Texas Success Initiative Requirements
Texas law has established the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), which requires that students take an approved test before enrolling in college. College applicants may forgo TSI assessment if they meet any of the waivers or exemptions listed here.TSI waiver - For students enrolled in a Level 1 certifi cate declared major. Note: Students enrolling in a TSI waived certifi cate program may be required to be assessed if enrolling in courses with skill prerequisites.
TSI exemptions - For students who:
- Earned an associate or bachelorís degree from an accredited institution
- Received qualifying scores on the ACT or SAT (within fi ve years), or TAKS (within three years)
- Previously attended any Texas public institution and were determined to have met the readiness standards by that institution
- Transferred to ACC with college credit from out of state or private Texas college that satisfy the core curriculum in the ACC college catalog and passed with a grade of C or better
- Were honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty, Texas National Guard, or military reserves on or after Aug. 1, 1990
- Currently serve on active duty as members of the U.S. armed forces and have been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment
ACC Policies Concerning TSI Requirements
- Students who take and fail the THEA test before coming to ACC must take the COMPASS test. (See an advisor.)
- Students whose test scores indicate that they need two or more developmental courses must meet with an ACC counselor before they register for their fi rst term in order to develop a TSI plan and an educational and a support service plan.
- TSI students must complete their TSI requirements to graduate from any associate degree program or any certifi cate program having at least 43 or more semester hours.
- TSI students who do not pass all parts of the state-approved test must enroll and participate in Developmental Education courses in their area(s) of academic weakness and follow ACCís Developmental Plan until they satisfy their TSI requirements.
- Campus Advising Centers have additional information regarding TSI requirements and ACCís Developmental Plan.
Other Assessment Requirements - ESL
An ESL (English as a Second Language) assessment is required for students whose primary language is not English and deaf students wishing to register for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes taught in American Sign Language. Scores are used to place students among four levels of ESOL instruction: high beginning, low intermediate, high intermediate, and advanced. To learn more about the ESOL program, call 223.3354 or 223.3349 (RGC); 223.4014 or 223.4874 (NRG); 223.6290 (RVS). To sign up for an ESOL assessment, call 223.3139 (RGC) or 223.4807 (NRG).Advanced Placement
Austin Community College provides students the opportunity to earn credit by advanced placement through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), College Board Advanced Placement (AP), Certifi ed Professional Secretary exam (CPS), credit by institutional examination and credit for military courses. Credit from these programs, exclusive of credit by institutional examination, may not exceed 30 semester hours. The credit is validated and an offi cial transcript issued only upon completion of regular coursework at ACC.CLEP (College Level Examination Program)
Students of Austin Community College who request credit through CLEP must have offi cial test scores sent directly to the Admissions and Records Offi ce at P.O. Box15306, Austin, Texas 78752. Scores are obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6666, Princeton, NJ 08543-6923. For each score at or above the listed minimum, the appropriate credit will be recorded on the Request for CLEP Credit Form. After the credit is recorded on the request form, both the student and the Records and Registration staff member must sign the form. Credit is recorded on the studentís ACC transcript after the student has completed at least one credit course at ACC.- No student may substitute a CLEP award for the entire six credit hour legislative requirement for American Government. Three credit hours must be earned in a traditional credit hour granting course.
- CLEP exams are given at Austin Community College
between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday. Students must call 223.7769 for an appointment
to test. CLEP fees are $85 with some exceptions.
There is an additional $10 fee for the essay part of the
freshman composition CLEP Exam. There is a $10
no-show fee. CLEP Center address is Highland Business
Center, Room 104, 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin,
Texas 78752.
Scoring of the freshman composition essay may take 8-10 weeks depending on faculty scheduling. - Consult the ìCLEP Exams and Minimum Acceptable Scoresî section in this catalog for the specifi c passing scores for each test.
- The CLEP Center cannot obtain score information or advise students about their scores.
- CLEP exams are given at the University of Texas at Austin and at St. Edwardís University. For CLEP exam schedules and costs, call the UT Measurement and Evaluation Center or St. Edwardís Admissions Offi ce.
