How many times can you retake the TEAS test?
ATI, which makes the TEAS, does not cap how many times you can take it and does not require a waiting period of its own; your nursing or allied health program sets the limit (ATI: how many times can I take the TEAS). Among the 25 programs in our list that publish a retake rule, most allow 2 to 4 attempts in a year or an application cycle, with 14 to 60 days between them, and a few count only your first attempt. Every retake is the full exam, all four sections, at the full fee.
So the real answer depends on one page: your program's admissions page. Below are the rules we found on 25 of them, what ATI itself says, which score counts, and how to use the weeks between attempts so the next one is your last.
Who sets the TEAS retake limit?
Your program does, not ATI. ATI's help center sends you to the school you are applying to for its deadlines and the number of attempts it allows, and notes that many schools set a 30-day wait before you can test again (ATI: how soon can I retake). ATI itself asks only that you wait at least 48 hours after an exam before you schedule a retake through ATI, so its system can post your result.
That split matters in three ways:
- Two programs, two rules. If you apply to two schools, the stricter rule is the one that limits you. A score from a fourth attempt might count at one school and be thrown out at the other.
- Attempts can count even if you did not send them. Some programs count every attempt in the period, not only the scores you send. Read the wording: "max 3 attempts in 12 months" is a cap on sittings, not on reports.
- Testing site rules are separate. A college testing center can limit how often you sit the exam there while ATI lets you test online or at a PSI center. Golden West College gives first-time testers one free sitting on campus and sends retakers to ATI or another site, while not limiting attempts for its own program (Golden West College: ATI TEAS).
TEAS retake rules at 25 programs
These are the retake rules programs state on their own pages, the same pages behind what TEAS score you need. "Cycle" means one application period. Check the linked page before you book: programs change these rules, and the newest page wins.
| Program | Attempts allowed | Wait between attempts | Other rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Tech, Nursing ADN (IN) | 4 in 12 months (from Dec 1, 2025) | 14 days | Highest score counts |
| Ivy Tech, Medical Imaging (IN) | 4 in 12 months | 14 days | Highest counts; late scores don't |
| Hennepin Technical College, PN (MN) | 2 before semester start; 4 in 12 months | Not stated | In person |
| St. Louis Community College, RN (MO) | 3 in 12 months | 30 days | Within 2 calendar years of applying |
| Owensboro CTC, ADN (KY) | 3 per calendar year | 4 weeks | In-person proctored only |
| Middlesex Community College, Nursing (MA) | 3 per calendar year, 4 per 3 years | 45 days | Taken within 12 months |
| Northern Virginia CC, RN (VA) | 3 per calendar year | One month | Scores good 3 years |
| Volunteer State CC, RN (TN) | 3 in 2 years before deadline | 60 days | Overall score part of ranking |
| UMass Boston, BSN transfer (MA) | 3 in 2 years | Not stated | Taken within 2 years |
| Washtenaw CC, RN (MI) | 3 in 5 years | Not stated | Most recent passed score per subject |
| Joliet Junior College, RN (IL) | Once a semester; 3 in 5 years | One semester | Scores do not expire |
| Pikes Peak State College, ADN (CO) | 2 in 12 months | Not stated | Scores within 365 days |
| Greenville Technical College, RN (SC) | 2 in the year before applying | Not stated | Approved proctor site |
| Georgia Highlands College, ASN (GA) | 2 per cycle | Not stated | Within 1 year of deadline |
| Navarro College, ADN (TX) | 2 per admissions period | Not stated | |
| Modesto Junior College, ADN (CA) | 2 on the latest TEAS version | Not stated | |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State, BSN (OK) | First try plus one retake | 30 days | Remediation if below minimums |
| Heartland Community College, RN (IL) | One retake through Heartland per period | Not stated | Highest score used |
| Southwestern College, ADN (CA) | One retake, after remediation | Not stated | |
| Mohave Community College, RN (AZ) | Not stated | 30 days | In person |
| Commonwealth University, ASN (PA) | Once per calendar year | Not stated | Report by May 1 |
| College of the Canyons, ADN (CA) | First attempt only counts | n/a | Follows state chancellor guidance |
| Dallas College, ADN (TX) | No overall limit; 4 a year | 60 days recommended | Latest score counts; good 2 years |
| Nevada State University testing (NV) | 3 at NSU (first try plus 2 retakes) | 30 days | Later attempts through ATI |
| Bucks County CC, Nursing (PA) | 3 in the year before Feb 15 | 30 days | Later scores not considered |
Three patterns stand out. First, "three a year" is common but far from universal: the same list runs from first-attempt-only to four a year. Second, a waiting period of 30 days is the single most common gap where one is stated, but Ivy Tech allows 14 and Volunteer State asks for 60. Third, several programs count attempts over long windows (two, three or five years), so a rushed attempt this year can still cost you a chance next year.
