The ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is a multiple-choice standardized test designed to assess a student’s knowledge and readiness for nursing schools, and in most cases, it is a basic requirement to get into nursing school and become a nurse. In the past few years, nursing has become a highly sought-after career path. In the United States, the average nurse’s salary is $82,750. Since the TEAS exam is so important to the process of becoming a registered nurse, it is essential to be as prepared for it as possible.  In this article, we will guide you through preparing for the TEAS exam so that you will have nothing to fear on test day, and you will pass the TEAS exam with ease!

What is the Difference Between TEAS 6 and TEAS 7?

ATI testing has decided that from June 2022 they are going to update the TEAS 6 to TEAS 7, and the TEAS 6 will not be administered anymore. ATI Testing updates the test every few years in order to ensure the exam plan matches changing Common Core State Standards, as well as the nursing and allied health program standards.

Here are the main changes that have been made:

• The ATI TEAS exam 7 adds chemistry and biology subsections to the science section.
• In the English and Language usage section, the “vocabulary acquisition” subsection is replaced with “using language and vocabulary.”
• There are some other small changes such as the number questions on each section.

Additionally, the TEAS 7 has brand new question types unlike the TEAS 6, which only had multiple choice questions. For example:

Supply answer: This type of question does not have answer choices, so you simply write your answer in the blank space.

Multi select: These questions have four or more answer choices from which you must select all of the correct answers, as there may be more than one.

Hot spot: This type of question shows an image with clickable areas on it, and you need to click on the area you think is correct.

Ordered response: This type of question presents several response options, and you need to drag & drop them into position in a certain sequence.

 

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What is on the TEAS Test?

The ATI TEAS test is comprised of four different sections: Math, Science, Reading, and English and Language Usage. Overall, the test has 170 questions and a 209-minute time limit (true for both TEAS 6 and 7). A total of 20 questions from the test are utilized for internal purposes and are not graded.

Here is the breakdown of the TEAS exam 7th version sections:

Section	Subject	Number of questions per subject	Total number of questions per section	Time limit (minutes)
Teas Reading	Craft and Structure	9	39	55
	Key ideas and details	15
	Integration of knowledge and ideas	15
Teas Math	Numbers and algebra	18	34	57
	Measurement and data	16
Teas Science	Human anatomy and physiology	18	44	60
	Biology	9
	Chemistry	8
	Scientific reasoning	9
Teas English and Language Usage	Knowledge of language	11	33	37
	Conventions of standard English	12
	Using language and vocabulary to express ideas in writing	10

How Do I Prepare for the TEAS Test?

The ATI TEAS test is a crucial step on your way to your preferred nursing program and to becoming a registered nurse, and that is why it is important to plan ahead and be as ready as possible for testing day. Here are some general tips that will help you get ready for it:

1. Cover the fundamentals: The first step to any test you study is to always cover the basics. You have probably already been exposed to a lot of the material you need for the TEAS test throughout your formal education, but it is easy to get so wrapped up in learning new things that you forget the fundamentals. So, make sure you go over the basic study materials for each section: grammar and punctuation, basic algebraic principles such as fractions, basic human anatomy, etc.
2. Utilize test prep resources: The best way to get yourself ready for testing day is by simulating and answering the types of questions that you will most likely encounter on the real TEAS exam. The earlier you do this in the studying process, the more time you will have to understand what your weaker areas are and to go over those areas ahead of time. Our most recommended TEAS exam test prep resource is TestPrep-Online. This website provides a comprehensive and thorough preparation for the TEAS exam, with accurate full-length simulations, practice tests and quizzes, explanations to all questions, and detailed study guides.
3. Create an organized study plan: make sure you know exactly how many weeks before the ATI TEAS exam you have and plan each week in advance so you will not have any surprises while you study for the TEAS. For example: week 1 – focus on the math section and math principals, week 2 – focusing on the science section, etc. You should base this study plan on your skills and shortcomings, and make sure you do not neglect subjects you went over at the beginning of your studying.

 

 

What is a Passing ATI TEAS Exam Score For Nursing School?

Although the passing score for each nursing school may differ, the general range of minimum passing TEAS test scores for most nursing schools is between 55%-70% (composite score).

The Total Score, Content Score, and Sub-Content Score are the three components of the ATI TEAS scores. Each of these three components is given a score based on your performance on the individual sections. Additionally, these scores are used by ATI testing to determine the overall score of the test.

TEAS Test Helpful Tips

We have compiled several section specific tips and things to notice that you as a test taker should know:

ATI TEAS Test Reading section

1. Read! This tip might be obvious, but make sure you do read a lot of different material before the exam (articles, books, academic papers). This can save you a lot of crucial time on the exam.
2. Pay attention to bold and italics: these indicators might be trying to draw your attention to vital information during the test.
3. The text determines its own reality: When answering questions, it is important that you accept the passage as fact and do not let your prior knowledge interfere during the test. For example, if the passage says that an elephant is a small animal, treat it as a fact when you answer the questions related to the passage.
4. Question before passage: It is helpful to read the questions first and then read the passage. This will give you an idea of what to focus on when reading the passage.
5. Beware of “logical conclusions”: You will often see questions beginning with “logically conclude.” This is a trap! Do not be tempted to make assumptions about the text based on your own personal understanding—any logical deductions you make must be based on what is written in the passage.

ATI TEAS Test Math section

1. PEMDAS: Order of operations is crucial! You can use the mnemonic, PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) to better remember it.
2. US Standard and Metric: Make sure you know how these measuring systems work and how to convert between them.
3. Expressions of partial numbers: Understand that decimals, fractions, and percentages are different ways of expressing the same thing.
4. Know what is allowed: Be aware of what you can and cannot do in the testing room. For example, the ATI TEAS allows the use of a calculator. Make sure you take practice tests using a real calculator, not your phone or computer.
5. Basic principles: Brush up on common mathematical rules (for example, when adding fractions, they must have the same common denominator).

ATI TEAS Test Science section

1. Focus on human anatomy and physiology: Anatomy and physiology make up about 30% of this section, so make sure you understand and remember the different systems (such as the immune and skeletal systems) and their functions.
2. Biology & Chemistry: When going over these topics, make sure you’ve mastered the basics, such as DNA structure, atom structure, and differences between states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma).
3. Population changes: Make sure you know some quick facts about population growth and decline, as well as birth and fertility rates.
4. Reasoning: You will be asked not only factual questions but also scientific reasoning questions. They might present you with an experiment and ask for different interpretations and explanations.
5. Review the periodic table! If you are anything like me, you’ve blocked that out from your memory ages ago, but you’ll need it now.

ATI TEAS Test English and Language Usage

1. Familiarize yourself with parts of speech: Review your nouns, pronouns, conjunctions, and verbs, and make sure you know how to use them.
2. Master spelling, capitalization, & punctuation rules: Consider creating a list for yourself that will include the main rules.
3. Understand word structure: Learn the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes.
4. Context clues: These are your friends in this section. If you are not sure about the meaning of the word, use the context to get an idea and apply process of elimination.

How do I Register For the TEAS Exam?

When registering for the TEAS exam, test takers should contact their desired nursing school or nursing program to ask for the dates and location of the test. Some nursing programs allow two possibilities for taking the test, either remotely at an institution/nursing school/PSI testing center or online using remote proctoring. The cost of taking an ATI TEAS test is $95 and you can take it up to three times in the span of a year.

If you are serious about getting a high score on your ATI TEAS exam, we recommend you practice with a TEAS practice test by TestPrep-Online.

All TEAS (test of essential academic skills) trademarks belong to their respective holders.