If you’re thinking about a career in nursing, you’ve probably come across the TEAS test before. TEAS is the required test for competitive nursing programs in the US.
The TEAS helps schools weed out the applicants and choose the best ones.
I’ve helped numerous students get ready for the test and enroll in their desired college.
Today I’ll talk about everything you should know regarding a TEAS test, including what it is, how to register, and most importantly, how to pass TEAS with flying colors.
What Is a TEAS Test?
- Most schools require students to take TEAS to enroll in a nursing program.
- TEAS has four sections, and each content area score has different ranges.
- You should follow a set of steps to register for the TEAS on time.
- There are several study techniques to use for passing the TEAS.
What is TEAS?
The Test of Essential Academic Skills, or TEAS, is a standardized test used to evaluate test-takers academic fitness for a nursing school.
If you’ve got your heart set on going to a nursing school, expect that you’ll have to take the TEAS.
TEAS is developed and administered by Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI). They also offer preparation services.
The ATI TEAS exam tests how well you know the college core subjects, and it’s been proven to indicate how well the person will do in nursing school.
“It’s a measurement of your general academic aptitudes and in mathematics, science, etc. You want to do very well, not just for the exam, but you want to have strong math skills, to make the nursing program easier.” - TabletClass Math, YouTube Channel
You have several available options for taking the TEAS:
- In-person at school
- At an ATI testing site
- Online by using ATI-approved proctoring service
Note: Some nursing schools only accept certain types of TEAS (either online or in-person), so make sure to check with your desired nursing program before you sit for the exam.
What Does the TEAS Test?
How hard the TEAS will be to pass depends on the person. However, what can surely help is being prepared and knowing what to expect on the test.
TEAS consists of four parts:
- Math
- Science
- Reading
- English and language usage
Reading and science make up the largest part of the TEAS score, 62% in total. Math is 21%, and English is 17%.
The test is 3 and a half hours long. It has 170 four-option, multiple-choice format questions. 150 questions are scored, and 20 are unscored.
Each question is assigned a certain weight by ATI, which is how the test is scored.
In general, you may notice some fluctuations in question difficulty, but you won’t know the value of each question on the test. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the material covered on the TEAS [1]:
| Section | Number of questions | Allotted time | What’s tested |
| Reading | 53 | 64 | Key ideas and details, application of ideas, details craft and structure |
| Math | 36 | 54 | Algebra, data analysis, measurement |
| science | 53 | 63 | Life and physical sciences, human anatomy, scientific reasoning |
| English | 28 | 28 | General language and vocabulary knowledge |
After the results are in, you’ll be able to see:
- Total score
- Content area score
- Sub-content area scores — These refer to specific skills in each content area
Remember that each school sets its own requirements for TEAS scores, so whether you’ve passed or failed depends on your chosen school and not ATI.
TEAS exam scores are valid for 24 months after the test date.
How to Register for the TEAS?
- Visit the ATI website and click the register now button.
- You’ll have to choose how to take your ATI TEAS exam — at a testing center or online.
- If you’ve chosen the online option, you can select between ATI proctor or Institution proctor.
- If you’ve chosen the ATI proctor, click on the ATI Remote Proctor – Nursing or ATI Remote Proctor – AH (Allied Health)
- If you’ve chosen institution proctor, click on the Institution Remote Proctor - Nursing or Institution Remote Proctor - Allied Health
- If you want to take the TEAS exam in person, the next step is to pick a suitable date and time. You also have to type in the state and city, and once the results populate, click on the link at the bottom of the page.
- Next, you should review all the information and buy additional transcripts if you need them.
- You’ll be taken to a checkout where you have to pay for the TEAS test.
- Check your email for the test confirmation.
How to Prepare for TEAS?
You can do a few things to prepare for the TEAS exam:
- Start studying on time. You should start at least a month and a half before the TEAS.
- Look for free TEAS resources online, or buy some of the ATI packages, which include practice tests, study packages, tutorials, and TEAS tips.
- Take practice tests. All the best preparation techniques advise this. You’ll get used to the word problems in standardized tests, the timing, sentence structure, the test format, and you’ll have a higher chance of getting a passing score.
- Check what your focus areas should be. Hit the books and review until you can solve the health sciences and math section without any issues.
- Have the right mental attitude on test day. If you feel confident, you’ll have a higher chance of passing the nursing entrance exam.
Related Articles:
Should You Take the TEAS Exam?
The TEAS test is used to evaluate a student’s readiness to enroll in healthcare-related college programs.
You should take the TEAS test if you’re considering a career in the nursing field.
Follow the preparation techniques outlined here, and use both official and unofficial test prep resources.
No matter if you decide to take the online version or in-person test, you should be familiar with TEAS testing practices.
This can include language usage conventions, algebra measurement, anatomy and physiology, science and English, and more.
Although some students consider TEAS difficult, it all depends on the student's readiness.
If you’re passionate about enrolling in nursing programs, study for the TEAS on time, do the test prep, and you’re sure to achieve the best score you can.
References:
- https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register
About the author
Add Comment