AP (Advanced Placement)
Students requesting credit through the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP) must complete at least one college credit course at ACC before appropriate credit is posted on their ACC academic record. Students of Austin Community College who request credit through AP must have offi cial test scores sent directly to the Admissions and Records Offi ce at P O Box 15306, Austin, TX 78752. Scores are obtained by contacting AP Exams, P.O. Box 6671, Princeton, N.J. 08541-6671. For each score at or above the listed minimum, the appropriate credit will be recorded on the Request for AP Credit Form. After the credit is recorded on the Request Form, both the student and the Admissions and Records staff member sign the form. A letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) is not assigned. The AP credit is designated as ìCRî (credit) on the ACC transcript. AP credit might not transfer from ACC to other institutions. No student may receive more than three semester hours of advanced placement for the six-semester credit hour legislative requirement for American Government. Advanced placement credit is granted for the courses listed below.AP Exam Score Credit Given American Government 3, 4, or 5 GOVT 2305
Calculus (AB exam) 4 or 5 MATH 2413
Calculus (BC exam) 3 MATH 2413
Calculus (BC exam) 4 or 5 MATH 2414 and
MATH 2413
Computer Science
(A exam) 4 or grade A COSC 1315
Computer Science
(B exam) 4, 5, or grade A COSC 1315
English (Language
and Composition) 4 or 5 ENGL 1301
English (Literature
and Composition) 4 or 5 ENGL 1301
or 1302
(If credit for 1301 has been
earned, credit awarded for 1302)
Foreign Language
(French, German, or 2 1511 and 1512
Spanish) 3, 4, or 5 1511, 1512,
2311 and 2312
Latin 3 1511 and 1512
4 or 5 1511, 1512,
2311, and 2312
Statistics 3, 4, or 5 MATH 1342
LEP Exams and Minimum Acceptable Scores
General Exam Score Credit GivenHumanities 50 HUMA 1301
Subject Exam Score Credit Given Accounting, Principles of 50 ACCT 2301 & 2302
American Government* 50 GOVT 2305
American History to 1877 50 HIST 1301
American History 1865 to Present 50 HIST 1302
American Literature 50 ENGL 2327 & 2328
Business Law, Introductory 50 BUSG 2301
Business Management, Principles of 50 BMGT 1303
Calculus 50 MATH 2413
Chemistry, General 50 CHEM 1111,1112, 1311, 1312, 1411 & 1412
College Algebra 50 MATH 1314
College French First Semester 49 FREN 1511
Second Semester 50 FREN 1511 & 1512
Third Semester 56 FREN 1511, 1512, & 2311
Fourth Semester 62 FREN 1511, 1512, 2311 & 2312
College German First Semester 48 GERM 1511
Second Semester 50 GERM 1511 & 1512
Third Semester 56 GERM 1511, 1512 & 2311
Fourth Semester 63 GERM 1511, 1512, 2311 & 2312
College Spanish First Semester 48 SPAN 1511
Second Semester 50 SPAN 1511 & 1512
Third Semester 58 SPAN 1511, 1512 & 2311
Fourth Semester 66 SPAN 1511, 1512, 2311 & 2312
English Literature 50 ENGL 2322 & 2323
Freshman College Composition 50 ENGL 1301
(Must include essay section. Essay must be
approved by the English Department.)
Human Growth and Development 50 PSYC 2314
Information Systems and Computer Applications 50 COSC 1300
Macroeconomics, Introductory 50 ECON 2301
Marketing, Principles of 50 MRKG 1311
Microeconomics, Principles of 50 ECON 2302
Precalculus 50 MATH 2412
Psychology, Introductory 50 PSYC 2301
Sociology, Introductory 50 SOCI 1301
Western Civilization to 1648 50 HIST 2311
Western Civilization to 1648 to Present 50 HIST 2312
* Students may receive no more than three semester hours of CLEP
credit for the six-semester-hour legislative requirement for American Government.
