TAKING THE TEAS

THE TEAS: A SNAPSHOT

The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is widely used to assess the academic preparedness of nursing and allied health program applicants in the United States. The TEAS predicts the performance of incoming candidates and helps educators gain advance knowledge of the strengths of students who are accepted into the program.

In August 2016, ATI released a new version of the TEAS called the ATI TEAS. At that time, the prior version of the exam (TEAS V) was retired. The ATI TEAS is similar in difficulty level to the TEAS V and was updated to ensure that it is applicable and relevant to today's nursing programs. Content updates were made to align with current education standards deemed important for entry-level health science applicants to possess.

The ATI TEAS is given in both paper-and-pencil and computerized formats, and all test items are four-option, multiple-choice questions.

The exam features 170 test items, 20 of which are not scored, making a total of 150 scored items. The total time for the test is 209 minutes, broken down into four sections — Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English & Language Usage.

The breakdown for the new ATI TEAS, the sixth edition of the test, is as follows:

Content Area Number of Questions Time Limit

Reading 53 64 minutes
Mathematics 36 54 minutes
Science 53 63 minutes
English and Language Usage 28 28 minutes
Total 170 209 minutes

What's on the TEAS Test?

Each content area is divided into sub-content areas, each of which has a specific number of scored items on the test. The unscored pretest items for each content area do not have a specific number for each topic. (The unscored items are used to improve future versions of the TEAS.) Although the TEAS is divided into four content areas, it is scored as a single test, with a composite score for each complete administration of the test.

REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM

Before you can register for the TEAS, you must create an account at the ATI testing website, www.atitesting.com. Once you have an account set up, you can view more information about the registration process, fees, payment options, and score reports.

There are two ways to register for the TEAS exam. Most test-takers register for the test at www.atitesting.com. You can also register at a PSI test site by going to: https://candidate.psiexams.com (or via the link on the ATI main page) and following the instructions. However, if you sign up for the exam through the PSI site, you still need to pay your registration fee at the ATI website.

Once you've registered, you will receive a receipt/confirmation email from ATI containing the ID # required by PSI to complete scheduling of the test. Note that you will not be able to schedule an exam with PSI unless you pay your exam fee on the ATI website.

You may also call PSI at 1-800-733-9267 24 hours after payment for the examination to schedule a time and location to take the TEAS. They will require the ID # from your purchase confirmation so make sure you have the number available.

Keep in mind that there is a no-refund policy on TEAS registration. If you register at www.atitesting.com, all registrations are final. If you're unable to attend the scheduled test date, you must reregister and pay for a new exam date.

Check with your nursing program for specific scoring and entrance requirements regarding the TEAS. You should also find out the nursing school's policy on retaking the TEAS.

CAN I USE A CALCULATOR ON THE ATI TEAS?

Yes. The ATI TEAS allows for the use of a four-function calculator. Please do not bring your own calculator to the testing center, as a calculator will be embedded within the online version of the exam. For paper-and-pencil versions of the TEAS, the testing center will provide a four-function calculator.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE TEST (AND WHAT NOT TO BRING)

Be sure to bring:

Valid photo identification of yourself, such as a driver's license, passport, or green card. To be admitted to the test, your ID must be government-issued and contain a current photograph, a permanent address, and your signature. A photo credit card or student ID are not sufficient to meet the criteria for the test.

If you're taking the paper-and-pencil version of the exam, be sure to bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers. No other writing utensils are allowed. Calculators will be provided for certain sections of the TEAS.

If you're taking the online version of the test, you must bring your login information with you. Your student account must be created beforehand at www.atitesting.com prior to the day of the test.

Do not bring:

Additional clothing, including jackets, coats, and hats. All clothing is subject to inspection by the test proctor. (Allowances may be made for religious apparel.)

Personal items of any kind, such as purses, backpacks, duffel bags, and computer cases.

Electronic devices of any kind, including cell phones, smart phones, beepers/pagers, and digital watches.

Food or drink, unless you have a documented medical need for such an item.

GENERAL TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES FOR THE TEAS

Answer every question. You are not penalized for wrong answers, so make sure you answer every question, even if you guess.

Make an educated guess. An educated guess — when you have some idea about the correct answer — is a much better choice than an uneducated "wild" guess, in which you are randomly choosing an answer.

• With an "uneducated" guess in which your answer choice is random, your answer has a 25% chance of being correct.

• If you can eliminate one wrong answer, your guess has a 33% chance of being correct.

• If you can eliminate two wrong answers, your guess has a 50% chance of being correct.

Answer the easy questions first. Don't worry about answering questions in order. Look for questions you know first. This allows you to move ahead on the test and then come back to the more difficult questions and give them more thought.

Mark the tough questions. If a question is troublesome, ambiguous, or for some reason too hard to answer at once, mark it and come back to it later. If you have an answer but you're unsure about it, mark the question...