are the closest thing to the real test you can see before the day.

Are these like the real TSI questions?

They follow the content and format the Texas Education Agency and Texas colleges describe for the TSIA2, but they are original, they are not adaptive, and none is a real TSIA2 item.

On the real test the next question depends on your last answer, so you will see harder or easier questions than a fixed set. The topics, the four-option format and the kinds of traps are what we copy. The essay is not here: the TSI essay page explains how it is scored and gives an original practice prompt.

For the format, the benchmarks and the exemptions, read the TSI test guide; for what a score of 945 or 950 means for your first semester, see TSI scores.

Frequently asked questions

Are these real TSI questions?

No. They are original TSI-style questions written for LifeScore. Real TSIA2 items belong to College Board and are not published.

Where can I find official TSI practice?

College Board publishes free TSIA2 sample questions, and many Texas college testing centers link to them from their TSI pages.

How many questions are on the real TSIA2?

The ELAR College Readiness Classification test has 30 questions plus an essay, and the math one has 20. A 48-question diagnostic follows a score below the benchmark.

Do these questions appear in your mocks?

No. This sample set is kept out of every TSI-style mock and drill, so practising here never spoils a full test.

What score do I need?

College ready is 950+ in math and 945+ in ELAR with an essay of 5+. See TSI scores.

Ready for a full test?

Eight full TSI-style mocks, 24 drills and every answer explained, for one payment.

The TSI Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 24 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The TSI Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See what is inside the TSI Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked
8
timed mocks
24
topic drills
1
score predictor

LifeScore is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or College Board. TSIA2 is delivered by College Board; ACCUPLACER and College Board are trademarks of College Board, and other test names are trademarks of their owners. Our TSI-style practice tests use original questions written for this site and are not the official TSIA2 or a placement score.

Facts last checked by the LifeScore Editorial Team. How we check facts.