TEAS reading key ideas and details: the 4 skills, with 14 practice questions
Key ideas and details is the part of TEAS reading that asks what a text actually says: 15 of the 39 scored reading questions on the ATI TEAS Version 7. ATI's outline lists four skills under it: summarize a multi-paragraph text, make inferences and draw conclusions, follow written directions, and locate specific information. Every answer is in the text, so the work is finding it fast and not adding anything to it.
This guide takes each skill in turn: what the question looks like, a method you can repeat, and the traps the wrong answers set. Then there are 14 practice questions on four short passages, each with the answer and the reason, a 10-day drill plan, and a pace table. For the whole reading section (all three content areas, a 14-day plan), start with the TEAS reading study guide.
What is key ideas and details on the TEAS?
TEAS reading has 45 questions in 55 minutes; 39 are scored and 6 are unscored pretest questions that look the same as the rest. ATI splits the 39 scored questions into three content areas:
| Content area | Scored questions | Share of scored reading | What it asks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key ideas and details | 15 | 38% | What does the text say? |
| Craft and structure | 9 | 23% | How and why was it written? |
| Integration of knowledge and ideas | 15 | 38% | What do texts and graphics add up to? |
Counts are ATI's; the shares are our arithmetic. Key ideas and details is tied for the largest area, and it is the one where reading closely pays off most directly: there is no author's tone to judge and no second source to weigh. Your score report shows a percentage for this content area on its own, so you can see after a practice test or a real sitting whether it is where your points went.
The four skills ATI's outline lists
ATI's TEAS 7 content outline names four objectives under key ideas and details. Here is each one, the way its questions are usually worded, and what makes them hard.
| Skill (ATI) | How the question is worded | Where points are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize a multi-paragraph text | "Which of the following best summarizes the passage?" "What is the main idea of the passage?" "What is the topic?" | Picking a true detail, or a choice wider than the text |
| Make inferences and draw conclusions about a text's purpose and meaning | "Which of the following can the reader infer?" "Which conclusion is best supported?" | Picking what might be true instead of what must be true |
| Demonstrate comprehension of written directions | "After completing step 3, what should the person do?" "Put the steps in order." | Missing an "if", a skipped step or a repeat |
| Locate specific information in a text | "According to the passage…" "Based on the schedule, which…" | Answering from memory, or the right number from the wrong row |
Sequence questions (what happened first, which step comes before another) show up inside the directions and summary skills, so they get their own short section below.
Skill 1: summarize a multi-paragraph text
A summary question gives you four sentences about a passage of two to five paragraphs and asks which one covers it best. Main idea and topic questions belong to the same skill, because a good summary is the main idea plus the points that carry it.
Topic, main idea and supporting details
| Term | What it is | Length | Example (a passage about a school dental van) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | What the passage is about | A few words | A county's mobile dental program |
| Main idea | What the author says about the topic | One sentence | The van reaches children who lived far from care, but it has limits. |
| Supporting detail | A fact, number or example that backs up the main idea | One clause or sentence | The van sees about 30 children a day. |
| Summary | The main idea plus each paragraph's point, in order, no examples | One or two sentences | Care was far away; the county started a van; it helps early but can't replace a dentist. |
The method: label each paragraph
- As you read, give each paragraph a label of three to five words on your scratch paper: "dentist far away", "county buys van", "van has limits".
- Read the labels as one line. That line is your summary.
- Test each choice against the labels. The right choice touches every label, in the passage's order.
- Cross out choices that match only one label (a detail), go beyond the passage (too broad), or add a judgment the author never made.
Labeling costs about five seconds a paragraph, and it pays twice: the same labels tell you where to look when the next question asks for a detail.
The four wrong summaries
- The true detail. Correct, straight from the text, and only about one paragraph. It is the most tempting wrong answer on the test.
- The half summary. Covers the first part and drops the turn ("but", "however", "the program has limits"). If the passage turns, the summary must too.
- Too broad. "Dental care matters for children." True in the world, wider than this passage.
- The added opinion. "The county should buy more vans." The author never said so.
Skill 2: make inferences and draw conclusions
An inference is something the text doesn't say in words but that must be true if the text is true. That "must" is the whole skill. Most wrong choices are things that could be true, sound reasonable, or are true in real life.
