TEAS Explained:

Your quick guide for the Test of Essential Academic Skills

Courtesy of Find Nursing Schools

urses bring a wide range of professional skills,

education levels and life experience to the
table. Some people are intimately familiar with
the healthcare world through previous jobs or volunteer
work, while others are experiencing it for the rst time.
You can study nursing as a traditional undergraduate or
leave a reputable career to go back to school. Thats one
of the great things about nursing its always the right
time to get started!
But how can you tell if someone is truly ready for
the demands of a nursing curriculum? Colleges and
universities across the country need an objective way to
evaluate an applicants readiness for nursing school.
Enter the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
The TEAS is an entrance exam for nursing school
designed to measure competencies in reading, math,
science and language use. The goal of the test is to
predict your likelihood of success in nursing school.
This quick guide was created to walk you through
TEAS preparation and answer frequently asked
questions, including:

What is the TEAS?

How does the TEAS work?
How is the TEAS scored?
How do I register for the TEAS?
How long do I study?
Where can I nd study materials?
What happens if I fail?

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We also offer test-taking tips for exam day and

a printable checklist to help you keep track of
preparation milestones.
Please note that this guide isnt intended to replace
updates or information from the test developer or your
nursing school/s of interest. But its denitely a great
place to start!

What is the Test of Essential Academic

Skills (TEAS)?
Developed by ATI (Assessment Technologies
Institute, Inc. sometimes referred to as ATI Nursing
Education), the TEAS is an entrance exam that can
help to predict a nursing candidates success in school.
ATI research indicates that nursing students who
performed well on an ATI nursing fundamentals test
scored about nine points higher on the TEAS V than
those with lower scores.1
In addition, nursing programs requiring the TEAS
V have a 4% lower attrition rate than programs that
dont.2 That means students who take and pass the
TEAS are less likely to drop out of a nursing program
than those who never take the test.
While it should never be the primary factor in deciding
a persons readiness for nursing school, the TEAS exam
is very useful in helping nursing schools assess their
applicant pool.
The test can be administered online or with paper and
pencil.
TEAS Explained

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How does the TEAS work?

Like many nursing entrance exams, the TEAS is a multiple-choice test
covering 170 questions in reading, math, science and language use. The
questions are divided among the four sections, and each section is timed
separately. The entire test has a time limit of 3 hours and 29 minutes (209
minutes total). Twenty of the 170 questions are pretest questions that arent
factored into your overall score.
TEAS Breakdown
Section

Scored/Total

Time Limit

Content Areas

Reading

42/48

58 minutes

Paragraph, passage comprehension

Math

30/34

51 minutes

Numbers and operations, algebra,

data interpretation, measurement

Science

48/54

66 minutes

Anatomy, life science, earth/ physical

science, scientic reasoning

English/

30/34

34 minutes

Grammar, word meanings in context,

spelling and punctuation, sentence

Language Use

structure

How is the TEAS scored?

Test results for the TEAS are available immediately
for electronic exams and within 48 hours for paper
and pencil ones. Youll receive several different scores,
including but not limited to:

Academic Preparedness Qualitative evaluation

of your overall performance on the exam;
categories include Exemplary, Advanced,
Procient, Basic and Developmental
Adjusted Individual Score Number of correct
questions divided by the total number of
questions
National Mean Average adjusted composite
scores for all candidates who took the same
version of the test
Program Mean Average of the adjusted
composite scores for all candidates who took the
same test version and are in a similar program
Individual Reading Score
Individual English Score
Individual Math Score
Individual Science Score

The TEAS is not an exam that you pass or fail; each

nursing school has its own scoring requirements.

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For example, school A may require a 75% adjusted

individual score and an 85% individual reading score,
while school Bs requirement may be a score of
Procient in the Academic Preparedness section.
To get a sense of how well you need to do, research the
TEAS requirements for each school youre interested
in. Overall, though, the higher your scores, the stronger
your application for nursing school. High scores are
especially important if youre looking at competitive
programs with a wait list.

How do I register?
You can register for the TEAS through your nursing
school of interest or online at atitesting.com. ATIs
process typically involves selecting an exam, creating
an account and paying a registration fee. This fee varies
from site to site and can range anywhere between $40
and $110. Payment is due at the time you schedule your
exam.
Registrations are nal and fees are non-refundable, so
its best to discuss your options with a nursing school
admissions advisor before signing up. Each school will
have its own registration process for you to follow.

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How long should I study?

The answer to this question is different for everyone.
For advice that takes your personal situation into
account, reach out to an admissions advisor at your
nursing school of interest. They can assess your
academic background and help you determine an
appropriate study window before you register. You may
want to build in enough time to take the exam again,
in the event your rst scores dont meet the minimum
requirements for your rst-choice nursing program.

Where can I find study materials?

