TSIA2 Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield TSIA2 facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A right triangle has legs of length 6 and 8. What is the length of the hypotenuse? → 10
2. Which sentence uses capitalization correctly? → We studied the Civil War in history class.
3. Under TSI legislation, which category of student is waived from TSIA2 testing requirements? → Students who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher
4. What does TSI stand for in the context of Texas higher education? → Texas Success Initiative
5. Which strategy best helps students improve their score on the TSIA2 Writing multiple-choice section? → Practicing sentence revision, organization, and rhetorical effectiveness questions
6. A passage's first paragraph describes a problem, the second proposes a solution, and the third evaluates the solution's limitations. What is the text structure? → Problem-solution with evaluation
7. Which of the following is a valid exemption from the TSIA2 for incoming Texas college students? → Scoring 1010 or higher on the SAT with a 530+ in the relevant section
8. Simplify: (4x²y³)(3xy²) → 12x³y⁵
9. Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier? → She almost drove her kids to school every day.
10. Which expression represents 'the square of the sum of x and 4'? → (x + 4)²
11. Which of the following ACT scores would qualify a student for a TSIA2 exemption in mathematics? → ACT Math score of 23 or higher
12. Which sentence is a run-on? → I went to the store I bought milk.
13. What is the value of x in the proportion 5/8 = x/40? → x = 25
14. A bank account earns simple interest. If $1,500 is invested at 4% per year for 3 years, what is the total interest earned? → $180
15. The TSIA2 assesses readiness for which two foundational college-level courses? → English Composition and College Algebra
16. What is the y-intercept of the line 4x - 2y = 8? → y = -4
17. What is a thesis statement? → The main argument or claim of an essay
18. Which organizational strategy is most effective for an essay comparing two approaches to solving homelessness? → Point-by-point comparison, addressing each criterion for both approaches together
19. What is the difference between 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're'? → 'Their' is possessive, 'there' is location, 'they're' is 'they are'
20. A student's essay body paragraph contains only the topic sentence and three examples with no analysis. What does the paragraph most need? → Explanation of how each example supports the topic sentence
21. What is the y-intercept of the line 4x − 2y = 10? → −5
22. If a line has a slope of −2/3 and passes through (0, 4), which point also lies on the line? → (3, 2)
23. What is the difference between 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're'? → 'Their' is possessive, 'there' is location, 'they're' is 'they are'
24. Which revision corrects the dangling modifier in this sentence: 'Walking through the park, the flowers smelled beautiful.' → Walking through the park, she noticed the flowers smelled beautiful.
25. When reading an argumentative essay, a student should primarily evaluate: → Whether the author's claims are supported by relevant evidence
26. Which sentence correctly uses a conjunctive adverb? → She was tired; however, she kept working.
27. Which sentence corrects the error in pronoun-antecedent agreement? → Both A and B are acceptable in formal writing.
28. What is the purpose of a topic sentence? → To introduce the main idea of a paragraph
29. Which Texas state agency oversees the TSIA2 and sets its cut scores for college readiness? → Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
30. Which property states that a(b + c) = ab + ac? → Distributive property