The must-be-true test
For each choice, ask: "Could the passage be exactly as written and this choice still be false?" If yes, cross it out. Only one choice survives.
| Text says | Must be true (inference) | Might be true (wrong) |
|---|---|---|
| The clinic extended its hours after wait times doubled. | The clinic saw long waits as a problem. | Patients complained to the clinic. |
| Maria packed an umbrella and her rain boots. | Maria expected rain, or wanted to be ready for it. | It rained that day. |
| Only students with a badge may enter the unit. | A student without a badge can't enter. | Every student in the unit is a nursing student. |
Conclusions about purpose and meaning
ATI's wording includes the text's purpose: why the passage exists. A conclusion question may ask what the author most likely wants a reader to do or believe after reading. Look at the last paragraph: authors usually land where they are headed. A passage that lays out a problem for three paragraphs and ends with a list of steps wants the reader to take them.
Mistakes on inference questions
- Bringing in what you know. A nursing applicant knows a lot about health; the question asks only what this text supports.
- Choosing the boldest answer. Words like "all", "never", "always" and "only" are rarely supported. Softer choices ("some", "often", "likely") survive more often.
- Restating a detail. If the choice is said word for word in the text, it isn't an inference. It can still be right on a detail question, which is why reading the question stem matters.
Skill 3: follow written directions
These questions give you a set of steps (a form to fill in, a sign-up process, a recipe, instructions for a device) and ask where a person ends up, what they do next, or the order of the steps. They are the most common place to lose a point you knew, because the trap is attention, not reading level.
The method: track it on paper
- Read the question first, so you know which person and which moment it asks about.
- Number the steps on your scratch paper as one-word notes: "1 login, 2 photo, 3 flu?, 4 pay, 5 room".
- Circle every condition: "if", "unless", "only", "before", "after", "except". These are where the question lives.
- Walk the person through the steps one at a time, writing what they have or where they are after each one. Don't do it in your head.
What the directions hide
| The catch | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A condition | "If the record is older than August 1, upload a new one; otherwise go to step 4." | Check the person's facts against the condition before moving on |
| A skip or a repeat | "Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each sample." | Count the repeats on paper |
| A small calculation | "If the two readings differ by more than 10, take a third." | Do the subtraction; it decides the answer |
| A rule at the end | "Lost badges are replaced only after a new fee is paid." | Read to the last line before answering |
| A time or day limit | "Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m." | Check the day in the question against it |
TEAS 7 can ask these as ordered response questions, where you drag the steps into order. ATI gives no partial credit, so one step out of place loses the whole question.
Skill 4: locate specific information
"According to the passage" means the answer is stated. Your job is to find the line, not to remember it. This skill also covers finding one fact in something that isn't a paragraph: a schedule, a product label, a table, a form, a map key, an index. Questions that ask you to combine a graphic with a passage, or to judge which source is best, belong to the integration of knowledge and ideas area instead (our reading of ATI's outline).
The method: keyword, then scan
- Pick the most unusual word or number in the question ("Saturday", "bathroom", "fee").
- Scan for that word, using your paragraph labels to know where to look.
- Read the whole sentence around it, plus the one before and after. Qualifiers like "except" or "only on weekdays" are often one sentence away.
- Match the choice to the text, word for word where you can.
Tables, labels and schedules
- Read the title, column headings, units and any note under the table before the question. The note is often the answer ("Weekend shuttles leave from the north gate").
- Put a finger (or the cursor) on the row and column so your eye doesn't slip one line.
- Wrong choices use the right number with the wrong unit, the wrong row, or the wrong day.
Sequence questions: what came first
A sequence question asks what happened first, last, or between two events. The order in the text isn't always the order of events: an author can start with today and go back ("Before the van, families waited…"). Watch the signal words: first, then, next, after, before, until, finally, by the time, previously, since.
Quick method: when a passage moves in time, write a short timeline in the margin as you read (2023: one dentist; spring 2024: van; first year: four schools). Then the question takes five seconds.
14 TEAS key ideas and details practice questions
Four passages, written by us in the TEAS style. Give yourself 17 minutes for all 14 (about 73 seconds each, ATI's reading pace), then check the reasons, including the ones you got right. For a full timed set across all three reading areas, take the TEAS reading practice test: 39 questions on 10 passages.
