PREP offers helpful advice and tools for students who place in Developmental Education to refresh their math,
reading, and writing to place college ready. PREP also assists with TSIA2 preparation for students seeking to rank
into Health occupations and with TEAS math, reading, English and science to rank into the EPCC Nursing program of
study.
Do you need help?
- Do you need to test or retest for the TSIA2, either for placement or ranking purposes?
- Do you need to take the TEAS exam to rank into the nursing program?
PREP can help!
How to get Prepared
Contact PREP by phone, email or meet with a PREP Student Advisor at any campus to develop the best plan for you. Your
PREP Student Advisor will assign you resources that are specific to your test preparation needs.
PREP Helpful Tools
Online Courseware
PREP uses computer-based modules that are aligned according to THECB guidelines. These modules are online,
self-paced and customizable to meet your needs.
Students using our online courseware have access to detailed statistics on their progress, including lesson
completion percentage and scores on lessons and tests.
Students access the curriculum via the internet and begin the program with a pre-test followed by lecture-style
lessons. The courses use audio, video and text content and different types of assignments including writing
assignments, projects, and graded tasks to support different learning styles.
TSIA2 and TEAS Boot Camps
PREP offers Boot Camps to students that have previously tested for the TSI/TSIA2 and need to improve their
assessment scores. Students enrolled in a boot camp will meet with an instructor at a set time and date. These
sessions are led by EPCC faculty and are free, interactive, engaging, and have proven to be a very effective
resource for those students who attend all sessions. Students can qualify for a TSIA free test waiver. Ask PREP
for more details.
Due to seating capacity and limited funding, Boot Camps are not available for students in a high school program
(P-TECH, Dual Credit, Early College).
Please contact a PREP Student Advisor or come by any EPCC campus and visit any of our PREP offices for eligibility
requirements and registration.
Prep Lab
The PREP Lab is open to all EPCC students, faculty and staff. We are conveniently located in room A-1415 in the A
building of the Valle Verde Campus.
Services
- Open lab – our lab has 30 stations for you to use to complete the PAAM, online courseware modules, homework
assignments, extra credit projects, and much more.
- Printing services – you are welcome to use our lab to print homework assignments, course syllabus, class
schedule and other educational related material.
- Course registration assistance – if you need assistance registering for a course, to add/drop a course, the
PREP Lab has trained lab assistants ready to help.
If you are an EPCC staff or faculty member and would like to reserve the lab for class instruction, training
and/or presentations, give us a call.
Additional TSIA2 Information and Resources
Math
The TSIA2 Mathematics test covers four main categories:
- Quantitative Reasoning, which includes calculating ratios, proportions, and percents, as well as identifying,
manipulating, and interpreting linear equations and expressions.
- Algebraic Reasoning, which includes solving equations (linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential, rational,
and radical), evaluating functions, and solving algebraic problems in context.
- Geometric and Spatial Reasoning, which includes converting units within measurement systems, solving geometric
problems (perimeter, area, surface area, and volume), performing transformations, and applying right triangle
trigonometry.
- Probabilistic and Statistical Reasoning, which includes classifying data, constructing appropriate
representations of data, computing, and interpreting probability, and describing measures of center and spread
of data.
TSIA2 Math Sample Test
Questions - (PDF)
English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)
The TSIA2 English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) test covers four main categories: two reading focused and two
writing focused.
Reading-focused test questions cover the following two categories:
- Literary text analysis (explicit information, inferences, author’s craft, vocabulary)
- Informational text analysis and synthesis (main ideas and supporting details, inferences [single-passage],
author’s craft, vocabulary, synthesis [paired argumentative passages])
Writing-focused test questions cover the following two categories:
- Essay revision and editing (development, organization, effective language use, Standard English conventions)
- Sentence revision, editing, and completion (conventions of grammar, conventions of usage, and conventions of
punctuation)
TSIA2 ELAR Sample Test
Questions (PDF)
Essay
The TSIA2 Essay Test is used along with the multiple-choice ELAR component to see if you are college ready with
respect to reading and writing. The Essay Test requires you to provide a 300- to 600-word essay in response to one
randomly selected prompt.
Your essay is scored based on six qualities that are highly valued in college-level courses:
- Purpose and Focus: The extent to which you present information in a unified and coherent manner, clearly
addressing the issue.
- Organization and Structure: The extent to which you order and connect ideas.
- Development and Support: The extent to which you develop and support ideas.
- Sentence Variety and Style: The extent to which you craft sentences and paragraphs demonstrating control of
vocabulary, voice, and structure.
- Mechanical Conventions: The extent to which you express ideas using Standard English conventions.
- Critical Thinking: The extent to which you communicate a point of view and demonstrate reasoned relationships
among ideas.
TSIA2 Writeplacer essay samples