If you're applying to a nursing or allied health program in the US, there's a good chance it asks for the ATI TEAS. This guide explains what the current version, TEAS 7, involves and how to prepare for it. It's written from ATI's published test outline and school admissions pages, and every specific is hedged because formats, fees and school rules change: always check with ATI and your program for the current details.
What the TEAS 7 is
The ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) measures the academic skills you need to start a nursing or allied health program: reading, math, science and English. Version 7 has been live since June 2022. It isn't a nursing knowledge test. It checks whether you're ready for the coursework, which is why programs use it to decide who gets in.
You can take it online with a remote proctor through ATI, online or in person at a school, or at a PSI test center, depending on what your program accepts. Accommodations are available under the ADA with documentation.
Sections and timing
The test runs in four timed sections, in this order, and each section has its own clock:
| Section | Questions | Scored | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 39 | 55 min |
| Math | 38 | 34 | 57 min |
| Optional break | 10 min | ||
| Science | 50 | 44 | 60 min |
| English and Language Usage | 37 | 33 | 37 min |
| Total | 170 | 150 | 209 min |
That's 170 questions, of which 150 count. The other 20 are unscored trial questions spread across the sections, and you can't tell which they are, so treat every question as if it counts. Once a section ends you move on, and unused time doesn't carry over to the next one. Plan for up to four hours in the seat once you include check-in, the tutorial and the break.
What each section covers
Reading
- • Key Ideas and Details: main idea, inference, following written directions, reading charts, maps and labels
- • Craft and Structure: fact vs opinion, author's purpose and point of view, word meaning in context, text structure
- • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: evaluating arguments and evidence, comparing sources, reading graphics
Math
- • Number and Algebra: fractions, decimals and percentages, ratios and proportions, order of operations, equations and word problems
- • Measurement and Data: metric and US customary conversions, geometry (perimeter, area, volume), reading tables and graphs, mean, median and mode, variables
Science
- • Human Anatomy and Physiology: the largest sub-area of the test, system by system
- • Biology: cells, macromolecules, genetics, DNA and microorganisms
- • Chemistry: atomic structure, the periodic table, bonds, reactions, acids and bases, states of matter
- • Scientific Reasoning: designing investigations, variables, evidence and conclusions
English and Language Usage
- • Conventions of Standard English: spelling, punctuation and sentence structure
- • Knowledge of Language: grammar, formal vs informal style, clarity
- • Vocabulary and the writing process: context clues, word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes) and the stages of writing
Science is the biggest section, and anatomy and physiology is its biggest area, so it deserves the most study time for most people. Earth science and physics aren't part of the TEAS 7 outline, so an older TEAS 6 book can send you studying the wrong things.
Question types
Most questions are multiple choice with four options, but TEAS 7 added alternate item types. Every item is marked right or wrong, with no partial credit:
- Multiple choice: one correct answer, sometimes with a chart or graphic.
- Select all that apply: you need every correct option and no wrong ones.
- Ordered response: put steps or items in the correct sequence.
- Fill in the blank: type a numeric answer, mostly in Math.
- Hot spot: click the correct area of an image, table or passage.
There's a basic on-screen calculator in the Math section, and personal calculators aren't allowed. You'll get one sheet of scratch paper or a small whiteboard.
How scoring works
Your raw score (the scored questions you got right) is converted onto a 0% to 100% scale using a process called equating, which adjusts for small differences in difficulty between test forms. You get a total score, plus a score for each of the four sections, and a breakdown by sub-content area showing the topics to review. The section scores are equated separately, so they don't add up or average to your total.
Reports also show the national mean and the mean for your program type. The national average has been reported at about 65%, though ATI re-norms periodically. Your total score is only produced if you complete all four sections.
ATI academic preparedness levels
Alongside your total score, ATI reports an Academic Preparedness Level. For TEAS 7 the bands are widely reported as:
Be careful with older guides: the TEAS 6 bands were slightly different and still circulate online. Confirm the current bands with ATI. LearnTEAS practice tests show an estimated level using these bands, labeled as an estimate, because ATI equates real scores across forms.
What score do you need?
There is no ATI pass mark. Each program sets its own minimum, and many rank applicants by score, so going above the minimum can still matter. As a rough guide, many programs ask for somewhere between 58.7% (the Proficient floor) and 70%, while competitive programs and many BSN programs want 75% to 85% or more.
Your program's admissions page is the only number that matters. Check its minimum, whether it uses your total or section scores, how many attempts it accepts and how long a score stays valid.
Retakes, fees and results
ATI says it doesn't require a waiting period between attempts, but your program sets the real rules. Some accept only your first attempt, some limit attempts per term or per year, and every attempt appears on your ATI transcript. ATI has said that around 40% of test-takers need to retake, so it's worth preparing properly the first time.
Fees vary by where you test. Online at ATI has been reported at around $115, with institution sittings ranging roughly from $65 to $150, and sending extra transcripts costs extra. Rescheduling usually needs at least two days' notice and a fee. Results from an ATI online test are typically available quickly and finalized within a few business days. Check ATI and your testing site for current fees and timings.
On test day
- Bring the ID your testing site asks for, and check the remote-proctoring rules if you're testing online.
- Pace yourself: about 73 seconds a question in Reading, 90 in Math, 72 in Science and 60 in English.
- Answer everything. A blank answer is simply wrong, and unscored trial questions look like every other question.
- Use the break after Math to reset before Science, the longest section.
A study plan that works
- 1
Get a baseline. Take a timed practice test before you study anything, so you know where your points are going.
- 2
Set your target. Find your program's minimum (and how competitive admission is), and aim a few points above it.
- 3
Study weakest first. Usually that means Science, especially anatomy and physiology, then Math.
- 4
Learn, then test. Learn each objective properly, then answer exam-standard questions on it straight away. Rereading notes isn't enough.
- 5
Fix what you miss. When you get something wrong, relearn the idea a different way before moving on, rather than just memorizing the answer.
- 6
Finish with full-length tests. In the last two weeks, sit full timed TEAS tests to build pacing and stamina, and review every mistake.
How LearnTEAS helps
Most TEAS prep is a question bank: you answer, you see the answer, you move on. LearnTEAS teaches. Every one of its 151 lessons explains the idea with diagrams and worked examples, tests you on it at real exam difficulty, and if you miss something, reteaches it a different way and tests you again until it sticks.
- Guided learning across all 19 topics and every TEAS 7 objective. Your first topic is free.
- 1,700+ exam-standard questions with every answer explained, including select-all, ordered-response and fill-in-the-blank math.
- Full-length TEAS tests on the real section clocks, scored against your own target with an estimated ATI level.
- A free practice test with no sign-up, so you can see where you stand today.
See where you stand in 49 minutes
40 exam-standard questions across all four sections, marked against your target. LearnTEAS is coming soon to the App Store; start on the web today.
LearnTEAS is independent study material from Hamilton Technologies. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute). ATI TEAS and TEAS are trademarks of their owner. Exam details can change, so check with ATI and your program for current requirements.