What TEAS Score Do You Need to Pass? (There Is No Universal Cutoff)

Here is the answer most TEAS prep sites bury: there is no universal passing score on the TEAS. ATI, the company that makes the exam, does not set a pass/fail line. It reports your Total Score as a percentage and places you in a preparedness level — and then each nursing program sets its own cut score. A score that gets you admitted to a community-college ADN program might not clear the minimum at a competitive BSN program across town. So the real question is not "what is a passing TEAS score?" — it is "what score does the program I want require?" This guide explains how the TEAS is actually scored, what counts as competitive, and exactly how to find the number you need.

Why there is no single passing score

ATI states it plainly: "Each school sets its own cut score for the ATI TEAS Exam." ATI builds and scores the test, but it deliberately leaves the admissions threshold to individual programs. According to ATI's guidance on what score you need, most programs want applicants at a "Proficient and above" level of preparedness — but the exact percentage that means "admitted" is set by the school, not the test. That is why you will see one program list a 60% minimum and another expect 80%+. Both are using the same exam; they have simply drawn the line in different places.

How TEAS 7 scoring actually works

The TEAS 7 has 170 questions, of which 150 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items, and the whole exam runs 209 minutes. You will not know which 20 questions are unscored, so treat every one as if it counts. After you finish, ATI gives you a score report — not a pass/fail stamp. Per ATI's official scoring documentation, that report includes:

• Total Score — your overall result on a 0–100% scale, adjusted for differences in form difficulty. This is the number programs usually mean by "your TEAS score."

• Content-area scores — separate 0–100% scores for Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage.

• Sub-content-area scores — a finer breakdown within each section, useful for seeing exactly where you lost points.

• An academic preparedness level — a label ATI assigns based on your Total Score (more on this next).

One thing to watch: many programs set minimums per section, not just on the Total Score. A 75% overall with a 55% in Math can still be rejected if the program requires 60% in every content area. Read the requirements carefully — the composite is rarely the whole story.

ATI's academic preparedness levels

Instead of pass/fail, ATI sorts Total Scores into four academic preparedness levels, set by a panel of nurse educators across ADN, BSN, diploma, and PN programs. From lowest to highest, they are:

ATI publishes the exact Total Score percentages that define each level, and they can shift between exam versions, so check your own score report for the cutoff that applied to you. The practical takeaway is simpler than the math: aim for Proficient as a floor and Advanced if you want real competitiveness. ATI's own research links higher preparedness levels to stronger early nursing-school performance — so the level is not just an admissions gate, it is a signal of how ready you actually are.

What counts as a competitive score

"Competitive" depends on the program tier, and because schools set their own cut scores, these are general ranges — not guarantees. Use them to orient yourself, then verify against your actual target programs. As a rough map:

• Community-college ADN programs — often the most accessible. A Proficient-level score is frequently competitive, though seats fill from the top of the applicant pool.

• State-university BSN programs — more selective. Most expect comfortably-Proficient to Advanced scores, and admitted students often land above the listed minimum.

• Accelerated and highly competitive programs — Advanced-level scores are the norm among admitted students. When 200 applicants compete for 40 seats, the minimum is just the door; the bar is much higher.

A reliable rule of thumb: aim about 10 percentage points above a program's stated minimum. The gap between "minimum to apply" and "score of the average admitted student" is real, and that buffer also protects you if you score a little below your practice-test average on test day. A high TEAS score matters most when your GPA is below the program average, when admissions are holistic, or when you are applying in a saturated market.

How to find the score YOUR program needs

Stop guessing at a magic number and go get the real one. It takes an afternoon:

1. List 5–10 target programs. Mix reach, match, and safety schools so your plan has range.

2. Pull each one’s requirements. On the admissions page, find the composite minimum, any per-section minimums, the average score of admitted students if published, and the retake policy. Call the admissions office if it is not posted.

3. Set your target. Take the highest minimum across your list and add 5–10 points. That single number qualifies you everywhere on the list.

4. Take a timed diagnostic. Your baseline tells you the size of the climb — an 8-point gap is a few weeks of targeted work; a 20-point gap needs a longer, structured plan.

For the bigger picture on admissions, our guide to the TEAS test for nursing explains where the exam fits, and the ATI TEAS overview walks through the test format end to end.

If your score comes up short

A low score is a starting point, not a verdict. You can retake the TEAS after a short waiting period set by ATI, though individual programs cap how many attempts they will count and differ on whether they take your highest score, your first, or an average — so check that policy before you sit the exam. If you missed by a few points, focused review on your weakest sections usually closes the gap. If you missed by a lot, finishing your science prerequisites first (anatomy and physiology, chemistry) tends to lift Science scores sharply. And if a dream program is far out of reach right now, applying to programs with lower minimums while you keep improving keeps your timeline moving. For the full picture, read can you fail the TEAS and still get into nursing school.

TEAS passing score FAQ

Is there an official passing score on the TEAS?

No. ATI does not set a pass/fail line. It states that each school sets its own cut score, so "passing" means meeting the minimum at the specific program you are applying to — which varies widely.

What TEAS score is generally considered good?

A score in ATI's Proficient level is usually the floor for admission, and an Advanced-level score makes you competitive at most BSN programs. But "good" is always relative to your target program's requirement — there is no single number that works everywhere.

Do programs look at my overall score or each section?

Often both. Many programs publish a composite minimum and a separate per-section minimum. A strong Total Score will not save an application if one content area falls below the program's section requirement, so you need to clear every line they set.

Can I retake the TEAS if I miss my target?

Yes. ATI allows retakes after a waiting period, with no overall attempt limit on its end. Individual programs, however, may cap attempts per cycle and differ on which score they count — highest, first, or an average — so confirm your program's retake rules before testing.

How long should I study to reach my target score?

It depends on your starting point. A small gap from a diagnostic can take a few weeks of targeted practice; a larger one is more realistically a 6–8 week structured plan. Take a timed diagnostic first so you size the gap before you build the schedule. For a section-by-section approach, see our TEAS Science study guide.

The bottom line

Stop hunting for the one "passing" TEAS score — it does not exist. ATI gives you a Total Score and a preparedness level, and your nursing program decides what clears the bar. Find your target programs' actual requirements, add a 10-point buffer, take a timed diagnostic to size the gap, and prepare to that number. Aim for Proficient as a floor and Advanced to be competitive, and the question stops being "did I pass?" and becomes "did I get in?" — which is the only one that matters.