Aspiring nursing students, your journey starts here. The TEAS Test (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is the gateway to most nursing and allied health programs across the United States, and passing it on the first attempt can save you months of waiting and hundreds of dollars in retake fees.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to pass the TEAS Test on your first try, from understanding the exam structure to creating a realistic study schedule, and from mastering each of the four sections to avoiding the mistakes that sink most test takers.
Table of Contents
- What Is the TEAS Test?
- Score Requirements and What Counts as Passing
- The 8 Week TEAS Study Plan
- Mastering the Reading Section
- Conquering the Math Section
- Dominating the Science Section
- English and Language Usage Strategies
- Sample TEAS Questions with Explanations
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Test Day Checklist
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the TEAS Test?
The TEAS Test, officially known as ATI TEAS 7, is a standardized admissions exam developed by Assessment Technologies Institute. Nursing and allied health programs use the exam to evaluate whether applicants have the academic foundation required to succeed in rigorous clinical coursework. The exam is computer based, proctored, and consists of 170 multiple choice questions distributed across four sections.
You will have 209 minutes total, and the sections appear in a fixed order. Reading comes first with 45 questions in 55 minutes, followed by Math with 38 questions in 57 minutes, Science with 50 questions in 60 minutes, and finally English and Language Usage with 37 questions in 37 minutes. Only 150 of those 170 questions are scored, and the remaining 20 are pretest items used by ATI to calibrate future exams. You will not know which questions are scored, so treat every item as if it counts.
Score Requirements and What Counts as Passing
The TEAS does not have a universal passing score. Instead, each nursing program sets its own minimum. Competitive BSN programs often require a composite score of 75 or higher, while many ADN and LPN programs accept scores in the 60 to 70 range. Top programs such as those at research universities may look for 85 or above, especially when admissions are holistic and seats are limited.
Your composite score is an adjusted average across all four sections, weighted by question count. ATI also provides section level scores so programs can see strengths and weaknesses. If you are strong in Math but weak in Science, a program may still admit you, but some schools require a minimum in each section. Always check your specific programs before you sit for the exam.
The 8 Week TEAS Study Plan
Eight weeks is the sweet spot for most students. It is long enough to build deep knowledge in Science (the hardest section for most) and short enough that momentum does not fade. Commit to roughly 10 to 15 hours per week, or about two hours per day with one longer session on the weekend.
Week 1: Diagnostic and Foundation
Start with a full length practice test under timed conditions. Do not study first. The goal is to get a true baseline. Use your results to rank the four sections from weakest to strongest. Spend the rest of week 1 reviewing a content outline for the weakest section and building a study calendar.
Week 2: Reading Section Deep Dive
Focus on the Reading section. Work through key skills such as identifying main idea, distinguishing fact from opinion, interpreting infographics, and understanding author purpose. Complete at least 60 practice questions with full explanations. Read one longer nonfiction article each day and summarize it in two sentences.
Week 3: Math Fundamentals
Rebuild the arithmetic foundation: fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, and proportions. Then move to algebra basics, measurement conversions, and data interpretation. The TEAS Math section does not allow a handheld calculator for some versions, though ATI TEAS 7 provides an on screen four function calculator. Practice mental math and estimation anyway, because speed matters.
Week 4: Science Part One (Anatomy and Physiology)
Anatomy and Physiology makes up the largest portion of the Science section (about 32 of 50 questions). Work through body systems one at a time: cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, muscular, skeletal, digestive, urinary, reproductive, endocrine, immune, and integumentary. Use flashcards for vocabulary and draw system diagrams from memory to test retention.
Week 5: Science Part Two (Biology, Chemistry, Scientific Reasoning)
Cover cell biology, genetics, chemical reactions, states of matter, and the scientific method. Reinforce concepts with quick drills. Take a second full length Science practice set at the end of the week.
Week 6: English and Language Usage
Spend the week on grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, vocabulary in context, and spelling rules. Focus especially on subject verb agreement, pronoun antecedent clarity, and comma usage, which account for a large portion of section points. Complete daily 15 question drills.
