THEA

The Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) (the TASP Test, renamed) is a paper and pencil test made up of three parts: reading, mathematics, and writing. The reading section is made up of 35-40 multiple choice questions based on passages taken from college texts. The mathematics section is made up of about 50 multiple choice questions and covers four skill areas: fundamentals of mathematics, algebra (high school Algebra I), geometry (high school) and problem solving. The writing section is made up of two parts: a multiple choice section of about 35 questions, and a writing sample which requires the examinee to write an essay in response to a given prompt. The writing sample is the key determiner of whether the student passes or fails the writing section.

Passing scores for the THEA are:

• Reading – 230
• Mathematics – 230
• Writing – 220
• Written Essay – 6*

The THEA is administered statewide six times a year on predetermined dates. There is a campus-administered version of the THEA available for institutions to offer if they choose to, at times determined by the institution. Individuals with disabilities can request special testing accommodations for either of these test offerings. The THEA Registration Bulletin has useful information about test content, test dates, sample items, requesting special accommodations and other information, and is available at high schools and at college testing centers. More information about the THEA, a practice test and online registration can be found at http://www.thea.nesinc.com

COMPASS

The COMPASS is a computer-adaptive test offered by ACT. COMPASS offers placement and diagnostic testing in mathematics, reading, and writing. Computer adaptive tests differ from paper and pencil tests in several ways. A computer adaptive test adjusts the presentation of test questions according to the performance of the examinee so if the examinee gets the question right the computer will make the next question a harder one. Likewise, if the examinee misses the question the computer will make the next question an easier one. In this way the computer can quickly determine the examinee’s skill level. The Reading Skills test measures vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. The Algebra test measures high school Algebra I skills. The Writing Skills test measures the mechanics of writing as well as sentence structure, organization and spelling skills. The writing test also includes a writing sample which is the key determiner of whether the student passes or fails the writing section.

Passing scores for the COMPASS are:

• Reading Skills – 81
• Algebra – 39
• Writing Skills (multiple choice) – 59
• Written Essay – 6*

More information about COMPASS can be found at http://www.act.org/compass/

ACCUPLACER

The ACCUPLACER is a computer-adaptive test offered by The College Board. It is designed to provide placement and advising information for students entering college. It is a self-paced, untimed test given on a personal computer. There are three section of the ACCUPLACER used for TSI purposes. The Reading Comprehension test consists of 20 questions related to reading skills, such as identifying main idea and making inferences. he Sentence Skills test consists of 20 questions related to sentence structure and grammar. The Elementary Algebra test covers high school Algebra I skills. The writing portion tests Sentence Skills, which measures the examinee’s ability to correctly identify proper forms of written English. The writing test also includes a writing sample, which is the key determiner of whether the student passes or fails the writing section.

Passing scores for the ACCUPLACER are:

• Reading Comprehension – 78
• Elementary Algebra – 63
• Sentence Skills (multiple choice) – 80
• Written Essay – 6*

More information about the ACCUPLACER can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer

ASSET

The ASSET is a paper and pencil test produced by ACT. Three parts of the ASSET are used to for TSI purposes. The Reading Skills section has 24 questions that measure reading comprehension as a product of skill in referring and reasoning. The test items require students to derive meaning by referring to what is explicitly stated and determining the meaning of words through context, and by reasoning to determine implicit meanings and to draw conclusions, comparisons, and generalizations. ASSET’s Elementary Algebra is used for TSI purposes and covers the skills learned in the first high school algebra course. The Writing Skills section of the ASSET consists of 36 items that measure the student’s understanding of the conventions of standard written English in punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style. The writing test also includes a writing sample which is the key determiner of whether the student passes or fails the writing section.

Passing scores for the ASSET are:

• Reading Skills – 41
• Elementary Algebra – 38
• Writing Skills (multiple choice) – 40
• Written Essay – 6*

More information about the ASSET can be found at http://www.act.org/asset/

* Scoring the Writing sections of all tests

All tests used for the Texas Success Initiative assess a student’s ability to write, and all tests have a written essay and a multiple choice section. Students with an essay score of 6 or higher pass the writing test regardless of their score on the multiple choice section of the writing test. Students with a score of 4 or lower on the essay fail the writing test regardless of their score on the multiple choice section. If the essay score is 5, then the equivalent of 70 percent of the multiple choice questions must be answered correctly in order to pass the writing section. A score of 5 with less than 70 percent of the multiple choice questions answered correctly is not passing. With this in mind, it is important for the examinee to know that they must do their best to produce a good essay, but to not ignore the multiple choice section because those answers may help them to pass the writing section if their writing skills are borderline.