Writing

The Writing section of the TSI is designed to evaluate a student's ability to express their thoughts and ideas in writing. It consists of two components: an essay and multiple-choice questions on editing and revising written texts. It is graded by software.

The essay component of the Writing section requires students to write an essay of 300-600 words on a given topic. The essay prompt is designed to assess the student's ability to organize and develop ideas, support arguments with evidence, and use standard written English conventions.

The multiple-choice questions component of the Writing section includes 15 items (out of 30 multiple choice) that test students' skills in revising and editing written texts. The items may include questions on sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The Writing section of the TSI is important for students who plan to attend college because it helps to determine whether they are prepared for college-level writing assignments. By assessing their writing skills, the TSI can identify areas where students may need additional support and resources to succeed in college-level courses.

These are some general tips to help with the essay section.

Understand the scoring rubric: Familiarize yourself with the scoring rubric used to evaluate the essay. This will help you understand what the evaluators are looking for and how you can earn a high score.
Plan and organize your essay: Take a few minutes to brainstorm ideas and create an outline for your essay. This will help you stay on track and ensure that your essay is well-organized and easy to follow.
Use specific examples and evidence: To support your arguments, use specific examples and evidence from your own experiences or from the reading materials provided.
Focus on clarity and coherence: Make sure your essay is easy to read and understand. Use transitions and topic sentences to connect ideas and create a clear flow of information.
Follow standard written English conventions: Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling throughout your essay. Avoid slang and informal language.
Practice writing under time pressure: Set a timer and practice writing essays in a timed environment. This will help you get used to writing under time pressure and improve your time management skills.
Review and revise your work: Before submitting your essay, review and revise your work for errors, clarity, and coherence. Make sure your essay is well-structured and easy to follow.
Write at least 400 (but preferably at least 500) words. Though the test officially only requires a 300 word minimum, students don't tend to receive the best scores by only meeting the minimum. Remember, the grading is done by a machine. Do not go over 600 words.

These are some general tips to help with the essay section.

Read the entire sentence or passage carefully: Make sure to read the entire sentence or passage before answering the question. Sometimes, the context of the surrounding sentences can help you identify the correct answer.
Identify the error type: Identify the type of error in the sentence or passage, such as grammar, punctuation, or sentence structure. Knowing the error type can help you identify the correct answer choice.
Eliminate answer choices: Eliminate any answer choices that you know are incorrect. This can increase your chances of selecting the correct answer.
Watch for tricky answer choices: Sometimes, answer choices can be written in a tricky way to try and trip you up. Make sure to read each answer choice carefully and watch for subtle differences between them.
Pay attention to sentence structure: Sentence structure can play a big role in determining the correct answer. Look for errors such as run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and subject-verb agreement.
Review basic grammar rules: Make sure you are familiar with basic grammar rules such as verb tenses, pronoun usage, and punctuation. Reviewing these rules can help you identify errors and choose the correct answer.
Use context clues: If you are unsure of the meaning of a word or phrase, look at the surrounding context to see if you can determine its meaning. This can help you identify the correct answer choice.
Be aware of common errors: Certain types of errors, such as misplaced modifiers or faulty parallelism, are common in written texts. Being aware of these common errors can help you identify them more easily.
Practice, practice, practice: The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with identifying and correcting errors in written texts. Use practice tests and study materials to hone your skills and prepare for the multiple-choice writing-focused section of the TSI.

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) essay evaluates your writing skills for college-level courses. To excel in the TSI essay, effective editing is crucial. This checklist outlines key areas to focus on when editing your essay to meet the TSI requirements and maximize your chances of success. Remember to make the essay 400+ words.

I. Organization and Structure

Is there a clear introduction that grabs the reader's attention and presents a thesis statement?
Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence that relates to the thesis statement?
Are the paragraphs logically organized, with smooth transitions between ideas?
Is there a conclusion that summarizes the main points and restates the thesis?

II. Development and Support

Are the main ideas and supporting details clearly expressed and effectively developed?
Is there sufficient evidence and examples to support your claims?
Have you addressed counterarguments or opposing viewpoints, if applicable?
Is the information presented in a logical and coherent manner?

III. Sentence Variety and Style

Have you used a variety of sentence structures to enhance readability?
Are there any repetitive or unclear sentences that need revision?
Have you used appropriate vocabulary and avoided slang or informal language?
Have you maintained a consistent tone and style throughout the essay?

