The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) is an instructional program designed to ensure that students attending Texas public institutions of higher learning and students entering Texas teacher preparation programs have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in college-level work. TASP includes a testing component designed to assess students' reading, mathematics and writing skills. Students not yet prepared to enter college-level English and math courses are required to take developmental studies courses or English as a second language.

It is the student's responsibility to comply with the TASP regulations outlined in the following steps.

Step 1: Determine TASP Status

TASP Exempt

Students with at least three semester hours of college-level credit earned before Sept.1, 1989 are exempt from TASP regulations. Students with certain scores on SAT, ACT or TAAS are also exempt. Please contact the counseling center at your college for these scores. (There are special rules for education majors.)

TASP Waived

Students seeking most vocational certificates (those that are at least 15 semester credit hours but no more than 42) are not required to follow TASP regulations as long as they limit courses to that certificate. See the counseling/advising office for a list of vocational certificates.

TASP Track

All other students are TASP Track and must follow TASP regulations. This includes students transferring from out-of-state or private Texas schools without college-level credit earned before Sept. 1, 1989.

Step 2: Take TASP Test

TASP Track students must take the TASP test or approved alternate test before their first enrollment in college. Students who do not comply will be prohibited from enrolling in college-level courses at any Texas public institution. All NHMCCD credit courses are college-level, with these exceptions:

BIOL 0301	ENGL 0322	HUMD 0111
ENGL 0110	ENGL 0323	HUMD 0112
ENGL 0113	ENGL 0324	HUMD 0113
ENGL 0304	ENGL 0325	HUMD 0114
ENGL 0305	ENGL 0326	HUMD 0330
ENGL 0306	ENGL 0331	MATH 0110
ENGL 0307	ENGL 0332	MATH 0306
ENGL 0311	ENGL 0334	MATH 0308
ENGL 0312	ENGL 0335	MATH 0310
ENGL 0313	ENGL 0336
ENGL 0321	HUMD 0100

Developmental Studies Requirements After TASP Test

Students who do not pass a section of the TASP test or approved alternate test must remain in developmental course work until the individual development plan is complete. Sections of the test a student does not take count the same as sections not passed. Students enrolled in developmental courses must attend classes regularly and participate or be subject to withdrawal from ALL classes.

Students must pass all three sections of the TASP test in order to graduate with an associate's degree or take upper division courses beyond 60 hours at a university.

HUMD 0100 - Independent Skills Lab

>TASP independent skills labs (HUMD 0100) may be available for students who have completed required developmental courses but whose reading and/or writing TASP results require continuing remediation. For class times, refer to the human development course listings in this schedule's college sections.

TASP Registration

TASP registration bulletins are available at all North Harris Montgomery Community College District counseling/advising offices. Check your TASP status with a counselor/adviser before registering for the TASP test.

Statewide TASP Test Dates

Saturday.....................November 10, 2001, March 2, 2002, April 27, 2002, June 15, 2002, July 20, 2002

The TASP test fee is $29

TASP Study Guides are available in the college bookstores.

Go online for TASP -- www.tasp.nesinc.com