How long do you have to wait to retake the TEAS?
ATI requires no waiting period, only 48 hours before you can schedule your next attempt through ATI. Your program's wait is the one that counts, and a score from an attempt taken too soon can be refused: Northwestern Oklahoma State says a TEAS taken before its 30-day gap will not be accepted.
From the table, the stated waits are:
- 14 days: Ivy Tech nursing and medical imaging.
- 30 days, 4 weeks or one month: St. Louis CC, Owensboro, Northern Virginia, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Mohave, Nevada State, Bucks County.
- 45 days: Middlesex.
- 60 days: Volunteer State (required), Dallas College (recommended).
- One semester: Joliet Junior College (once a semester).
Even where no wait is required, test again only when your practice scores say you are ready. Thirty days is about the least time it takes to move a weak section, and it lines up with the most common school rule.
Which TEAS score counts when you retake: highest, latest or first?
Again, your program decides, and the three answers all exist:
- Highest score: Ivy Tech, Heartland and Northwestern Oklahoma State use your best attempt.
- Latest score: Dallas College records the scores from your most recent attempt, even if an earlier one was higher.
- First score only: College of the Canyons uses only your first attempt.
- Best per section: Washtenaw uses your most recent passed score in each subject, so a pass in Reading on attempt one can stand while you retake for Math.
Where the latest score counts, a retake is a risk as well as a chance: a worse day replaces a better score. Where only the first counts, your retake may help at another school but not this one. Ask the admissions office if the page does not say.
Can you retake just one section of the TEAS?
No. Every TEAS attempt is the whole exam: Reading, Math, Science and English, 170 questions in 209 minutes, with a new registration and a new fee (Dallas College: "all four sections must be retaken"). What some programs do is count sections separately, as Washtenaw does, so a section you already passed may not need to rise again. Even then you sit all four, so don't let a passed section slide while you work on the weak one. For how the sections and minutes break down, see what is on the TEAS test.
If you retake the TEAS, is it the same test?
It's the same exam: the same four sections, content areas, question types and timing. ATI uses more than one form of the test and adjusts scores for the differences between forms, which is why your section scores don't add up to your total (ATI: how the TEAS is scored). ATI doesn't publish which form you will get, so don't plan on seeing the same questions again. Plan on the same skills: the content areas on your score report are what a retake tests.
How much does a TEAS retake cost?
The same as your first attempt. Registering with ATI to test online, or with PSI at a test center, costs $120 plus sales tax, and each retake is a new registration at that price (ATI: cost of the TEAS). Schools set their own price when you test on campus. Two attempts at $120 is $240 before tax, and three is $360, so the cheapest retake is the one you don't need. Every fee by testing site is in how much the TEAS test costs.
What happens if you fail the TEAS twice?
There is no national "fail": you fall short of one program's minimum. What a second miss means depends on that program's attempt limit.
- You have attempts left. Book the next one after the program's wait, and only once practice scores are clearly above the minimum (the plan below).
- You've used this cycle's attempts. Most limits reset: per cycle, per calendar year, or per 12 months. Mark the reset date and the next application deadline, and work back from them.
- Remediation is required. Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southwestern College ask for remediation before a retake. Ask what counts (a course, a prep program, a tutor) before you pay for anything.
- Apply where the rules fit. A program that counts your highest score, or allows four a year, may accept a score that another won't. Compare published minimums in program minimums.
- Check the other exam. Some programs accept the HESI A2 instead of the TEAS. A HESI score is a different test with its own limits; see HESI A2 vs TEAS.
ATI says that about 40% of students take the TEAS more than once (ATI: how to improve your score). Needing a second attempt is common; walking into it with the same preparation is the mistake.
Should you retake the TEAS?