IV. Mechanical Conventions

Have you checked for spelling errors, typos, and word choice mistakes?
Are capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph indentation used correctly?
Have you used transitions effectively to connect ideas and improve the flow of your writing?
Are sentences grammatically correct, with proper subject-verb agreement and punctuation?

V. Purpose and Focus

Is the purpose of the essay clearly defined and effectively communicated?
Does the essay stay focused on the main topic or argument throughout?
Have you avoided tangents or irrelevant information that may distract from the main point?
Is there a clear central idea or theme that guides the content and structure of the essay?
Have you considered the target audience and adjusted your writing style and tone accordingly?
Have you reviewed each paragraph to ensure it contributes to the overall purpose and focus of the essay?

VI. Critical Thinking

Have you presented a well-reasoned and logical argument or analysis?
Have you clearly stated your claims or assertions and provided sufficient evidence to support them?
Have you used sound and reliable support for your claims? Have you avoided relying solely on personal opinions or unsupported assertions?
Have you considered counterarguments or alternative perspectives and addressed them appropriately?
Have you avoided logical fallacies or errors in reasoning, such as hasty generalizations or ad hominem attacks?
Have you evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of your own arguments and made necessary revisions?

Essay Section

Multiple Choice Section

Sample Prompt

Take a look at sample essay responses from CollegeBoard.

1. Choose the option that corrects the underlined portion of the sentence.

The students are planning there upcoming field trip to the museum.

A) they are

B) their

C) they're

D) No change

2. Choose the option that best combines the following two sentences.

Sentence 1: The book was captivating.

Sentence 2: It kept me hooked until the end.

A) The book was captivating kept me hooked until the end.

B) The book, it was captivating, kept me hooked until the end.

C) The book was captivating and kept me hooked until the end.

D) The book was captivating, it kept me hooked until the end.

3. Choose the option that corrects the punctuation error in the sentence.

We went to the store, and bought some groceries, snacks, and beverages.

A) We went to the store and bought some groceries, snacks and beverages.

B) We went to the store, and bought some groceries snacks and beverages.

C) We went to the store, and bought some groceries, snacks and beverages.

D) No change

1. Choose the option that corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. Correct Answer: B

The students are planning there upcoming field trip to the museum.

A) they are

This answer choice is incorrect. "They are" is a contraction that does not fit grammatically in the sentence and does not provide the necessary correction.

B) their

This answer choice is correct. "Their" is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership. In this context, it correctly indicates that the upcoming field trip belongs to the students.

C) they're

This answer choice is incorrect. "They're" is a contraction of "they are" and does not fit grammatically in the sentence.

D) No change

This answer choice is incorrect. The original underlined portion contains an error, as "there" is an adverb indicating a location and does not make sense in the context of the sentence.

2. Choose the option that best combines the following two sentences. Correct Answer: C

Sentence 1: The book was captivating.

Sentence 2: It kept me hooked until the end.

A) The book was captivating kept me hooked until the end.

This answer is incorrect. It lacks proper punctuation or conjunction to connect the two independent clauses. It results in a sentence fragment and lacks clarity and grammatical correctness.

B) The book, it was captivating, kept me hooked until the end.

This answer is incorrect. It introduces unnecessary repetition with the use of the pronoun "it." It also includes unnecessary punctuation, which disrupts the flow of the sentence.

C) The book was captivating and kept me hooked until the end.

This answer is correct. It effectively combines the two independent clauses using the coordinating conjunction "and," maintaining clarity and coherence.

D) The book was captivating, it kept me hooked until the end.

This answer is incorrect. It introduces a comma splice error by using a comma to join two independent clauses. It lacks a coordinating conjunction or proper punctuation.

3. Choose the option that corrects the punctuation error in the sentence. Correct Answer: A

We went to the store, and bought some groceries, snacks, and beverages.

A) We went to the store and bought some groceries, snacks and beverages.

This answer is correct. It removes the unnecessary comma after "store" and correctly uses commas to separate the items in the list ("groceries, snacks, and beverages").

B) We went to the store, and bought some groceries snacks and beverages.

This answer is incorrect. It omits the necessary commas after "groceries" and before "snacks."

C) We went to the store, and bought some groceries, snacks and beverages.

This answer is incorrect. It retains the unnecessary comma after "store" and lacks commas to separate the items in the list.

D) No change

This answer is incorrect. The original sentence contains a punctuation error and requires correction.