Basic Information About the TEAS Test

The TEAS test, one of the most popular entrance exams utilized by collegiate health science programs in the United States, is formulated to measure the test taker's basic skills and overall academic preparedness prior to admission into schools of nursing and other healthcare training programs. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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Basic Information About the TEAS Test

The Test of Essential Academic Skills, more universally known as the TEAS test, is a proctored, standardized examination prepared by the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) to determine the overall academic preparedness of pupils who are attempting to enroll in a school's nursing program or specific other health science program. This exam is designed to assess the test taker's basic skills in certain subjects. If the school you wish to attend uses the TEAS test as an entrance exam, you can visit attesting.com to register. Most colleges and universities charge a fee to students who wish to take the TEAS test. Since the exam is proctored, you will need to present a valid form of photo identification before the proctor will allow you to take the test. Even though some schools still offer a paper and pencil version of the test, it will be computerized and online at the majority of schools. Most nursing programs use the TEAS V.

The TEAS test is a multiple-choice format exam with four sections. The subject areas covered by the exam include English and language use, reading, math and science, and each individual section will represent one of these four topics. Each student who takes this test can expect to answer approximately 170 questions that have come from a massive computerized test bank. The maximum amount of time allotted for this exam is 209 minutes. Typically, no breaks are given between sections. The following is a breakdown of the skills measured by the TEAS test:

English and Language Use

The English and language use section of the TEAS test covers basic essential language arts skills such as word meaning, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Reading

The reading section of the TEAS test assesses the test-taker on basic essential reading skills such as reading comprehension, passage comprehension, paragraph comprehension, and informational source comprehension.

Math

The mathematical section of the TEAS test covers basic essential math skills such as the order of operations, measurement, algebra, numbers, and data interpretation. Calculators usually are not permitted.

Science

The science section of the TEAS test assesses the test-taker on basic essential scientific knowledge such as earth science, physical science, life science, human body science, anatomy, physiology, and scientific reasoning.

When scoring the TEAS test, ATI has instituted five different degrees of academic proficiency. These five grades include Exemplary, Advanced, Proficient, Basic and Developmental. Of course, the Developmental category would be considered the lowest degree of academic proficiency and the Exemplary category is the highest. Each school's health science program directors establish their own acceptable cutoff scores for admission to the nursing program, so different schools will have different performance requirements.

The TEAS test is one of the more commonly administered entrance exams utilized by schools of nursing in the United States, although not all schools use it. Some nursing programs use other entrance exams such as the Nursing Entrance Test (better known as the NET test), the Health Education Systems Inc. exam (also known as the HESI), the National League for Nursing Pre-Admission Examination (NLN PAX), or the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE).

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TheCommuter

About TheCommuter, BSN, RN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN, CRRN is a longtime physical rehabilitation nurse who has varied experiences upon which to draw for her articles. She was an LPN/LVN for more than four years prior to becoming a Registered Nurse.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Float Pool Nursing.

These tests are stupid.

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Specializes in tbi.

Yes these test are the worst. I say that because I truly have a hard time with spelling and knowing which no vs know, or there vs their to use. Because of this I do not do well on these kinds of test. In fact march of 2012 I failed the grammar part of the hesi/teas test and I was told that because I have a hard time with grammar I would not make it in the nursing program or the nursing field. This was told to me by the dean of the RN program. At that time I needed a 75 in grammar, reading, math and science. on my test I scored a 95 in reading, 98 in math, 90 in sci and a 70 in grammar. Even though my over all score was above the required 75 to enter the program, I was still told that I could not start the program due to not having a 75 in the grammar area. I thought to my self, there has to be a better way. I did not let her bring me down, I enrolled in a LPN program that aug of 2012. I graduated aug of 2013 with a gpa of 3.8. Iv meet many students who could pass the hesi/teas test but could not make it out of nursing school. I truly think that these test should not be the only determining factor in picking who gets to go to nursing school.

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I agree!!!!!!

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