The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is used to assess basic academic skills for students applying to formal nursing programs. The TEAS includes topics in 7th-12th grade level range. The objectives on the test allow nursing schools to measure how much you know in four content areas: reading, English and language usage, math, and science.
To register for the TEAS you will need to go online and open an account, which includes creating a user name and a password. On the TEAS website, when you choose the city and state in which you would like to find testing centers, you will see all available sessions and be able to browse through them. You can click on the testing administrations in which you are interested to learn more about when and where the TEAS test will be held. You will need to read the requirements carefully to ensure you are eligible. The website will also list the cost of the test, which typically ranges from $45-55, depending on the testing center. When you locate a particular TEAS test location and date in which you are interested, register for it. During registration, you will need to pay for the test by credit card. When you have completed the transaction, you will see a confirmation screen and be e-mailed a receipt.
The TEAS test, consists of 170 multiple-choice questions. The test is generally computer-based, but can sometimes be taken with paper and pencil, depending on the testing center. You will be given three hours and 29 minutes to complete all four test sections. The reading area has 48 questions that must be completed in 58 minutes; the English and language usage area of the TEAS test contains 34 questions that must be completed in 34 minutes; and the math section has 34 questions that must be completed in 51 minutes. Calculators are not allowed for the math section. The science section of the TEAS test has 54 questions that must be completed in 66 minutes. For the test, you should be familiar with many areas of knowledge within these four main subjects, including algebra, arithmetic, averages, commas, exponents, fractions, grammar, geometry, graphs, measurement, nouns, percentages, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and general science. The TEAS test recently came out with a new version, Version 5. This version has harder math and science questions, including chemistry and scientific reasoning, than the previous version, since they are more relevant to nursing.
After you complete the TEAS test, the results are immediately available online. Your score report will be sent to the school where the test was taken. The score report will include scores for each content area, as well as a composite score. If you did not do as well on the TEAS as you had hoped, the score report will show which areas you need study to improve your score. There are no set pass or fail scores for the test. Whether or not you did well depends on each schools standards. The time limits for taking the TEAS test also depend on the school. Some allow you to take the test two or three times per academic year, with a 30-90-day waiting period between test administrations, but you should confirm testing guidelines with the nursing school(s) to which you are applying.
*TEAS® and Test of Essential Academic Skills™ are registered trademarks of Assessment Technologies Institute, which is unaffiliated, not a sponsor, or associated with GoNursingSchools.com.