In addition to college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a qualifying history of grades and test scores, some nursing schools and other health science programs require a passing TEAS score. The Test of Essential Academic Skills, or TEAS for short, is used to admit students into nursing school. This test does not expect its candidates to have the knowledge of a professional nurse, but of someone with enough knowledge of Reading, Science, Mathematics, and English in order to be a successful student within nursing school. The Assessment Technologies Institute(ATI) creates the exam, but individual institutions administer it, as well as set the passing scores and retake policies. So to the hopeful nursing student applicants wondering "How many times can I take the TEAS?", the answer is that it varies by school. Candidates should look to the admissions section of the website of the nursing school they hope to apply to in order to find what their TEAS passing score is, if they require the exam.
Each individual nursing school decides what their TEAS passing score is, meaning that a passing score in one nursing program may be a failing score in another. For example, Palomar College requires a minimum score of 62%, while Mohawk Valley Community College sets its minimum passing score to 58.7%. Beyond differing overall passing scores, some schools break down their requirements by the individual test sections. These sections are Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Use. Georgia Gwinnett College requires an overall score of 70% in addition to at least 60% in each subsection. This means that no matter how high a candidate's overall score, if they score below 60% in any one section, they will not receive a passing score. This kind of requirement is enforced to ensure a well-rounded competency in students. Applicants asking, "How do I pass the TEAS?" in addition to studying hard, should look at their prospective school's requirements found on the admissions page of their websites.
The ATI keeps a transcript of test-takers previous scores. Nursing schools will often ask to see these transcripts, as each school has their own retake policy, in addition to their own definition of a passing score. Despite the variations in requirements by school, there are some broad trends across the board. Most schools allow for at least one retake, with some allowing up to three. The variations are often in how long a student has to wait before their next attempt, but it is best to not assume and instead to check with the individual schools' requirements. The answer to the question "how many times can I retake the TEAS" will vary, but will almost certainly be found on the nursing school's website. Students who say "I have failed the TEAS test three times, when can I retake it again?" will likely need to wait for the next application cycle before they can retake the TEAS.
University of Maryland allows two attempts within a year with at least 30 days between each test. Palomar College also lets students retake the TEAS after a 30 day period if they failed their first attempt. But if the student was successful but wishes to retake the TEAS in order to reach a higher score, then the student has to wait two years in order to take the test a second time, in which case the second test will be the one that is counted. Georgia Gwinnett College allows for two attempts within a year of the application. Mohawk Valley Community College also allows for two attempts but restricts the time period to two years, meaning if a student fails the first two times, then they have to wait two years before attempting it again. Pennsylvania College of Technology allows for up to three attempts with 30 days in between each attempt over a year long period. This is not a test to take lightly. Time should be budgeted to prepare as well as offer the student space for potential retakes.
With all this talk of passing overall scores and minimum required scores per section, the reality of applying to nursing school can be forgotten: applying is competitive and candidates should work to stand out above the rest. Just because an applicant scores above the minimum required score, it does not mean that they will automatically be accepted into the program. Therefore, students should aim for a high score. To be competitive with other applicants, sometimes students retake the TEAS to gain a higher score. Of course, this strategy depends on each school's own TEAS test retake rules, so applicants should check with the school they are applying to before planning to retake the exam.
The TEAS score card can be a good roadmap to guide students on what sections of the exam they are weakest on, and therefore, should spend time reviewing. After taking the TEAS exam, students will receive a Focused Review which points to areas of the ATI TEAS Study Manual for review, which can be accessed on the ATI website. So while applicants should definitely retake the TEAS if they missed the benchmark score of the school they are applying to, they may also want to retake the exam even if they passed. If an applicant's score is borderline, they should study their weaker areas and attempt a retake. The goal being to make their score more competitive compared to other applicants.
The following study materials are meant to guide students on how to pass the TEAS. This exam requires a lot of studying, as it measures competence across several subject matters: Reading, Mathematics, Science, English and Language Use. These resources should be helpful in both making long term plans to study, as well as how to study to successfully bounce back from a failing score in a retake. It is recommended to spend at least six weeks studying before taking the exam.
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Yvonne Cook, RN is a Registered Nurse with 6 years of experience as an active-duty U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman and further experience as a School Nurse and Hospice Inpatient RN. She currently assists CNA's obtain and renew their licenses. Yvonne passed the NCLEX on the first attempt and the TEAS test with an above-average score. She holds an Associate's Degree in Nursing from Owens Community College.
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The TEAS test should not be taken without studying for it. It is a broad test across subject matters, so students should take a practice test to find out how difficult or easy each section is for them.
Generally, schools only allow you to take the TEAS three times in a 12 month period. So, if a student fails the test 3 times, then they would have to wait one year from the third attempt before taking the TEAS a fourth time.
It depends on the school's requirements, but generally students can take the TEAS test between one to three times in a certain period.
Practice tests for the TEAS can be taken as often as necessary to help prepare for the actual TEAS exam.
The amount of time required to wait before retaking the TEAS depends on each school's program. In general, students have to 30 days between retakes.