Answer these four before you book:
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Is your score below your program's minimum (overall or a section)? | Retake, after a plan | Go on to the next question |
| Does your program rank applicants by TEAS score? | A higher score can still help | Above the minimum may be enough |
| Does the program count your highest score? | Little risk in retaking | A worse day could replace a better score |
| Is there time for the wait, the attempt and the score report before the deadline? | Book it | Aim for the next cycle |
Programs that rank applicants often admit well above their minimum. If your program ranks, ask the admissions office what scores recent classes had; some publish it. The TEAS score calculator shows how far each section is from the number you need.
A 30-day plan for your TEAS retake
Thirty days fits the most common waiting period. The plan starts from your score report, because it already says where your points went: ATI's Individual Performance Profile shows a score for each section and content area (ATI: Individual Performance Profile).
| Days | What to do | Time a day |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Write down each section score against your program's minimum. Circle the two content areas furthest below, weighted by how many questions they carry (anatomy and physiology is 18 science questions, numbers and algebra 18 math). | 45 min |
| 3–12 | Work only on those two areas: learn the topic, then 15–20 practice questions a day, and write why each miss was wrong. | 60–90 min |
| 13 | A timed set for the weakest section at the real pace (math 90 seconds a question, science 72, reading about 73, English 60). | 60 min |
| 14–22 | The next two weak areas, same method. Keep 10 mixed questions a day from the first two so they stay. | 60–90 min |
| 23 | One full timed practice test, all four sections, 209 minutes, in one sitting. | 3.5 hours |
| 24–28 | Review every miss from the full test by content area. Redo the questions you missed without looking at the answer. | 60 min |
| 29 | Light review of your error notes. Check your ID, login and test-day rules. | 30 min |
| 30 | Test day. |
Book the retake only if the full practice test on day 23 clears your program's minimum in every section it counts, with some room. If it doesn't, move the date (check the reschedule rules first) rather than spend an attempt. For a longer runway, use the four-week TEAS plan; for the hardest section, how to study TEAS science.
Not sure which content areas cost you points, or your report is gone? Our free TEAS practice test is 15 questions across the four sections, scored against your program's minimum, with the reason for every answer.
Mistakes that waste a TEAS attempt
- Retaking within days. ATI allows it after 48 hours, but many programs won't accept it, and little changes in a week.
- Studying everything again. Your report already names the weak areas. A full re-read spends most of your time on points you already have.
- Only untimed practice. English gives you 60 seconds a question. Knowing the rule isn't enough if you can't apply it at that pace.
- Ignoring the score window. A score taken too early may expire before the deadline (UMass Boston and St. Louis CC count only the last two years; Pikes Peak only 365 days).
- Testing on the wrong version. Modesto Junior College counts attempts on the latest TEAS version only; UMass Boston will require a current-version score report from fall 2027.
- Not reading the second school's rule. Applying to two programs means two limits and two "which score counts" rules.
TEAS retake FAQ
Can you take the TEAS as many times as you want?
ATI doesn't limit attempts, but your program almost certainly does. In our list, limits run from first attempt only (College of the Canyons) to four a year (Ivy Tech, Dallas College).
How soon can you retake the TEAS?
ATI asks you to wait 48 hours before you schedule a retake through ATI. Programs commonly require 30 days between attempts; some ask for 14, 45 or 60.
Do nursing schools see all your TEAS attempts?
Programs that cap attempts count every sitting in their window, and many ask for official reports through ATI. Assume a program can see how many times you tested, and read its rule on which score it uses.
Does retaking the TEAS look bad?
The programs in our list don't say they penalize a retake within their limit; they set limits, waits and which score counts. ATI says about 40% of students test more than once.
How long are TEAS scores good for?
Each program sets it: 365 days at Pikes Peak, two years at Dallas College and St. Louis CC, three years at Northern Virginia, and no expiry at Joliet Junior College.
Sources
- ATI, How many times can I take the ATI TEAS exam? and How soon can I retake the ATI TEAS exam? Read 2026-11-01.
- ATI, How to improve your TEAS score, cost of the TEAS, how the TEAS is scored, Individual Performance Profile.
- Program retake rules: each program's own page, linked in the table above; most read for our program list, October 2026. Dallas College, Golden West College, Nevada State University and Bucks County Community College read 2026-11-01.
More guides: what TEAS score you need, TEAS test cost, how to study for the TEAS, or all guides. Before you book the next attempt, take the free practice test to see which sections are still short.