A TEAS score is the result you receive after taking the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills, a standardized exam used by nursing and health science programs to evaluate whether applicants are academically ready for their coursework. The score is reported as a percentage, typically ranging from about 40% to 100%, and most programs require a minimum score somewhere between 58% and 80% for admission. The exam is currently on its seventh version (TEAS 7) and tests four academic areas: reading, math, science, and English.
What the TEAS Exam Measures
The TEAS is designed specifically for adults applying to health science programs. Rather than testing advanced knowledge, it measures foundational academic skills that health educators identified as essential for success in programs like nursing, dental hygiene, radiologic technology, and allied health fields. Think of it as a check on whether your reading comprehension, algebra, basic science literacy, and grammar are strong enough to handle a demanding clinical curriculum.
The exam contains 170 questions spread across four sections, each with its own time limit:
- Reading: 45 questions, 55 minutes
- Mathematics: 38 questions, 57 minutes
- Science: 50 questions, 60 minutes
- English and Language Usage: 37 questions, 37 minutes
That totals just under 3.5 hours of testing time. The science section carries the most questions and is often considered the most challenging, covering topics like anatomy, physiology, biology, and basic chemistry. The math section focuses on arithmetic, algebra, and measurement. Reading tests your ability to interpret passages, identify key ideas, and draw inferences. English covers grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and vocabulary.
How Your Score Is Calculated
Your TEAS score isn’t a simple percentage of questions you got right. ATI uses a process called equating, which adjusts your raw score to account for differences in difficulty between different versions of the test. If you happened to take a slightly harder form of the exam than someone else, the equating process corrects for that so both scores can be compared fairly.
Because of this adjustment, your total score and individual section scores can’t be calculated directly from the number of correct answers. Two people who answer the same number of questions correctly on different test forms could end up with slightly different adjusted scores. This is why your score report may not perfectly match the percentage you’d calculate on your own.
You’ll receive several pieces of information on your score report, officially called the Individual Performance Profile. This includes your overall composite score, individual scores for each of the four content areas, and a breakdown highlighting specific topics where you performed well or need additional review. Some reports also include percentile rankings that show how your performance compares to other test-takers nationally or within specific programs.
What Counts as a Good Score
There’s no universal passing score for the TEAS. Every school sets its own minimum, and the range varies significantly depending on the program type and how competitive admissions are. Associate degree nursing (ADN) programs sometimes accept scores as low as 58.6%, while competitive bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs often set their cutoffs between 65% and 80%. Some highly selective programs look for scores above 80%.
Keep in mind that meeting the minimum doesn’t guarantee admission. Many programs use the TEAS score as one factor alongside GPA, prerequisite grades, and other criteria. If a program’s minimum is 62% but most admitted students scored in the mid-70s, aiming for the minimum alone puts you at a disadvantage. Researching the average admitted score for your target programs gives you a more realistic goal than just clearing the posted minimum.
Question Types on TEAS 7
The current version of the exam introduced several question formats beyond traditional multiple choice. About 20% of the questions use these alternate formats, and none of them offer partial credit. You either get the question fully right or fully wrong.
Multiple-select questions present four or more answer choices and require you to identify every correct option. Missing even one correct answer means the entire question is scored as incorrect. Supply-answer questions are fill-in-the-blank style, where you type a text or numerical response with no options to choose from. Hot spot questions display an image with clickable areas, and you select the correct region. Ordered response questions ask you to drag items into the correct sequence. These formats test deeper understanding since you can’t rely on process of elimination as easily.
Retaking the Exam
If your score falls short, retaking the TEAS is common. The waiting period depends on how and where you take the test. If you take the exam through ATI directly (rather than at a school), the required wait is 14 days between attempts. Many individual schools impose a 30-day waiting period, and some limit the total number of attempts allowed within a given time frame, such as two or three tries per year.
Your most recent score is typically the one schools see, though some programs consider your highest score across attempts. Check with your specific program before scheduling a retake, since policies on which score counts and how many attempts are permitted vary widely. Using the topic-level breakdown on your score report to target weak areas between attempts is one of the most efficient ways to improve.