Check out these resources to review key knowledge
areas and test-taking strategies, nd practice tests and
more. Remember, this is just a sample list to get you
started; for feedback on these materials and others, you
can search the web, talk to nursing students and recent
graduates, visit your local bookstore or seek advice
from a nursing school admissions advisor.
Books
Version V ATI Test of Essential Academic
Skills (TEAS V) Study Manual Ofcial TEAS V
study resource from test developer ATI. Includes
practice problems that mirror the style of real test
questions; two comprehensive print practice tests
with recommended time limits, answer keys and
rationales; detailed test glossary. Purchase on ATIs
website.
Version V ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills
(TEAS V) Online Assessments A and B Sold
individually and as a complete set. Purchase online
assessments on ATIs website.

Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exams: Your

Complete Guide to Getting Into Nursing School
Lessons, review, and practice for math, reading
comprehension and science along with admissions
information and resources. Purchase on Amazon.
com.
Apps
TEAS Practice Test and Questions by T&E
Solutions, LLC #1 TEAS app in the App Store.
Featuring more 1,000 practice questions with
detailed answer explanations. Learn more on iTunes.
Complete TEAS Study Guide by Complete Test
Prep Interactive app prepared by dedicated exam
experts. Learn more on iTunes.

What happens if I fail?

The TEAS is not an exam that you pass or fail; each
nursing school has its own scoring requirements. If
your rst scores fall below the minimum requirements
for one or more of your schools, you may retake
the test to improve your score. However, many
schools have rules around exam retakes. Contact your
admissions advisor for more information.
Test-Taking Tips for Exam Day
Youve done your homework (literally!); now is the
moment where your studying and preparation come
together. Take to heart these tips for putting your
best foot forward on exam day.

Dont cram the night before.

Your best studying will be accomplished in the
weeks and months leading up to the test; now its
time to prepare yourself for the physical tasks of
exam day, such as lling your gas tank, visiting the
ATM for parking money, etc. You also want to
get a good nights sleep. The exam itself is three
and a half hours long; you wont perform well if
youre nodding off in your chair.

Know where youre going.

Many exam sites require you to check in well
before start time and even close the doors early
to discourage stragglers. Therefore, its in your
best interest to make transporting yourself to
and from the site as stress-free as possible. Prior

McGraw-Hills 5 TEAS Practice Tests Six fulllength TEAS practice tests with answers and
complete explanations for every question. Purchase
on Amazon.com.
McGraw-Hills Nursing School Entrance Exams
(Second Edition) Essential skill-building
techniques and strategies for taking todays entrance
exams for nursing. Get eight practice tests, skillbuilding drills, test-taking strategies and all the facts
about the TEAS, NLN PAX-RN, NET, PSB-RN
and C-NET-RN. Purchase on Amazon.com.

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TEAS Explained

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to the big day, map out your route to the site. If

youre taking public transportation, nd your stop
and learn the route schedule. If youre driving,
study the route online for construction detours
and closings. But dont stop at the front door. If
you have access to the building, nd the room
where your exam is being administered as well.

Pack light.
Sites have strict rules regarding what you can and
cant bring into the test room. Its likely youll
be required to have a valid photo ID, your ATI
username and password, your registration receipt
and two #2 pencils. Calculators and mobile
devices are usually prohibited. Scratch paper is
provided by the exam site. Check with your site
for an ofcial list of what to bring.
Read the full question.
This is one time you dont want to skim.
Understand the directions for each content
section and pay close attention to the wording
of individual questions. Dont read half of the
question and assume you know whats coming.
Take it one question at a time.
Now is not the time to analyze your performance
on previous questions or anticipate whats coming
next. Stay in the moment and concentrate on the
question in front of you.
Keep it moving.
A common piece of advice for test-taking is to
trust your instincts. If more than one answer
seems correct, read the question again, choose
the best option and move on. You dont want to
spend so much time on one question that you run
out of time for the section.

TEAS Preparation Checklist

Use this checklist to keep track of everything you
need to prepare for the TEAS.
____

Confirm TEAS requirements with your nursing

school/s of interest

____

Identify a testing center

____

Complete your registration

____

Obtain/purchase study materials

____

Take at least one practice test

____

Map out route to exam site

____

Take the TEAS

____

Obtain test scores

____

Purchase a TEAS transcript if applicable

(Scores are automatically sent to the location
where your test was administered at no cost.)

Best of luck to you on the exam!

References
1) Is the TEAS V Predictive of Early Nursing School Success? Report. Assessment Technologies Institute, Inc., Dec. 2011. Web. 15
July 2013. http://www.atitesting.com/resources/research.aspx.
2) Dunham, Michelle, Ph.D., John McKee, Ph.D., and Brooke Nash, Ph.D. Standardized Testing and Educational Outcomes: Recent
Research Findings. Presentation. ATI National Nurse Educator Summit, April 9-13, 2012. Web. http://www.nursingsummit.
com/presentations/StandardizedTesting.pdf.
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