Is the TEAS test hard? What makes it hard, section by section
The TEAS is moderately hard. No single question is beyond high school level, but the test covers four subjects and a dozen content areas in 209 minutes, gives you about 60 to 90 seconds a question, and scores some question types all or nothing. Most nursing programs ask for an overall score in the low to high 60s, so you can miss about a third of the questions and still meet many minimums.
How hard it feels comes down to two things: how long ago you last did this kind of math, science and grammar, and the score your program needs. This guide breaks down what makes the TEAS hard, which section trips up the most people, how it compares with the HESI A2 and the SAT or ACT, and how to turn "hard" into a plan.
Is the TEAS test hard? The short answer
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Are the questions hard? | Mostly no | High school reading, algebra, biology, chemistry and grammar, plus body systems |
| Is the test hard? | Moderately | Breadth, time limits and 20 unscored questions you can't spot |
| Is it hard to pass? | Depends on your program | Minimums we found run from 58% to 75%; the median is 62% |
| Do people retake it? | Often | ATI says about 40% of students take it more than once |
The minimums are from our list of 43 published program minimums (what TEAS score you need); the retake share is ATI's (ATI: improve your TEAS score).
What makes the TEAS hard
1. The range of content
The TEAS tests 12 content areas across four sections: three in reading, two in math, four in science and three in English (what is on the TEAS test). Few applicants are strong in all of them. The person who aces reading may not have touched chemistry since 10th grade; the career changer good with numbers may have forgotten the difference between a dependent and an independent clause.
2. The clock
Each section has its own time limit, and they're tight:
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Time per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 55 | about 73 seconds |
| Mathematics | 38 | 57 | 90 seconds |
| Science | 50 | 60 | 72 seconds |
| English and language usage | 37 | 37 | 60 seconds |
Questions and minutes are ATI's; seconds per question are our arithmetic. Reading's 73 seconds include reading the passage. In math, 90 seconds covers setting up a word problem, working it and checking units.
3. Question types with no safety net
Besides multiple choice, the TEAS 7 has multiple select ("select all that apply"), fill in the blank, ordered response and hot spot questions. Every question is scored right or wrong with no partial credit. A select-all question with one right choice missed scores zero, and a fill in the blank math question has no options to check your answer against (ATI question types).
4. Unscored questions
20 of the 170 questions don't count, but they look like the rest. A strange question may be one of them, or may not. You can't skip anything safely.
5. Section minimums
Many programs set a minimum for one or more sections as well as the total. Howard Community College, for example, asks for 66.5% overall plus at least 69% in both reading and math (Howard CC). A strong total doesn't save you if one section falls short.
How hard is it to pass the TEAS?
There is no single pass mark: ATI reports a percent score and a preparedness level, and each program sets its own minimum. That is why "hard to pass" depends entirely on where you apply. From our list of published minimums:
| Program type | Range of minimums | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Practical or vocational nursing (LPN, LVN) | 58% to 60% | 58.7% |
| Associate degree nursing (RN) | 58.7% to 70% | 62% |
| Bachelor's degree nursing (BSN) | 58.7% to 75% | 68% |
58.7% is ATI's "Proficient" level, and several programs use it as the floor. In plain terms, 62% means about 93 of the 150 scored questions right; 75% means about 113 (our arithmetic; ATI adjusts scores by test form, so treat it as a rough guide). Our TEAS score calculator shows what your section scores add up to.
Two more things raise the bar beyond the minimum. Competitive programs rank applicants, so the score that gets you in is often above the published floor. And attempt limits (often two or three a year, with a wait between them) mean a miss costs you weeks. See how many times you can retake the TEAS.
Which TEAS section is the hardest?
For most people, science. It's the section students on forums such as allnurses most often call the toughest, and the numbers explain why: 50 questions across anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and scientific reasoning, at 72 seconds each. Anatomy and physiology alone is 18 scored questions, covering every body system. Our TEAS science study guide and science cheat sheet break it down by topic.
The other sections are hard in their own way:
- Math is hard for anyone out of school for years. The content (fractions, percents, ratios, unit conversions, simple algebra, charts) is middle and high school level, but word problems and fill in the blank answers leave no room for half-remembered rules. Start with how to pass TEAS math.
- English has the least time per question: 60 seconds. Grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary questions are quick if you know the rule and slow if you don't. The 12 grammar rules to know cover most of it.
- Reading is usually the strongest section for native English readers, but it is long: 45 questions with passages, and many programs set a reading minimum. The TEAS reading study guide covers each question type.
Is the TEAS harder than the HESI?
