How I Studied for the TEAS

This is a breakdown I did of all the important topics I see in the book. I WILL NOT POST TEST QUESTIONS. I hope this helps someone. Nursing Students TEAS Article

I also posted my study "techniques" and websites that might be helpful if you do not have the ATI book or any book for that matter. I guess any book will do as long as you study what is below. I still suggest getting it if you can. Whatever works.

Science

  • General heart anatomy: follow blood flow through the heart in order, and know if the blood is oxygenated or not, know the valves
  • General vascular anatomy(veins, arteries, etc)
  • Respiratory System: general functions and structure
  • Nervous System: Know the subcategories, their functions, and know the anatomy of a neuron and the synapse WELL
  • Digestive System: Just follow a bolus down to the orifice and know generally what is happening to it. Like where the digestion of fat occurs first and where the absorption of water occurs, etc.
  • Immune System: Cell-mediated immunity, Humoral immunity; interferons; know the response to inflammation
  • General Biology: taxonomy(King Phillp Came Over For Granny's Soup); purines and pyrimidines; DNA functions; RNA functions; Transcription & translation; Cellular Organelles: mitochondria, ribosomes, rough/smooth ER, etc etc and their functions; Know plant cells too!!!!! ; prokaryotes vs eukaryotes; mitosis and meiosis stages: know their outcomes; mutations; punnet squares & alleles; difference between protozoa, bacteria, viruses, algae, and helminths AND their basic components(like what do they eat? how to they reproduce?)
  • Chemistry: Again, know your heterotrophs and autotrophs... who uses cellular respiration and whatnot; mass numbers and atomic weights; know what isotopes are, how to find the number of protons in them; know what catalysts are... what decomposition and synthesis reactions are; chemical bonds; know which elements are your metals PLEASE!; acids and bases... know which accept protons and know the logarithmic scale; balancing chemical equations.

English & Language Usage

  • Parts of Speech: Subject, verbs, article, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, etc. They'll make you read sentences and know which word is what.
  • First person, second person, third person verbs, pronouns, in singular and plural forms.
  • Active and Passive voice
  • Context Clues: Synonyms and Antonyms; Compare and contrast
  • Know common prefixes like un-, re-, in-, and dis-.
  • Know common suffixes like -ia, -ic, -ism, -ology, etc.
  • Know common root words like geo, cardio, ped, ortho, bio, psych, etc.
  • Know commonly misspelled words and common homophones.

Math

  • Add, subtract, multiply, divide decimals and fractions (lots of paycheck, rent, and menu questions)
  • Add, subtract, multiply, divide mixed numbers
  • Convert decimals, percents, and fractions
  • The probability of something occurring
  • Dependent & independent variables... can you find which is which in a word problem?
  • Read charts, graphs, tables etc.
  • Know to find the LCD
  • Order of operations & FOIL
  • Solving for x
  • Roman numerals to Arabic numerals... M=1000 D=500 C=100 L=50 X=10 V=5 and I=1.
  • So they can ask you what's 2011 in Roman numerals and you'd choose MMXI.
  • Know PERIMETER because there appear to be lots of "fencing" word problems.

Reading

  • Know more or less how to read nutrition labels & recipes
  • Be able to read directions clearly
  • Be able to identify the summary of a short story.
  • Read movie times, schedules, and invitation letters.
  • Be able to read line graphs, temperature, simple maps, and blood pressure screens
    • Can you find the main idea of an essay, letter, or story?
    • Can you find the supporting details?
    • Can you tell if the writer is trying to explain, entertain, or persuade?(Author's purpose)
    • Can you identify the different supporting details in each paragraph?

How I Study

I take test #1 for each separate section to know where to focus my study.

I use the ATI book and underline the important keywords, directions, or numbers. I look over EACH answer even if I think I know the answer. NEVER think you know because there might be another answer better than the one you chose!

If I think I need more practice, I use websites online. I will go over the ATI notes again, do all the practice questions, and will take the second test for the section (let's say, math). If I don't get AT LEAST 15 points higher, I'll do it all over again, going over similar questions online.

