Is the ATI TEAS really that difficult?

[Medman8989]

I have about 6-7 months to study for the ATI TEAS and i just recently spoke to a school counselor and said rarely do any students get above a 90%. Is it really that difficult? I bought a Mometrix book to prepare, but now i am worried i will score on the low side. I was able to get an A in Microbiology and a mid B in Anatomy. I suck at Chemistry, though.

[(David)]

Hey there,

The TEAS is very difficult for many people. I think a score of a 90 puts you in the top 1-1.5% of the test takers, so you're counselor would be correct. There is a dedicated TEAS section under the Students category on this forum that may be helpful. Before I took the test I read many people's comments and suggestions, including the articles on this site and YouTube. Have you taken Physiology yet? The closest thing to the real test was the online practice tests that ATI offers on their website. Worth the money if you feel it is important enough for you to score very well on the test. I didn't get as much use out of the rest of the bundle they sell.

The public schools near me that offer a BSN degree typically have an average TEAS score of 92.5-ish for the students they ultimately admitted. I am in a very impacted area, where often times 800-900 students apply for the 40-60 spots available. Depending on where you are applying and what their averages are might influence the amount of effort and dedication you put towards the TEAS; however, my feeling is it never will hurt you to have a better score than the other students applying (and you'll learn more and be more prepared for your nursing program too!).

Hope that helps!

[AspiringNurseMW]

From here on out, you have to really shift your grading perspective, LOL. Entrance exams for nursing are hard. For both TEAS and the other one whose name escapes me, people rarely get in the 90's. However, nursing schools aren't expecting you to get in the 90's, they would prefer your rank in the 90's.

For example, I got an 88% on the TEAS (and I hadn't taken chemistry in 10+ years since high school). But that score actually ranked me in the 97% and my proficiency was Advanced. Means that with my 88% I did better than 97% of the people that took it. And that more than anything is what schools look at.

In my nursing school we use ATI continuously throughout the program and have to take one or two tests every semester to gauge our proficiency. On my Fundamentals exam I only got a 78%, and that still placed me in the 95% rank. You only need something like a 65% to be considered likely to passing for these exams.

Unless exams you take with your prerequisites, ATI is meant to be harder, because there is no possible way to cover ALL the information in school that you could possibly encounter as a new nurse.