Assessment and Placement

Testing Services

The LC Assessment Center offers an array of assessments for students and the community and is an official test site for the:

  • American Medical Certification Association (AMCA) 
  • Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) (for college course credit).
  • GED Test (for high school equivalence).
  • HESI Exam
  • Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC)
  • Pearson VUE
  • Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (T-COLE)
  • TSIA2 (for course placement and as a means to satisfy the Texas Success Initiative).
  • Local Spanish, 
  • Proctoring Services (Students enrolled in correspondence courses may have their exams administered and proctored by the Assessment Center staff with a 48 hour advance notice.)

Note: A valid, government-issued, picture ID is required for all assessment services. Students must submit official scores from all relevant tests for consideration, including: ACT,SAT, TOEFL, STAAR EOC, etc. 

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a legislatively mandated program designed to guide Texas public institutions of higher education in helping determine whether entering, non-exempt students are ready for entry-level college coursework in the areas of English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) and mathematics. 

Students are exempt from this program if they meet college readiness benchmarks on the SAT, ACT, STAAR English III or Algebra II EOCs, successfully complete the high school College Preparatory Course, among other ways (see TSI Exemptions below).

Entering students who do not meet a TSI exemption will need to take the TSI assessment. Students who do not meet one or more of the established benchmarks of the TSI assessment are required to receive developmental education academic support as determined by the institution.

TSI Assessment College-Ready Benchmarks:

TSIA 2.0 ELAR (Reading/Writing/Essay) College Ready Scores:
945 - 990 and Essay 5 - 8
or
910 - 944 and Diagnostic Level 5 - 6 and Essay 5 - 8

TSIA 2.0 Math College Ready Scores
950 - 990
or
910 - 949 and Diagnostic Level 6

TSI Exemptions

The following table lists all State approved exemptions:

Assessment Instrument English and Language Arts Exemption Math Exemption
ACT 1 English + Reading score ≥ 40 Math score ≥ 22
ACT 2 Composite score ≥ 23 and English score ≥ 19 Composite score ≥ 23 and Math score ≥ 19
SAT 3 Evidenced Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) Score ≥ 480 Math score ≥ 530
GED 4 Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA) score ≥ 165 Math Reasoning score ≥ 165
HiSET 4 Reading Subtest score ≥ 15 and Writing Subtest score ≥ 15 and Essay score ≥ 4 Math Subtest score ≥ 15
STAAR EOC 4 English III EOC score ≥ 4000 Algebra II EOC score ≥ 4000
1

ACT test administered after February 15, 2023. Scores are valid for 5 years from date of test.  

2

ACT test administered prior to February 15, 2023. Scores are valid for 5 years from date of test.  

3

SAT test administered after March 5, 2016. Scores are valid for 5 years from date of test.  

4

Scores are valid for 5 years from date of test. 

The following are other conditions or criteria used to determine a full or partial TSIA2 exemption:

  • Completion of a College Prep Course (offered at select high schools) with a grade of 70 or higher and enroll at Laredo College in the student's first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student's first year of enrollment within a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of high school graduation  
  • Students who have previously enrolled in any public, private, or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and have met college readiness standards in mathematics, reading, or writing as determined by the institution on the students' official transcript
  • Completion of college-level coursework with a 'C' or better as determined by Laredo College through the students' official transcript
  • Students who have earned the Texas First Diploma (relating to Texas First Early High School Completion Program)
  • Students who are enrolled in a certificate program of one year or less (Level - One Certificate, 42 or fewer credit hours or the equivalent) at a public junior college, a public technical institute, or a public state college unless required for a prerequisite
  • Students serving or have served in the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard. Specifically:
    • A student who is serving on active duty as a member of:
      • the armed forces of the United States; or
      • the Texas National Guard
  • A student who is currently serving as and, for at least the three-year period preceding enrollment, has served as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States; or
  • A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard.

For more information regarding the Texas Success Initiative Program, testing dates and registration information are available in the Assessment Center website.

Steps to taking the TSI Assessment

Step 1: First-time TSI testers must take the required Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) online at https://practice.accuplacer.org/login 

Step 2: Students must obtain a TSI Testing Ticket at the Assessment Center to register for test. 

Step 3: Students must process payment for TSI fees at the Bursar's Office. 

Step 4: Student must report to the Assessment Center during exam walk-in hours with: TSI Testing Ticket, proof of payment receipt for exam fees, and an official government issued or school issued picture ID.  

During the TSIA2 exam, students have the option to 'Stop and Save' any of the multiple-choice sections (Essay cannot be saved). If the TSIA2 exam is stopped and saved, students must complete it within 14 business days from the date the exam was started. The entire set of exams must be completed before scores can be produced.

Test Score Interpretation, Advisement, and Registration

After completing the TSI assessment, students must consult with an advisor for course placement and degree planning. Students pursuing an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree may visit the Advising Center for advising, unless the student is assigned to a TRIO, LEAPS, Honors or other specialized advisor. Students pursuing a Certificate program or an Associate of Applied Science degree must meet with a faculty advisor located in their respective departments. Advising is required every semester and prior to the registration of classes.

Students who do not meet the TSI College Readiness Benchmarks or an exemption and are pursuing an associates degree are required to receive development education academic support as determined by Laredo College.

Upon advising, students may register for courses online via Student Self-Service or in person at the Office of the Registrar. To secure registration, students must pay their tuition and fees in full, enroll in an payment plan, or have a enough financial aid assistance by the payment deadline. Students are responsible for initiating course withdrawal(s) if student decides not to remain enrolled after completing registration for the given term. Course withdrawal(s) occurring after the first class day of each respective term are subject to fees.

GED Test

The Assessment Center at the Ft. McIntosh Campus is an Official GED Test Testing Center.

The GED examination consists of four (4) tests that measure achievement in the subject areas generally associated with high school programs of study. Exams are offered in English and Spanish and the minimum passing score required in each section is 145.

English Exam:

  • Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA) (155 minutes)
  • Social Studies (75 minutes)
  • Science (95 minutes) and
  • Mathematical Reasoning (120 minutes)

Spanish Exam:

  • Razonamiento atraves de las artes del lenguaje (147 minutos)
  • Matematicas (120 minutos)
  • Ciencias (95 minutos)
  • Estudios Sociales (75 minutos)

 For GED registration please visit www.ged.com or visit the Assessment Center. 

GED preparation classes are offered through the Adult Education and Literacy Department. For more information about GED preparation classes see Adult Education and Literacy.