How do you study for the TEAS?
Take a full practice test first, then spend your time on the section where you lose the most points. The ATI TEAS has four parts: Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Usage. Give Science and Math the most days, drill timed practice questions, and review every miss. Many students plan four to eight weeks.
The TEAS is a nursing school entrance exam, and your program decides the score it wants. Most programs ask for Proficient or higher, and competitive ones want Advanced, so check the minimum with each school before you set a goal. ATI also changes the test from time to time, so look at the current content outline on the ATI site.
Science is usually the heaviest section. It covers anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and scientific reasoning, and it rewards recall. Math is mostly fractions, ratios, percentages, conversions and basic algebra, and the test gives you a basic on-screen calculator. Reading and English are skills, so timed practice helps more than reading about them.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 55 minutes |
| Mathematics | 38 | 57 minutes |
| Science | 50 | 60 minutes |
| English and Language Usage | 37 | 37 minutes |
| Total | 170 (150 scored) | 209 minutes |
- 1Check which TEAS version your nursing program requires and what score it wants.
- 2Take a full practice test and note which section and which topics cost you the most points.
- 3Pick a test date and plan four to eight weeks, with the most days for Science and Mathematics.
- 4Learn the Science content with active recall: flashcards for anatomy terms, body systems and chemistry basics.
- 5Work math problems by hand, then check them with a basic calculator like the one on test day.
- 6Do timed Reading and English sets at about a minute per question, then take a second full practice test in the last week.