Passage 1: The Harbor County dental van
Until 2023, Harbor County had one dentist who accepted public insurance, and his office was in the county seat, a 70-minute bus ride from the farming towns in the north. Families in those towns often waited until a tooth hurt badly enough to keep a child home from school.
In the spring of 2024, the county health department bought a used bus and fitted it with two dental chairs. The van now parks at each northern school for one week each semester. A dentist and two hygienists clean teeth, apply sealants and fill small cavities; anything larger is referred to the office in the county seat.
The program has limits. The van can see about 30 children a day, and in its first year it reached four of the six northern schools. Health department staff say the van will not replace a regular dentist, but it finds problems while they are still small.
Question 1
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
- Harbor County fitted a used bus with two dental chairs.
- Dental care was far from Harbor County's northern towns, so the county started a school dental van that treats small problems early but can't reach every child or replace a dentist.
- Families in northern Harbor County do not take dental health seriously.
- Every child in Harbor County can now see a dentist at school.
Answer
B. It covers all three paragraphs in order, including the turn in the last one. A is a true detail from paragraph 2 only. C adds a judgment the author never makes (families waited because care was far). D goes beyond the text: two schools weren't reached.
Question 2
What is the topic of the passage?
- Children's health
- A mobile dental program in Harbor County
- Dental sealants
- Public insurance
Answer
B. A topic is a few words naming what the whole passage is about. A is too broad; C and D are each mentioned once.
Question 3
Which of the following can the reader infer from the passage?
- Before the van, many northern children got dental care only once a problem was serious.
- The dentist in the county seat refused to treat children from the north.
- The van will visit all six northern schools next year.
- Hygienists can perform any treatment a dentist can.
Answer
A. Paragraph 1 says families waited until a tooth hurt enough to keep a child home, which must mean care often came late. B contradicts the text (he was the one who accepted public insurance). C might happen but isn't supported. D is contradicted: large problems go to the dentist in the county seat.
Question 4
According to the passage, what happens when a child on the van needs more than a small filling?
- The van returns the next semester to finish the work.
- The child is referred to the office in the county seat.
- A hygienist applies a sealant instead.
- The child's school arranges a bus.
Answer
B. Stated in paragraph 2: "anything larger is referred to the office in the county seat." The others aren't in the text.
Question 5 (select two)
Which two statements does the passage support?
- The van parks at each northern school for one week each semester.
- The van saw 30 children in its first year.
- In its first year the van reached four of the six northern schools.
- The van has replaced the county's need for a regular dentist.
Answer
A and C. Both are stated. B swaps the unit: 30 children is a day, not a year. D is the opposite of what staff say. A multiple select question needs every correct choice and no wrong one.
Passage 2: Getting your clinical badge
All students must have a clinical badge before their first hospital shift.
- Log in to the student portal and open the Clinical tab.
- Upload a photo of yourself, taken against a plain wall within the last 30 days.
- If your immunization record shows a flu shot dated before August 1, upload a new record before you continue. Otherwise, go to step 4.
- Pay the $15 badge fee online.
- Bring your payment receipt and a photo ID to Room 112, Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Badges are printed while you wait. A lost badge is replaced only after a new fee is paid in step 4.
Question 6
Malik's flu shot is dated July 20. What must he do right after uploading his photo?
- Pay the $15 badge fee
- Upload a new immunization record
- Go to Room 112
- Open the Clinical tab
Answer
B. July 20 is before August 1, so the condition in step 3 applies to him. A is what a student with a newer flu shot would do next.
Question 7 (ordered response)
Put these steps in the order a student with an up-to-date flu shot would do them: pay the badge fee; open the Clinical tab; bring the receipt to Room 112; upload a photo.
Answer
Open the Clinical tab, upload a photo, pay the badge fee, bring the receipt to Room 112. Step 3 is skipped because the condition doesn't apply. On the real test there is no partial credit for an order that is almost right.
Question 8
Dana lost her badge. What does she need before she goes to Room 112?
- A new photo
- A receipt for a new $15 fee
- A new immunization record
- A note from her instructor
Answer
B. The last line says a lost badge is replaced only after a new fee is paid in step 4, and step 5 asks for the receipt. The answer is in the line after the numbered steps, which is why you read to the end.
