The PREP Program’s purpose is to help the student PREPare for college by helping students improve their college placement scores. PREP offers computerized assisted tutorials that aid the student in refreshing their Math, Reading, and Writing skills. This can help the student spend less time taking non-college ready courses and by helping students meet specialized admissions requirements for programs such as Health Occupations, Fire Technology, Cosmetology and so many more.
Do you need PREP's help?
- PREP can provide “free” resources to help prepare you to take the TSIA 2 assessment to get into EPCC.
- PREP can provide you an opportunity to score higher on your TSIA 2 assessment.
- PREP can help you save time and money by providing you an opportunity to advance and/or place out of remedial courses into college ready courses.
- PREP can assist both Nursing and Health Sciences majors improve their TEAS or TSIA 2 placement scores.
Who benefits from PREP?
Students Interested in Retesting
- Intensive English Program (IEP)
- GED - (Online courseware available)
- High School Graduates
- New and Returning students
- Students enrolled in a Math, Reading or Writing class and need a helping hand to successfully complete their course
Students Entering Programs with Special Admission
- Early College High School
- Dual Credit
- Fire Technology (only reading score)
- Cosmetology (only reading score)
- Sign Language (only reading score)
Students Entering Programs Requiring Ranking Scores
- Dental Assisting
- Dental Hygiene
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Echocardiography
- Emergency Medical Services
- Health Information Management
- Medical Transcription
- Medical Assisting Technology
- Medical Imaging Technology
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Nursing & Vocational Nursing
- Pharmacy Technology
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Respiratory Care Technology
- Surgical Technology
How to get PREPared
- Meet with your PREP advisor to develop the best plan for you.
- You may need to take a practice diagnostic assessment in Math and/or ELAR, depending on which areas you need to test or retest in.
If you need to take a diagnostic assessment, this will be done at the campus of your choice or at our PREP Lab at our Valle Verde campus. Speak to one of our PREP Program Student Advisors to get setup.
- If you need help in all areas (math, reading and writing) the assessment may take up to three hours.
- Math may take approximately 1 hour
- The ELAR diagnostic may take approximately 45 minutes
- Time may vary depending on how you take tests
Once you have finished your diagnostic assessment, your PREP advisor will review your results with you.
Your advisor will assign you (computer based) resources that are specific to your needs. We will assign your credentials to begin accessing your “free” online courseware.
Boot Camps
The PREP Program offers TSIA 2 Boot Camps to assist students who would like the opportunity to improve their placement scores and advance to college level! The Boot Camp sessions are free, interactive, engaging, and have proven to be a very effective resource for those students who attend all sessions. Many students advance their placement scores or place college ready after attending a TSIA 2 Boot Camp. Our friendly and professional faculty spend quality time providing instruction and helpful skills to prep students for the placement assessment. PREP also offers other Boot Camps for our ranking students in the Health Sciences such as Nursing, Surgical Technology, Pharmacy Technology, Dental Hygiene, Respiratory Care, and many others.
If you are interested in enrolling for a Boot Camp, please contact any PREP Advisor or come by and visit any of our PREP offices. Please note that all students must enroll with a PREP Advisor to be placed on the official Boot Camp class roster.
Resources
Math
Math Resources contains a list of Beginning to Advanced practice sample questions. Check out the "Interactive Lessons" expandable on this page for a more engaging approach to learning.
English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)
The TSIA 2 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)
Interactive Lessons
Please contact any PREP Advisor to learn about our “free” online interactive courseware for TSIA 2 and TEAS prepping.