How to pass TEAS math: a plan, worked problems and pacing
To pass TEAS math, find out which of its two content areas costs you points, learn the handful of skills most questions use (fractions and percents, proportions, one-variable equations, unit conversions, reading charts), practise word problems with a fixed method, then finish with timed sets at 90 seconds a question. Most applicants need about 21 to 24 of the 34 scored questions right to clear a 60 to 70% math minimum.
This guide covers what is on the section, what "passing" means for your program, the method for word problems with eight worked examples, a 21-day plan and a 7-day plan, and what to change if you have already failed math once.
How many math questions are on the TEAS test?
| Math content area | Scored questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers and algebra | 18 | Fractions, decimals and percents; ordering numbers; ratios and proportions; word problems; expressions, equations and inequalities with one variable |
| Measurement and data | 16 | Tables, charts and graphs; mean, median, mode and range; how two variables relate; perimeter, area and volume; metric and US conversions |
| Total | 34 scored + 4 unscored = 38 | 57 minutes, on-screen calculator |
The counts and minutes are ATI's for the TEAS Version 7, the current exam. The four unscored questions are pretest items mixed in with the rest; you can't tell which they are, so treat every question as if it counts. For the whole exam, read what is on the TEAS test.
Numbers and algebra is slightly more than half the scored math. If you are short on time, that is where to start, because the same skills (percents, proportions, solving for x) also run through the measurement questions.
What score do you need to pass TEAS math?
There is no ATI passing score. Each program sets its own minimum, and most set only an overall one. Some also set a math minimum. These are from the programs in our list, each from the program's own admissions page:
| Program | Math minimum | About how many of 34 right |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Virginia CC, Diagnostic Medical Sonography | 70% | 24 |
| Northern Virginia CC, Nursing (RN) | 65% | 23 |
| Middlesex Community College, Nursing | 60% | 21 |
| Washtenaw CC, Associate Degree RN | 60% | 21 |
| North Central Texas College, Vocational Nursing | 50% | 17 |
| Northern Virginia CC, Radiography | 50% | 17 |
The right-hand column is our arithmetic: the minimum times 34, rounded up. Each scored question is worth about 2.9 percentage points. ATI adjusts scores for differences between test forms, so treat these as targets, not exact cut-offs. All 56 programs are in what TEAS score you need, and the TEAS score calculator turns your right answers into a percent.
If your program only sets an overall minimum, math still counts toward it, and programs that rank applicants often admit well above the minimum. So aim a few questions above the number, not exactly at it.
Is TEAS math hard?
The content is middle-school and early high-school math: no trigonometry, no calculus, no formulas beyond basic geometry and statistics. What makes it hard for most people is three things:
- Word problems. Many questions are a short story about a dose, a price, a recipe or a chart. The math is easy once you have set it up; the setup is where people lose points.
- No formula sheet. You have to know the area of a circle, percent change and the common conversions from memory. Our TEAS math formulas sheet has every one, with a worked example.
- Rust. Many applicants last did fractions years ago. That is the fastest thing to fix: a week of daily fraction and percent drills usually brings it back.
Time is less of a problem than in other sections. Math gives you 90 seconds a question, the most of any section (English gives 60). Most people who run out of time do so because they got stuck on two or three questions, not because they are slow overall.
Step 1: find your gap first
Before you study, take a short scored test and sort your misses into the two content areas and the skills below. A plan built on your misses beats working through a book from page one, because it skips what you already know. Our free TEAS practice test takes about 15 minutes and scores each section against your program's minimum. For math alone, the TEAS math practice test has 24 questions with worked answers.
Write every miss in a notebook with one line on why: "didn't know the formula", "set it up wrong", "arithmetic slip", "ran out of time". After 20 or so misses, the pattern tells you what to study.
Step 2: learn the six skills where the points are
ATI doesn't publish a count per topic. These six skills come from its two content area descriptions and show up across both areas, so they carry most of the points:
| Skill | What you must do fast | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Fractions, decimals, percents | Convert between them; add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions; order a list of mixed numbers | Almost every numbers question |
| Percents in context | Percent of a number, percent change, sale price, original price before a discount | Word problems about prices, weight change, scores |
| Ratios and proportions | Set up a/b = c/d and cross-multiply; scale a recipe or a dose | Dosage-style and rate questions, map scales |
| One-variable equations and inequalities | Solve for x in two or three steps; flip the inequality sign when you multiply or divide by a negative | Algebra questions and word problems you translate |
| Unit conversions | Metric prefixes; pounds to kilograms; inches to centimeters; cups, ounces and milliliters | Measurement questions and inside word problems |
| Reading data | Read a table, bar or line graph; find mean, median, mode and range; spot a positive or negative relationship | Measurement and data |
Geometry (perimeter, area, circumference, volume) is the seventh. It's a small share of questions but they are quick points once you know the formulas.
