Test for Essential Academic Skills TM (TEAS®) is a standardized test developed and administered by Assessment Technologies Institute for admission into nursing programs after high school education. Not all, but many nursing colleges and universities require applicants to have taken TEAS®. Those institutions consider TEAS score as one of their criteria for admitting candidates in addition to other parameters such as grade point average, class rank, extracurricular activities etc.
Eligibility-
TEAS® test is taken by high school graduates for admission to nursing programs in various community colleges, vocational schools, four year colleges and universities. Those who are determined to step into the nursing profession should take this test provided it is one of the requirements of their desired nursing colleges.
Test Overview-
TEAS® is focused to test high school graduates that they have basic skills, a nursing aspirant should have. It consists of multiple choice questions divided in four sections- Reading, Mathematics, Science and English/Language Usage. The reading section consists of passages followed by multiple choice questions based on paragraph and passage comprehension. The Mathematical section is derived from high school mathematics covering topics such as number system and operations, elementary algebra, data interpretation and measurements. The Science section is based on subjects like human body science, life science, earth/physical science and scientific reasoning. The English and language usage section tests use of grammar and word meaning in contexts, sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.
Test Format-
There are total 170 multiple choice questions in test. The reading section has 40 questions which are to be solved in 50 minutes. The mathematics section consists of 45 questions to be done in 56 minutes and 30 questions in science section with allotted time period of 38 minutes. There are 55 questions in English and language usage section that are allotted 65 minutes to solve.
Marking Scheme-
This test has no passing score. Each section is given composite scores. Moreover, adjusted individual total score in percentage, national percentile rank and program percentile rank are mentioned in the score cards. The score cards are sent to those nursing schools where one has applied. A nursing school shall admit an applicant or not, depends on its own criteria. Therefore, before applying to any nursing school, applicant must verify minimum score acceptable by it and also average score of previously admitted candidates. The number of attempts allowed for this test also depends on the nursing institution where one has applied in. Some colleges allow multiple attempts while some restrict to take TEAS only once.
Schedule-
TEAS test can be taken before applying to a nursing program. In the computer based test, test score is obtained immediately, however it takes 24 hours to get results in a paper based test. The scores of a candidate and its interpretation can be seen on the official website of Assessment Technologies Institute (www.atitesting.com) after login in.
Exam fees-
The exam fee of TEAS test varies with the test center where this exam is taken. The registration for exam can be done directly on ATI ’s website or through the college (which is a test center) itself. In online registrations also, one will require mentioning location, date and time for the exam. The exam fees can be from $45 to $55. The fee for taking this exam through Pearson-Vue is $110.
Important-
Calculators are not allowed while taking TEAS test.