Know what's TEAS Test Passing Score

What is a TEAS Test Passing Score?

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If you are wondering what a passing score is on the TEAS test, here’s a better way to understand the answer you need. A passing score is a score that the institution you wish to enroll in will accept.

 

No single “passing” score on the TEAS test guarantees admission to nursing and allied health sciences programs. But these days, getting accepted into nursing school is very competitive, so you should definitely be striving for the highest score possible and the highest GPA you can get. Some schools set a minimum composite score for consideration for admission. Some schools set minimum scores for each part of the TEAS test. Other schools don’t set any minimum scores for admission, but they use the TEAS to determine how likely you are to do well in their nursing school and pass the NCLEX exam on the 1st try.

 

Some nursing schools require the HESI A2 exam. For a review of the difference between the TEAS vs. HESI, check out the TEAS vs. HESI article by Dr. Adkins. You must check with each school you apply to determine their TEAS or HESI test scoring cutoffs. But before you do that, it helps to understand what TEAS scores mean.

 

What Does the TEAS Test?

There are 150 scored questions on the TEAS test in four categories, reading, math, science, and English language and usage. You will get four to six “warm-up” questions in each category to ensure you understand the test format.

 

  • The first section of the TEAS test covers reading. There will be 39 scored questions. You will have 55 minutes to answer them.
  • The second section of the TEAS test covers math. There will be 34 scored questions. You will have 57 minutes to answer them,
  • Then there is a 10-minute break.
  • The third section of the TEAS test covers science. There will be 44 scored questions. You will have 60 minutes to answer them.
  • The fourth and final section of the TEAS test covers the English language and its usage. There will be 33 scored questions. You will have 37 minutes to answer them.

 

You will answer 170 questions. Twenty questions aren’t scored but are used to develop future test versions. ATI doesn’t let you know which questions are experimental vs. the ones that count, so you should try to correct every question.

All of the questions on the TEAS test are multiple-choice. There may be more than one correct answer. When this is the case, you must choose all the correct answers to get credit for the question. If you take the computerized version of the test, you may have some “hot spot” questions, for which you click on areas on the screen to choose the right answer. ATI is still rolling out these questions. 

 

If you take the paper and pencil version of the test, you will be given a four-function calculator to do arithmetic functions. If you do the computerized test version at home, you will disable your popup blocker to access a pull-down calculator on your screen. But you should know how to do the questions without using a calculator. They are not asking you what is 27 time 42 for you to punch into the calculator – don’t expect it to be that easy. 

If you take the TEAS test on a computer, you will get your scores as soon as you finish the test. If you take the paper-and-pencil version of the test, you will have your scores within 48 hours of taking the test. Add additional processing time if you take the test on a Friday or over the weekend. 

 

How Is the TEAS Test Scored?

Scores on each section of the TEAS test range from 0 to 100 percent. You will get a composite score for the entire test and also a score for each subsection. For example, you might get a report that looks something like this:

 

TEAS Composite Score: 92%

Reading: 87.2%

Math: 100%

Science: 93.2%

English: 84.8%

(These are excellent scores.)

 

Your adjusted individual score, or composite score, tells how well you did on the test as a whole. Though, most educational institutions will also set minimum scores for the individual sections, they are really focused more on your overall score.

 

If you score 90.7% or higher on any section of the TEAS test or your adjusted individual (composite) score is 90.7% or higher, the Assessment Technology Institute, better known as the ATI, deems your scores to be exemplary. This is Margaret’s score above. She took The Adkins Academy TEAS & HESI Mastery Course Diamond plan to get a 92 overall score. 

 

78% to 90.7% are above the mean, the “average” score on the TEAS test. ATI deems scores in this range to be advanced.

 

58.7% to 77.3% are Proficient, and scores below 58.7% are regarded as basic and in the 40s that gets into the Developmental category. My advice: Don’t Apply if you are below the Advance Category…you will likely get rejected or wait-listed. 

Low scores do not necessarily mean that you can never get into nursing school or allied health programs, but they do mean that you have more work to do before you are ready. Most schools will allow for one “bad testing day” and give you a chance (but only one chance) to bring up your score for favorable consideration of your application. But each school is different, and some schools are more lenient than others with regard to the number of attempts you have. 

 

Retesting

The ATI allows you to retake the TEAS test in 30 days. You won’t see the same questions and maybe be quizzed over different topics. About 70% of students must take the TEAS test twice or more to get a great score.

 

Great scores go a long way toward getting you into the program of your choice. However, other considerations, like your grades, essay, interview, extracurricular activities, and work or volunteer experience, may decide whether or not you get in.

 

Dr. Adkins Can Help You Get the Score You Need on Your First Attempt

It’s always better to aim to ace the TEAS test the first time you take it. You must be fully prepared on all the topics covered by each test section every time you take it. That’s because different topics can appear on different versions of the test. It’s also a good idea to get experience answering every kind of question that can appear on the test, so you go into the test feeling calm and confident.

 

Dr. Adkins is no ordinary test tutor. He is a medical doctor who also leads all of the classes and teaches how to get into the 90s. Dr. Adkins has made it his mission to help students, starting with inner-city students, get into the health professions, especially nursing school. He has helped over 5,000 students get into all types of allied health programs at every level from LPN to AND to BSN to MSN to DNP. 

 

We’re here to help you with every step of preparation for the TEAS test. Contact us at (301) 960-4950 or send us an email at info@adkinsacademy.com.