I just took the TSIA2 for placement at my community college in Texas and passed the math section (scored 950 out of 1000) but completely bombed the English Language Arts and Reading section - got a 910 and I needed a 945 to place out of developmental English. I'm trying to figure out if I can just retake the ELAR portion or if I have to retake the whole thing. This is holding up my enrollment in the freshman composition class I need.
The ELAR section tripped me up on the essay component specifically. The multiple choice reading comprehension felt fine but the essay is graded separately and I think that dragged my composite score down. I didn't really prepare for it - I assumed based on my high school grades that I'd place out without much effort. That was clearly wrong.
I've got about 3 weeks before my registration deadline. I'm planning to do focused prep on the ELAR essay format, about 45 minutes a day. The scoring rubric says they want a clear thesis, developed body paragraphs, and standard grammar - which sounds basic but obviously I didn't demonstrate it well enough under timed conditions. I wrote about 280 words and I've heard you really need 350-400 to get a competitive score.
Also curious - is the retake fee separate for each section or do you pay the full test fee again? My college's website isn't clear on that and I haven't been able to reach advising yet.
Retake fees at most community colleges I've heard of are per section, not the full test fee. Usually around $10-20 per section. But definitely confirm with your advising office because it varies by institution.
3 weeks of focused prep for the ELAR essay is plenty given you only need about 35 more points. Practice writing timed essays - set a 26-minute timer and write a full draft. The time pressure is where most people lose their structure, not the writing itself.
The essay word count thing is real. I wrote 240 words on my first attempt and scored below cut. Rewrote to 380 words with the same argument and passed. They're looking for developed paragraphs and you literally can't show development in 280 words across 3 paragraphs.
Introduction with thesis, two developed body paragraphs with evidence, and a conclusion - that structure alone got me there.
You can retake just the ELAR section without redoing math. Most Texas colleges let you retake individual sections after a 3-day waiting period. Check with your specific college because some have a limit on how many times you can retake within a semester.
I was in almost the exact same situation last semester and honestly almost just said forget it and signed up for the developmental class. But yeah, you can retake just the ELA section -- you don't have to redo math. I waited about three weeks, did some practice reading passages and brushed up on the grammar stuff, and ended up clearing the 945 no problem.
The reading part was honestly easier the second time once I wasn't stressed about both sections at once. Don't give up over 35 points. It's totally retakeable and your math score stays.
Just wanted to update since I saw this thread -- I'm in almost the exact same boat. Failed the ELAR section twice already (got a 928 the second time, so getting closer) and I've been grinding through free tsia2 preparation and resources for the past two weeks. Did a practice run yesterday and scored a 941, which isn't quite there yet but honestly the best I've done.
To answer your question though, you don't have to pass both at the same time -- you can retake just the section you failed. I'm sitting for the ELAR again on the 24th and leaving math completely alone since that score carries over. Good luck, you're way closer than you think with a 910.
I was in almost the exact same spot last semester and honestly almost just accepted the developmental English placement because retaking felt so overwhelming. But yeah, you can absolutely retake just the section you failed — you don't have to redo math. I didn't know that at first either and it stressed me out way more than it needed to.
My advice? Don't wait too long to retake it. I gave myself two weeks, focused only on the ELA/R part, and went in way more confident the second time. The reading passages aren't that bad once you know what they're actually testing for. You already proved you can score a 950 on math, so clearly you're not bad at standardized tests — you just need to nail down the English section. You've got this.
Same thing happened to me last semester. Passed math no problem but the ELAR section absolutely wrecked me, wasn't even close. What I changed the second time was focusing a lot more on the essay portion because I completely underestimated it the first go around. I used a bunch of practice resources including stuff like tsia2/questions/algebra fundamentals 4 to keep my math sharp so I didn't have to retest that part too.
To answer your question though, no you don't have to retake both at the same time. You can just retake the ELAR section on its own, which is honestly a relief. Check with your college's testing center about their retake policy because some have a waiting period before you can sit again. Good luck, the second attempt is way less stressful once you know what to expect.