Week 7: Mixed Practice and Weak Spot Cleanup
Take a second full length practice test. Compare to your week 1 diagnostic. Review every missed question and categorize errors as content gaps, careless mistakes, or timing issues. Spend the rest of the week filling content gaps and drilling weak topics.
Week 8: Final Polish and Simulation
Take one last full length practice test under strict exam conditions, including the real time limits and a testing environment free from distractions. In the final three days, review your formulas, science vocabulary, and grammar rules. The night before the exam, stop studying by 8 PM, prep your materials, and sleep.
Mastering the Reading Section
The Reading section rewards careful, efficient readers. You get 55 minutes for 45 questions, which comes out to about 73 seconds per question. That is enough time if you do not reread passages multiple times. Train yourself to read each passage once, actively, and then attack the questions.
Three strategies make the biggest difference. First, read the passage before the questions so you can form your own understanding rather than being led by the answer choices. Second, predict the answer in your head before looking at the options, since the options are designed to tempt you with plausible distractors. Third, for infographic and label questions, read the labels and footnotes first, then the question.
Watch for extreme language in answer choices. Words like always, never, all, and none are usually wrong. Correct answers on the TEAS tend to use measured language such as often, likely, or generally.
Conquering the Math Section
Math trips up many test takers because of time pressure, not because the content is advanced. The hardest topics are typically dimensional analysis (unit conversions), ratios with three quantities, and percent change. Memorize these conversions cold: 1 inch equals 2.54 cm, 1 kg equals 2.2 lb, 1 L equals 1.057 quarts, and know the metric prefixes from milli to kilo.
For word problems, use a consistent four step process: read the problem twice, identify the question being asked, list the given values, and choose an operation. Do not skip writing down your work. Careless errors cost more points than conceptual gaps on the TEAS Math section.
Key Formulas to Memorize
- Area of a rectangle: length times width
- Area of a triangle: one half times base times height
- Area of a circle: pi times radius squared
- Volume of a rectangular prism: length times width times height
- Percent change: (new minus old) divided by old, times 100
- Simple interest: principal times rate times time
Dominating the Science Section
Science is the most content heavy section. Roughly 32 questions focus on Anatomy and Physiology, 8 on Biology, 8 on Chemistry, and 2 on Scientific Reasoning. Anatomy is where most students lose or gain the most points, so prioritize it.
Build your knowledge around system function first, then structures, and then interactions between systems. For example, know that the nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, then learn its parts (glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, collecting duct), and finally understand how it works with the cardiovascular and endocrine systems to regulate blood pressure through the renin angiotensin aldosterone system.
For Chemistry, focus on atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, acids and bases, and reaction types. Balancing simple equations appears regularly. For Biology, nail down cell organelles, the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, mitosis versus meiosis, and basic genetics including Punnett squares.
English and Language Usage Strategies
This section is the shortest and has the tightest time limit: 37 questions in 37 minutes. That is one minute per question, with no buffer. Fortunately, the content is the most predictable.
Master the rules that generate the most questions: subject verb agreement (especially with collective nouns and intervening phrases), pronoun clarity, comma use in lists and between independent clauses, apostrophe use for possessives versus contractions, and common homophone confusions such as their or there, your or you are, and its or it is.
For vocabulary in context questions, read the full sentence and substitute each answer choice. The right answer will preserve the sentence meaning without introducing awkwardness.
Sample TEAS Questions with Explanations
Sample Reading Question
Passage excerpt: “Coffee consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. Researchers believe the antioxidants in coffee, rather than the caffeine, are primarily responsible for these effects. However, the evidence remains correlational, and large randomized trials are still needed.”
Question: Which of the following best describes the author purpose?
A) To persuade readers to drink more coffee
B) To summarize the current state of research on coffee and health
C) To warn readers about overconsumption of caffeine
D) To compare coffee with tea
Answer: B. The passage summarizes findings and notes that research is still developing. Choice A is too strong, C is not supported, and D is not mentioned.