Step 3: use one method for every word problem
Use the same four steps every time, so you never stare at a question wondering where to start:
- Find the question. Read the last sentence first. What exactly is asked: a number, a percent, a unit?
- List what you're given, with units. Cross out numbers you don't need; TEAS questions sometimes include them.
- Translate into math. "Of" means multiply, "is" means equals, "per" means divide, "what" is x. Write the equation before you touch the calculator.
- Check it makes sense. Should the answer be bigger or smaller than what you started with? Is it in the unit asked for?
8 worked TEAS math problems
These are our own problems, written in the style of the skills above. Try each before reading the solution.
1. Percent change
A patient's weight goes from 80 kg to 72 kg. By what percent did it decrease?
Solution: change ÷ original = (80 − 72) ÷ 80 = 8 ÷ 80 = 0.10 = 10%. Divide by the old value, never the new one.
2. Original price before a discount
Scrubs cost $36 after 25% off. What was the original price?
Solution: after 25% off you pay 75%, so 0.75 × price = 36, and price = 36 ÷ 0.75 = $48. Adding 25% of $36 back ($45) is the trap answer.
3. Proportion
A recipe uses 4 cups of flour for 6 servings. How many cups for 15 servings?
Solution: 4/6 = x/15, so 6x = 60 and x = 10 cups. Check: 15 is 2.5 times 6, and 4 × 2.5 = 10.
4. Equation with x on both sides
Solve 3x − 7 = 2x + 5.
Solution: subtract 2x from both sides: x − 7 = 5. Add 7: x = 12. Check: 3(12) − 7 = 29 and 2(12) + 5 = 29.
5. Inequality with a negative
Solve −2x + 4 > 10.
Solution: subtract 4: −2x > 6. Divide by −2 and flip the sign: x < −3.
6. Conversion
A patient weighs 154 lb. What is that in kilograms (1 kg ≈ 2.2 lb)?
Solution: 154 ÷ 2.2 = 70 kg. Kilograms are fewer than pounds, so the number must get smaller.
7. Missing value for a mean
A student's first four quiz scores are 82, 76, 90 and 88. What must the fifth be for a mean of 85?
Solution: five scores averaging 85 total 5 × 85 = 425. The four add to 336. So the fifth is 425 − 336 = 89.
8. Area of a circle
A circular bandage has a diameter of 6 cm. What is its area, using π ≈ 3.14?
Solution: radius = 3 cm, area = πr² = 3.14 × 9 = 28.26 cm². Using the diameter (6) gives 113.04, a trap answer.
For 24 more with answers, take the TEAS math practice test.
Step 4: practise under the clock
57 minutes for 38 questions is 90 seconds each. Use checkpoints so a hard question can't eat your time without you noticing:
| By question | Time used | Time left |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | about 15 minutes | 42 |
| 20 | about 30 minutes | 27 |
| 30 | about 45 minutes | 12 |
| 38 | 57 minutes | 0 |
If a question takes more than two minutes, pick your best answer and move on. A blank answer earns nothing, so never leave one empty. In practice, start untimed for the first week, then do sets of 10 in 15 minutes, then full 38-question sets in 57 minutes in the last week.
How to use the TEAS calculator
The TEAS has a basic calculator built into the exam screen; you can't bring your own. A few habits make it help rather than slow you down:
- Practise with a basic calculator, not your phone's scientific one, so the real one feels familiar.
- Set up first, then calculate. The calculator can't fix a wrong equation, and most misses are setup errors.
- Watch fractions. The calculator gives decimals. If the answer choices are fractions, either work in fractions by hand or convert each choice to a decimal and compare.
- Don't use it for easy steps. 20% of 50 or 3 × 12 is faster in your head, and every switch between the question and the calculator costs seconds.
- Estimate before you press equals, so a slipped decimal point (7.2 instead of 72) jumps out.