Resources

Science:

Math:

English, Reading, etc.

Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

btw...does the ATI book really help as far as review?

0 Votes
Specializes in SDU, Tele.

Depends on each person I guess. If you took these classes recently this is MORE than enough. If like me, you took chemistry or any bio class for that matter, it might be a little skimpy.

For science, I actually went to the bookstore and skimmed through Cliffsnotes Biology & Chemistry for Idiots for 2 or 3 hours. I used the manual for the tests, practice questions, and of course to use as a guide.

The reading and grammar portions are excellent. They have lists and tables galore for verb usage, capitalization, punctuation, context clues, etc.

Math is ok too, but I needed DRILLS so I went online a printed a ton of similar word problems and conversion worksheets. For most people this is perfectly enough. I am just a little slow.

All in all, the book is well rounded. As you go through it, you might see the need for a teeny amount of online resources. :)

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.

Kinds of things you need to know for ...

Science Section:

http://www.dnaftb.org/

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=56

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/prokeuk.htm

https://www.etap.org/demo/biology1/instruction3tutor.html (wonderful page)

Here are worksheets you can use to practice for the Reading/English Section:

http://www.havefunteaching.com/worksheets/reading/reading-comprehension/harriet-tubman.pdf

http://www.abcteach.com/free/r/readinganewspaper.pdf

http://www.abcteach.com/free/r/rc_sparrow_middle_a.pdf

http://www.abcteach.com/free/r/rc_bridges_longest_upperelemiddle.pdf

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/punctuation/punctuation-commas1.pdf

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/punctuation/punctuation.pdf

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thank you for sharing your tips with all of us! i take my test on march 25, 2011. i am worried, but i have hope and i have been praying. i am not the smartest girl in the world, but i know that i have never wanted anything more than becoming a nurse. i hope that i will score high enough for my school to accept me in their nursing program. :-)

thanks again, and good luck to everyone!

kathy

0 Votes
Specializes in SDU, Tele.
thank you for sharing your tips with all of us! i take my test on march 25, 2011. i am worried, but i have hope and i have been praying. i am not the smartest girl in the world, but i know that i have never wanted anything more than becoming a nurse. i hope that i will score high enough for my school to accept me in their nursing program. :-)

thanks again, and good luck to everyone!

kathy

i wish you the best of luck. :-) hard work always pays off. if you organize your time and have discipline, you can do it. i am not genius either(i mean i can hardly add fractions lol) but if you put in a little everyday, you can get a really great score! i'm looking forward to hear how you did!

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Thanks for sharing, You are a great person. I did not know what to focus on because the science is so broad. Now I have a better idea, I think I will do well on my test. thanks again.

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I took the TEAS last week.. I've been out of school for a little while so it was kind of fun to brush up on the math and science. One resource I used for practice questions that I didn't see on your list was:

Test Prep Review

I also used a library copy of McGraw Hill's Nursing School Entrance Exams by Thomas A. Evangelist. BEWARE IF YOU USE THE FIRST EDITION! There are a number of errors in the questions. I emailed the publisher and got them to send me a list of corrections. I can't upload files (I don't know if I can even use the PM as this is my first post), so reply if you need the list and I can email you (Excel file).

Have to say, I was surprised at the number and specificity of human body science questions I got.. 11/48 in the science section; the rest were 15/48 life science, 14/48 earth & physical science, 8/48 science reasoning. Maybe I should have realized the body focus.. this is a pre-nursing test, after all. Not everyone gets the same questions of course, so YMMV.

Best of luck!

0 Votes
Specializes in SDU, Tele.

Pololo100 no problem, good luck =)

Esculenta, I got about the same number of physiology questions, but I can't honestly remember them. They were pretty easy if I remember correctly. I hope most people taking the test have at least taken AP1... or else it might be a challenge. =/

Thanks for the link! Um, I think the way to attach a file is by clicking "go advanced" next to "post quick reply". Let me know if it works!!

