How To Prepare for the TEAS Test (Get a Free TEAS Practice Test)

January 5, 2023 Abraham Arzola

The TEAS test is a vital component in getting into nursing school

Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system and play a vital role in all healthcare environments. For most students planning to attend nursing school, a good score on the TEAS test is often the most important factor in determining whether you get into a program.

Like any standardized test, it is important that you are adequately prepared for the questions that you may face on test day.

In this post, we’ll go over what the TEAS test is, why the TEAS test is essential, how to prepare for the TEAS test, and provide you with a free TEAS practice test.

What is the TEAS Test (and Why Does it Matter)?

The TEAS test is a vital tool that nursing schools use to assess a student’s academic potential for nursing school. ATI Testing (the company that administers the test) has demonstrated through statistical analysis that students who perform well on the TEAS test also perform academically in nursing school.

In addition to letters of recommendation, academic transcripts, and personal statements, nursing schools heavily consider scores on the TEAS test when determining whether to accept or reject an applicant.

As a standardized test, the studying process for the TEAS test is like the studying process for other tests like the MCAT and NCLEX.

What does TEAS stand for?

The Test of Essential Academic Skill (TEAS Test) is a great predictor of a student’s performance in nursing school.

TEAS stands for the Test of Essential Academic Skills. Getting a good score on the TEAS test is an excellent way to increase your chances of getting into nursing school.

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Why do future nursing students have to take the TEAS test?

According to multiple studies, a student’s performance on the TEAS test is highly correlated with their performance in nursing school. This is because the TEAS test looks at academic aptitude in four subjects: Math, Reading, Science, and English.

Preparing for the TEAS test will likely increase your score and comprehension of these four vital subject categories.

What is on the TEAS test?

There are a total of 170 questions on the TEAS test. These questions are broken down into these four subject categories:

Visual representation of what is on the TEAS test including: Reading, Math, Science, and English.

Reading: 45 Questions

Key Ideas & Details: 15 Questions
Craft & Structure: 9 Questions
Integration of Knowledge & Ideas: 15 Questions
Pretest Questions: 6 Questions

Mathematics: 38 Questions

Numbers & Algebra: 18 Questions
Measurement & Data: 16 Questions
Pretest Questions: 4 Questions

Science: 50 Questions

Human Anatomy & Physiology: 18 Questions
Biology: 9 Questions
Chemistry: 8 Questions
Scientific Reasoning: 9 Questions
Pretest Questions: 6 Questions

English & Language Usage: 37 Questions

Conventions of Standard English: 12 Questions
Knowledge of Language: 11 Questions
Using Language and Vocabulary: 10 Questions
Pretest Questions: 4 Questions.

How much does it cost to take the TEAS test?

Since many schools require the TEAS test as part of your application, it is important to consider the price of the test, whether you are taking it for the first time or retaking it. While it depends on your location, the TEAS test cost can vary between $65 and $100. This is a set price and does not change with the number of times you take the test.

How many times can you take the TEAS test?

When it comes to determining the amount times a student can take the TEAS test or the duration of time a student must wait between attempts, universities may adopt their policies. For this reason, check with a program and its policies if you are concerned that you may need multiple attempts at the TEAS test.

What is the difference between TEAS 6 and TEAS 7?

The difference between TEAS 6 and TEAS 7. Source: mometrix.com

How to prepare for the TEAS test

When preparing for any test (especially the TEAS test), it is critical to know where you currently stand with the material. Therefore, using free practice tests is vital to your studying process.

We provide a free TEAS practice test that closely replicates content on the actual TEAS test and links to some other great free TEAS resources that can be found at the bottom of this article.

At the start of your studying, take a free TEAS practice test and work through it in one sitting as if you were taking the actual exam. Upon completion, review which questions you missed and get a sense of the type of content that you should focus on when studying each section. This will give you a better sense of guidance when you are studying more rigorously over the course of your set study schedule.

While there are many ways to set up a study schedule, it is recommended that you set aside at least 6 weeks to prepare for the TEAS test. ATI testing recommends that students break down each week by subject following this schedule:

Week 1: English and Language usage
Week 2: Reading
Week 3: Reading
Week 4: Science
Week 5: Science
Week 6: Math

To further break this schedule down, aim to study at least 60 hours over the six weeks. These hours can be spread out over four days each week, coming to a total study time of 2.5 hours per day.

TEAS Test 1 month study guide

If you did well on your initial “diagnostic” practice test, you could reduce the number of hours you study to 40 hours over a 4-week (1 month) period. This study schedule will also come out to a total study time of 2.5 hours per day for four days a week.

If you need help setting up a study schedule or want to ensure you ace the TEAS test through one-on-one online tutoring, reach out to one of our tutors today! (When you purchase tutoring hours, you also get access to thousands of dollars of free content lessons, study material, and textbooks)

Learn how to study for Anatomy and Physiology: How to study for Anatomy and Physiology

What is a good TEAS score?

Universities are responsible for determining their passing requirements. While many universities consider a score above 60% passing, others require TEAS scores above 75% for admittance to their nursing program.

Related Article: What is a good MCAT Score?

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