A 21-day plan to pass TEAS math
About 45 to 60 minutes a day. Each day ends with five minutes on your miss notebook.
| Days | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Find your gap | A scored practice test; sort every miss by skill and reason |
| 2–4 | Fractions, decimals, percents | Daily drills on the four operations with fractions, converting, ordering mixed lists |
| 5–6 | Percents in context | Percent of, percent change, sale price, original price; 10 word problems a day |
| 7–8 | Ratios and proportions | Cross-multiplying, scaling recipes and doses, rates |
| 9–11 | Algebra | One- and two-step equations, x on both sides, inequalities, translating sentences into equations |
| 12–13 | Conversions | Learn the chart in the TEAS math conversions section; 15 conversions a day |
| 14–15 | Data | Mean, median, mode, range; reading tables and graphs; relationships between variables |
| 16 | Geometry | Perimeter, area, circumference and volume from memory |
| 17 | Checkpoint | A second scored math test; compare with day 1 |
| 18–19 | Weakest two skills | Whatever your notebook still shows most |
| 20 | Full timed set | 38 questions in 57 minutes, with the checkpoints above |
| 21 | Light review | Formulas and conversions once through; rest |
Math is one of four sections. To fit it into a whole-exam schedule, see the four-week TEAS plan.
How to pass TEAS math in a week
With seven days, cut to what carries the most points and skip what you already get right:
- Day 1: scored practice test; list your misses.
- Day 2: fractions and percents, including percent change and discounts.
- Day 3: proportions and one-variable equations.
- Day 4: conversions and the geometry formulas.
- Day 5: charts, mean, median, mode, range.
- Day 6: a full timed set; redo every miss.
- Day 7: formulas once through, then stop and sleep.
The one-week TEAS plan fits this into all four sections.
Mistakes that cost points on TEAS math
- Answering a different question. The problem asks for the original price and you give the sale price. Read the last sentence twice.
- Dividing by the new value in percent change. Always the original.
- Using the diameter as the radius.
- Flipping a conversion. Ask whether the number should get bigger or smaller.
- Forgetting to flip the inequality after dividing by a negative.
- Finding the median of an unsorted list. Sort first.
- Mixing units in area: 2 m by 50 cm is 1 m², not 100.
- Spending four minutes on one question and rushing the last five.
If you failed TEAS math before
Your ATI score report breaks math into its two content areas. Start from the one with the lower score, and redo the steps above with your report as day 1 instead of a practice test. Then check your program's retake rules before you book: ATI sets no cap, but programs set their own limit on attempts and the wait between them, and every attempt is the whole exam, not math alone. Our guide to how many times you can retake the TEAS lists 25 programs' rules and a 30-day plan for the next attempt.
If you have had trouble with math for years, or have a documented learning disability, accommodations for a documented disability may be available; most need at least 30 days' notice, so ask early (what is on the TEAS test has the details).
How to pass TEAS math: FAQ
How many math questions are on the TEAS?
38: 34 scored and 4 unscored, in 57 minutes.
Can you use a calculator on TEAS math?
Yes, a basic calculator built into the exam. You can't bring your own.
Does the TEAS give you formulas?
No formula sheet is given, so learn the formulas and conversions before test day. Our TEAS math formulas page has them all.
What is a good TEAS math score?
One at or above your program's math minimum, if it sets one, and high enough to keep your overall score above its overall minimum. The programs in our list that set a math minimum ask for 50% to 70%.
How long should I study for TEAS math?
Three weeks at under an hour a day suits most people who need to rebuild their basics. One week works if your practice test shows only one or two weak skills.
Is algebra on the TEAS?
Yes: expressions, equations and inequalities with one variable, part of the numbers and algebra content area.
Sources
- ATI, ATI TEAS exam details (math questions, minutes, content areas). Read for our format guide, October 2026.
- ATI, What type of questions are on the ATI TEAS Version 7?
- Program minimums: each program's admissions page, linked from what TEAS score you need, e.g. Northern Virginia CC, Middlesex College, North Central Texas College.
- NIST, Approximate conversions from U.S. customary measures to metric (pounds and kilograms).
More math: the TEAS math formula sheet and conversions, the TEAS math practice test, or all guides. To see how far your math is from your program's minimum today, take the free practice test: 15 questions across the four sections, scored with the reason for every answer.