Written by practising nurses and nurse-educators. Real exam strategy, honest study plans, and the occasional opinion you would not get from a textbook.
Register for the ATI TEAS at atitesting.com/teas/register: create your ATI account, choose ATI/PSI testing ($120) or institution-arranged testing, and bring a government photo ID whose name matches your account exactly. Book four to eight weeks before your target exam date.
Nathan ColeRN24 posts
The ATI TEAS registration fee is $120 booked direct through ATI or PSI, but nursing schools run institution-arranged testing from $70 to over $120. Add the official Study Manual ($19.99–$24.99) and a possible $120 retake, and your real total runs $120 to $265+.
The HESI A2 is a computer-based admission test used by nursing and allied health programs. It checks academic skills, not nursing knowledge. Schools choose which sections you take, so your version may not match another applicant’s.
Effective TEAS test prep starts with a diagnostic, not a textbook. Find your weakest section (usually Science and A&P), set a target composite from your programs' cutoffs, and follow a 30-, 60-, or 90-day plan. Close to target? 30 days. Most candidates: 60. Lower baseline: 90.
A diagnostic-first NCLEX study plan in 4, 6, 8, and 12-week versions — daily question targets, weekly milestones, NGN drills, a stamina simulator, and clear exit criteria for when you're actually ready to schedule.
ATI sells two official TEAS practice forms (A and B), 150 questions each, at $29.99 per form — the only practice test with a reportable, sub-topic score breakdown. There is no free full-length ATI test; free options are limited to sample questions. Here is when to use each.
The ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is the standardized admissions exam many U.S. nursing programs use. The current TEAS 7 has 170 questions (150 scored) over ~209 minutes across Reading, Math, Science, and English. Minimum scores vary by school.
The NCLEX uses 8 item formats — standard multiple choice plus the 7 Next Generation (NGN) types. Each has one decision rule. Here's how to read the stem and apply the right rule, with worked examples for SATA, priority, delegation, Bow-Tie, Matrix, and Trend.
The HESI A2 Anatomy & Physiology section tests 13 body-system topic areas drawn from Elsevier's official review guide, from anatomical terminology to the cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Most programs require 70–80. It is ~30 questions and one of the tougher sections if your A&P coursework is a year behind you.
The HESI A2 math section covers arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, metric/household conversions, dosage calculations, and basic algebra — no trig, calculus, or stats. Most programs require 70–80. About 55 questions (50 scored). Here is a 4-week plan.
How to pass the ATI TEAS 7: a section-by-section game plan for Reading, Math, Science, and English & Language Usage, plus test-day pacing and scoring tactics for nursing and allied-health admission.
There is no universal HESI A2 passing score — your nursing program sets the minimum (usually 75–80% per section) and picks which sections you sit. This guide covers the verified section breakdown, which free practice tests to trust, score benchmarks, and a 6-week practice plan.