International Baccalaureate
Austin Community College awards up to 24 semester credit hours (SCH) for various International Baccalaureate (IB) subjects. The chart below shows subjects accepted at ACC. It includes the minimum credit-earning scores, the ACC course for which you may earn credit, and the number of hours that are awarded.IB Exam Minimum Score1 Credit Given Art 5 SL, 4 HL ARTS 1301,1303 or 1304
Economics 5 SL, 4 HL ECON 2301 and 2302
English Comp I 5 ENGL 1301
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Russian A1 or A2:
2 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN RUSS 1511 and 1512
3 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/ RUSS 1511, 1512 and 2311
4 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/RUSS
1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Russian B:
3 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/ RUSS 1511
4 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/ RUSS 1511 and 1512
5 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/RUSS 1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Russian Ab Initio:
4 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/RUSS 1511
6 ARAB/CHIN/JAPN/RUSS 1511 and 1512
French, German, Spanish A1, A2, or B:
2 FREN/GERM/SPAN 1511 and 1512
3 FREN/GERM/SPAN 1511, 1512 and 2311
4 FREN/GERM/SPAN 1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
French, German, Spanish Ab Initio:
4 FREN/GERM/SPAN 1511
6 FREN/GERM/SPAN 1511and 1512
Geography 5 SL, 4 HL GEOG 1301
History 5 SL, 4 HL 3 SCH of History
Latin 3 LATI 1511
4 LATI 1511 and 1512
5 LATI 1511, 1512 and 2311
6 LATI 1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
Other Languages A1 or A2:
2 1511 and 1512
3 1511, 1512 and 2311
4 1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
Other Languages B 3 1511
4 1511 and 1512
5 1511, 1512, 2311 and 2312
Other Languages Ab Initio:
4 1511
6 1511 and 1512
Philosophy 5 SL, 4 HL PHIL 1301
Physics 5 HL PHYS 1401and 1402
Psychology 5 SL, 4 HL PSYC 2301
Social and Cultural Anthropology:
5 SL, 4 HL ANTH 2351
World Lit I 5 ENGL 2332
World Lit II 5 ENGL 2333
1 HL - Higher Level requires 240 hours of instruction - a two-year course
SL - Standard Level requires 150 hours of instruction - a one-year course
Certifi ed Professional Secretary
Students may earn college credit for verifi ed passing scores on the following parts of the Certifi ed ProfessionalSecretary exam:
If exam passed before September 1994 -
CPS Exam Credit Given
Part IV Accounting ACNT 1403Part V Offi ce Administration
and Communication POFT 1301
POFT 2312
POFT 1449
Part VI Offi ce Technology POFT 2331
If exam passed after September 1994 -
CPS Exam Credit Given
Part I Finance and Business Law ACNT 1403
Part II Offi ce Systems and
Administration POFT 1301
POFT 2312
POFT 1449
Part III Management POFT 2331
Professional Administrator Credential and CDA Credential ( Child Development Associate Credential)
Students who hold the PAC or the CDA should contact an advisor in the Child Development Department to obtain information about receiving credit for these credentials.Challenging a Course (Institutional Credit by Examination)
In order to be eligible to take a challenge exam, the applicant must be a current or former ACC college-credit student and meet the course prerequisites and institutional enrollment requirements. Students must complete at least one college credit course in residence before challenge exam results will be recorded on an offi cial transcript. A student receives credit by passing the exam with a grade of A or B. Not all courses at ACC may be challenged. A student may not challenge a course more than once. No student may challenge a course for which she/he is currently enrolled or has a grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, W, or AU. Course challenge grades are not computed in studentsí grade point averages (GPA) nor do they count toward scholastic achievement awards in any given semester.To challenge a course, a student must:
- Obtain a Course Challenge Form from the Admissions and Records Offi ce
- Obtain the signature of the appropriate academic or workforce dean, or department chair who approves the testing and assigns an instructor to administer the test
- Obtain the signature of the assigned full-time or parttime instructor who has previously taught the course at ACC and has agreed to administer and grade the challenge examination
- Return the signed Course Challenge Form to the Admisions and Records Offi ce
- Pay a fee of $10 per credit hour, with a $30 minimum
- Take the Challenge Examination. The instructor submits all copies of the Challenge Form to the Admissions and Records Offi ce. If the grade is A or B, it is recorded on the studentís transcript under the heading ìInstitutional Examination.î If the grade is C or lower, it is not recorded.
Credit for Military Courses
ACC will evaluate courses completed in the Armed Forces, USAFI and DANTES, based on credit recommendation in the American Council on Education reference Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Semester credit hours granted under this policy and the semester credit hours granted for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) together may not total more than 30. Students enrolled at ACC wishing to havetheir educational experience in the Armed Forces or through USAFI and the DANTES transcript evaluated for possible credit should comply with the following procedures:- The student should submit records showing completion of educational experiences in the Armed Forces or USAFI or DANTES Courses, which include the following: educational transcripts, discharge papers, and test scores. The student is responsible for furnishing satisfactory evidence to the evaluator.
- The Admissions and Records Offi ce references the submitted documents for credit recommendation from the Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.
- If a recommendation cannot be located, the student may request a recommendation from the American Council of Education in Washington, D.C.
- The evaluator completes the credit application and forwards it to the appropriate ACC department chair.
- The department chair will grant or deny credit for a specifi c corresponding ACC course.
- Credit will appear on the studentís transcripts.
- The student who requests an evaluation of military courses must complete at least one semester credit hour in residence before appropriate credit is posted to their academic record.
College-Level Exam Grade Credit Given
TEST I Expression S ENGL 1301
TEST II Social Studies S NO CREDIT
TEST III Natural Science S BIOL 1406
TEST IV Social Studies S PSYC 2301,
SOCI 1301,
HIST 1301,
HIST 1302,
GOVT 2305