Sample Math Question
Question: A patient needs 240 mg of a medication. The tablets available are 80 mg each. How many tablets should be administered?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 6
Answer: B. Divide 240 by 80 to get 3 tablets.
Sample Science Question
Question: Which structure is responsible for producing ATP in the cell?
A) Nucleus
B) Ribosome
C) Mitochondrion
D) Golgi apparatus
Answer: C. The mitochondrion is the primary site of cellular respiration and ATP production.
Sample English Question
Question: Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
A) Neither the nurse nor the doctors was available.
B) Neither the nurse nor the doctors were available.
C) Neither the nurse or the doctors were available.
D) Neither the nurse or the doctors was available.
Answer: B. With neither or nor constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Doctors is plural, so the correct verb is were. Also, neither pairs with nor, not or.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Certain errors appear over and over in students who fail the TEAS on their first attempt. Avoiding these is often the difference between a 65 and a 78.
Skipping the diagnostic. Students who start studying without a baseline waste time on topics they already know. Always take a full length diagnostic first.
Studying only from one source. Use at least two content review books or online courses plus the official ATI practice assessments. Different sources emphasize different topics, and gaps between them often appear on the real exam.
Ignoring the Anatomy and Physiology content. Because there are 32 questions from this subtopic alone, underpreparation here crushes the composite score. Allocate at least 30 percent of total study hours to A and P.
Leaving questions blank. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the TEAS. Guess on every question, even if you have to guess blind in the final seconds.
Overstudying the day before. Cramming the night before raises anxiety and reduces sleep quality, both of which hurt performance more than the small content gains. Do a light review and shut down early.
Not reviewing wrong answers. Practice tests without review are nearly useless. The review is where learning happens.
Test Day Checklist
Arrive at the testing center 30 minutes early with two forms of valid identification. Eat a balanced meal with protein and complex carbs at least two hours before the exam. Bring water and a light snack for the break if the center allows it. Wear layers so you can adjust to room temperature. Leave your phone and smartwatch in the car or locker, since most centers prohibit them entirely. Most importantly, use the restroom right before the exam, because the clock does not stop for bathroom breaks during each section.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many times can I take the TEAS Test?
ATI allows you to take the TEAS as many times as you need, but most nursing programs limit attempts to two or three within a 12 month period. You typically must wait at least 30 days between attempts at the same testing location. Check your program policy before you retake.
2. Is the ATI TEAS 7 harder than the TEAS 6?
The ATI TEAS 7 has a slightly different question distribution and includes some new question formats, but overall difficulty is comparable. The biggest change is in the score reporting, which now emphasizes national percentile ranks more clearly.
3. Can I use a calculator on the TEAS?
Yes, the ATI TEAS 7 provides an on screen four function calculator for the Math and Science sections. You cannot bring your own calculator. Practice with the same style of calculator during prep so you are not slowed down on test day.
4. How long are TEAS scores valid?
TEAS scores are typically valid for two years from the test date, but individual programs may accept older or require newer scores. Some schools only consider scores from the past 12 months for competitive admissions.
5. Should I take the TEAS at a Prometric center or at my school?
Both options are valid and use the same scoring. Testing at your own nursing school can feel more comfortable and often costs less, but Prometric centers offer more flexible scheduling. Choose whichever has available dates that align with your program application deadlines.
Ready to Pass the TEAS on Your First Try?
The difference between students who pass the TEAS on their first attempt and those who do not is rarely intelligence. It is almost always preparation and practice. You now have the roadmap. The next step is putting in the work with high quality practice questions that mirror the real exam.
Take our free TEAS practice test now and see exactly where you stand. Every question includes a detailed explanation so you learn as you go.
Looking for more exam prep guides? Check out our NCLEX-RN Complete Study Guide, our GRE 12 Week Study Plan, and our SAT Math Tips and Strategies.