They test overlapping skills in different ways, and neither is plainly harder. The TEAS fixes the same four sections for everyone, on fixed clocks. The HESI A2 lets each school choose which sections you take, so a HESI can feel easier or harder depending on what your school picked. In most cases you don't choose anyway: your program names the test it accepts. If yours accepts both, pick the one whose sections match what you're already good at. Our HESI A2 vs TEAS comparison puts them side by side.
Is the TEAS harder than the SAT or ACT?
Different, not harder. The SAT and ACT math reach further (more algebra, geometry and trigonometry), while the TEAS stays at fractions, ratios, conversions and basic algebra. The TEAS adds a full science section with anatomy and physiology, which the SAT doesn't have and the ACT handles as data reading. The TEAS also asks for nursing-relevant basics like unit conversions and metric measures. If you did well on the SAT or ACT recently, the TEAS reading and math will feel familiar, and science is where to spend your study time.
Is the TEAS hard for LPN and allied health programs?
The test is the same: ATI uses one TEAS for BSN, ADN, PN and allied health programs. What changes is the score you need. LPN and LVN minimums in our list cluster near 58–60%, below most RN programs. Allied health programs (radiography, sonography, respiratory therapy) vary more, and some set no overall minimum at all. A lower bar means more room for error, not an easier test.
Who finds the TEAS hardest
- Career changers who haven't had a math or science class in 10 years. The content is basic, but rusty: plan extra weeks for math and chemistry.
- Applicants who skipped chemistry or took it long ago. Chemistry is 8 scored science questions: atoms, bonds, reactions, solutions, pH.
- Slow, careful readers. The English and reading clocks reward knowing the rule fast. Timed practice helps more than more reading.
- People who study from old TEAS 6 books. They under-prepare biology, chemistry and the new question types. See is there a new TEAS for what changed.
- Applicants to competitive BSN programs, where the real target is 75% or more.
How to make the TEAS easier
- Know your target. Write down your program's overall and section minimums. Aim a few points above them.
- Find your gap first. A short practice test shows which section is furthest from that target. Our free 15-question TEAS check scores you against your program's own minimum, with the reason for every answer.
- Study the big content areas first: anatomy and physiology and numbers and algebra (18 scored questions each), then measurement and data (16) and the two big reading areas (15 each).
- Practise each question type. Treat select-all as true or false for each option; work fill in the blank to an exact number in the format asked. The method for each type is in TEAS test taking strategies.
- Time everything. Use the seconds per question in the table above, and check your pace at the halfway point of each section.
- Take at least one full-length timed practice test in the real order with the 10-minute break after math, to build stamina for 3.5 hours.
- Review every miss. Write the rule you didn't know, not only the right answer.
How long should you study for the TEAS?
It depends on your gap. Mercer University's nursing program suggests starting at least six weeks before the exam (Mercer ABSN). As a planning rule from our own guides:
| Your first practice score vs your program's minimum | Study time | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Already above it | 1 week | One-week TEAS plan |
| Within 10 points | 3–4 weeks | Four-week TEAS plan |
| More than 10 points below | 6–8 weeks | The four-week plan, run twice, weakest section first |
This is our guide, not a rule from ATI. Your own practice scores, week by week, are the best measure of whether you're ready.
Is the TEAS hard? FAQ
Is the TEAS test hard to pass?
It depends on your program's minimum. At 58.7% (Proficient), you can miss about 40% of questions; at 75%, about a quarter. Know your number before you judge how hard it is.
What is the hardest part of the TEAS?
For most people science, especially anatomy and physiology and chemistry. For people out of school a long time, math word problems.
Can you pass the TEAS without studying?
Some people do, especially for programs with low minimums. But with 40% of students taking it more than once, and attempt limits at most programs, a few weeks of focused practice is a cheaper bet than a retake.
Is the TEAS harder than nursing school?
No. The TEAS checks the basics nursing courses build on. Nursing school covers far more material, and the TEAS is meant to predict whether you'll keep up with it.
Is the TEAS hard for nursing students who already took prerequisites?
Usually less. Recent anatomy and physiology, chemistry and college English cover most of science and English. Math is often where these applicants still need practice.
Sources
- ATI, TEAS exam details. Read 2026-10-27.
- ATI, ATI TEAS question types. Read 2026-10-19.
- ATI, How to improve your TEAS score on a retake. Read 2026-10-19.
- Howard Community College, ATI TEAS. Read 2026-11-04.
- Mercer University ABSN, Is the TEAS test hard? (published 2023-03-23). Read 2026-11-04.
- allnurses, Is the TEAS exam really hard? (student forum thread).
- Program minimums: our list in what TEAS score you need, each linked to its program's page.
More: what is on the TEAS test, is there a new TEAS, or all TEAS guides. To see how hard it is for you, take the free TEAS practice test and compare your score with your program's minimum.