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Thank you on eagles wings. I'm trying & thank you for all the tips/insight. I'm begining to feel overwhelmed now though and it's count down time. The closer I get to March 11 the more anxiety i get. Seems like everyone keeps telling me it's VERY hard & to study Earth Science as well. So, i've been also searching for earth science stuff & found a few old books I have had from previous classes.

I need a 62% to pass & offically enter the RN program. Also, I did horrible on the practice A practice exam online (57%- I totally panicked becasue I had no idea what to expect and couldn't figure out some stuff on the ATI website & I freaked when I saw the clock ticking. I also ended up getting some common sense questions wrong..lol) (I went back the next day and did the 2nd (A) test and got a 73%)and I'm going to order the B this week and see how well I do now that I know what to expect from ATIs settings, and of course studied for a few months.

Good luck to everyone & congrats to those who have taken it and passed this nasty TEAS V exam.lol.

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thank you so much for the breakdown. I have been reviewing using the TEAS V book and i am taking it real slow especially the science part. I took AP1 couple years back and recently took AP2 but still the physio part is whats getting me! I have until May to take the teas but planning to take it sooner than that. Thank you again for the information, very helpful!

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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I'm taking the test Friday morning. I've been studying so diligently and am at a bit of a saturation point. This was exactly the list I needed to put things into focus for the next couple days. It's an excellent guide. Thanks again. Wish me (and all of us who still have to take it) luck!

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hi all,

i took the teas v last weekend and did very well. i basically looked over this site and tried to follow other people's tips. i found what worked best for me was posted by "pokemon." thanks pokemon. i did not really study for the english or grammar section because i am very strong in those subjects. i basically just did the two practice tests in the ati study guide. however, i used pokemon's guide to study for the science and i received a 90 % on that portion. here is what p. posted earlier:

"science

-know kidney/filtration, sympathetic vs parasympathetic, functions of diaphragm, tidal volume, digestion, small intestine, cardiovascular, wbc/immune system (basics), also know what organ has endocrine/exocrine functions.

-chemistry is basic. know how you get atomic mass. what a proton, neutron, and electron is. what an isotope is. real basic stuff like that. also know valence electrons. know charges. also balancing equations and know whats being oxidized/redeuced in photosynthesis (all this is in the teas study manual). also know the formulas for hydrocarbons and whats an alkane, alkene, and alkyne. real basic not too intense. know ph and characteristics of acids/bases. litmus paper turns blue/red.

-you don't have to know all those kinetic and potential energy formulas in the teas v study manual. just know what kinetic and potential energy is. i suggest browsing the internet of real life examples of kinetic/potential energy. example: is water behind a dam kinetic or potential energy. teas test didn't ask for formulas just apply ke/pe to real life examples. also know scientific reasoning. mainly scientific theory. like why do we collect data for an hypothesis, or why should we repeat a hypothesis.

-life science is easy. know the structure/function of organelles. know what type of membrane surrounds the cell (phospholipid). is the membrane rigid or fluid. know mitosis not really every step but rather whats the product of mitosis is. you have to know every step in the interphase of mitosis. also know what the product of meiosis is. know what happens after meiosis 2. know how dna replicates itself and what are the players involved. helicase, rna primer, dna polymeorifice what do they all do in dna replication (this stuff can be found in teas v study manual). know the srtuctural differences between dna and rna. real basic stuff like rna has one strand and dna is double. know the difference base pairs. know how enzymes, proteins, and amino acids are related and why their important to cells. know what a genotype/phenotype is. know the order or natural selection/adaption. i only had one question about punnet square. also know taxonomy (kingdom, phylum...etc). "

to be honest, i took biology i & ii and chemistry i & ii in 2007. also, i just finished a&p i and am currently enrolled in a&p ii so i think those classes gave me a solid foundation for the exam.

in regards to section 4-the grammar part- be sure to know rules of semicolons versus commas and proper pronoun use. for example, when to use "to whom" or "to who," etc. etc.

i hope this helps a bit!

good luck y'all!

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