Passage 3: Campus shuttle to St. Mary's Hospital
| Leaves campus | Arrives at St. Mary's | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 5:40 a.m. | 6:05 a.m. | Monday to Friday |
| 6:20 a.m. | 6:45 a.m. | Monday to Saturday |
| 12:15 p.m. | 12:40 p.m. | Monday to Friday |
| 5:50 p.m. | 6:15 p.m. | Every day |
Note: Weekday shuttles leave from the library. Saturday and Sunday shuttles leave from the north gate.
Question 9
A student's shift starts at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Which shuttle gets her there on time, and where does she board it?
- 5:40 a.m., at the library
- 6:20 a.m., at the library
- 6:20 a.m., at the north gate
- 5:40 a.m., at the north gate
Answer
C. The 5:40 doesn't run on Saturday, so the 6:20 is the only morning shuttle, and the note puts weekend boarding at the north gate. B is the trap: the right time from the wrong place, because the answer was in the note.
Question 10
How long does each shuttle ride take?
- 20 minutes
- 25 minutes
- 35 minutes
- 45 minutes
Answer
B. Each row arrives 25 minutes after it leaves (5:40 to 6:05, and so on).
Question 11
On which day does only one shuttle run?
- Monday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Answer
D. Only the 5:50 p.m. runs every day. Saturday has two (6:20 a.m. and 5:50 p.m.), and weekdays have three or four.
Passage 4: Two short texts
Text A. Nadia set her alarm for 4:45, laid out her scrubs the night before, and left a note asking her roommate to keep the music low. On the bus she read her notes on wound care twice.
Text B, a product label. All-surface cleaner, concentrate. For floors, mix 2 ounces with 1 gallon of water. For bathrooms, mix 4 ounces with 1 gallon of water. Do not mix with bleach. Store below 90°F.
Question 12
Based on Text A, which conclusion is best supported?
- Nadia is getting ready for an early clinical shift or an exam on wound care.
- Nadia does not get along with her roommate.
- Nadia has worked as a nurse for many years.
- Nadia missed her bus that morning.
Answer
A. Every detail (the early alarm, scrubs, quiet, reviewing wound care) points to it. B reads too much into one polite note. C and D have no support.
Question 13
How much concentrate is needed to make 3 gallons of cleaner for bathrooms?
- 6 ounces
- 8 ounces
- 12 ounces
- 4 ounces
Answer
C. 4 ounces a gallon for bathrooms × 3 gallons = 12 ounces. A uses the floor rate, the right math on the wrong row.
Question 14
Which does the label say not to do?
- Use it on floors
- Mix it with bleach
- Store it in a cool place
- Dilute it with water
Answer
B. Stated in the label: "Do not mix with bleach." The others are things the label tells you to do.
What your score on these 14 means
This is a short set we wrote, not an ATI test, so treat it as a signal, not a prediction. If you missed a question, write down which skill it tested (summary, inference, directions, locating) and why the wrong choice pulled you. Two misses on the same skill show where the 10-day plan below should spend its time.
The traps in one table
| Trap | Where it shows up | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| A true detail offered as the main idea | Summary, main idea | Does it cover every paragraph? If not, it's a detail. |
| True in real life, not in the text | Inference, conclusion | Find the line that proves it. No line, no answer. |
| Absolute words: all, never, always, only | Inference | Did the text say "all"? Usually not. |
| Right number, wrong unit or row | Locating, tables, labels | Read the units and the row heading again. |
| A missed condition | Directions | Circle every "if", "unless", "only". |
| The rule after the last step | Directions | Read the whole set before answering. |
| Text order isn't time order | Sequence | Write a short timeline as you read. |
Pace: how long key ideas questions should take
ATI gives 55 minutes for 45 reading questions: about 73 seconds each, with the reading time inside that. Key ideas questions aren't all the same length, so the budget we suggest moves time from the quick ones to the slow ones (our suggestion, not ATI's):
| Question kind | Suggested time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Detail ("according to the passage") | 30–45 seconds | Scan, find, match |
| Table, label or schedule | 45–60 seconds | Read the headings and note first |
| Inference or conclusion | 60–80 seconds | Test each choice |
| Summary of a long passage | 80–100 seconds | Includes reading and labeling |
| Directions with conditions | 80–100 seconds | Walk it on paper |
Any question past two minutes: pick your best choice, flag it, and move on. ATI lets you go back within a section, and an unanswered question at the end is scored wrong, with no penalty for a wrong guess.
A 10-day key ideas and details drill
About 30 minutes a day. Use any short nonfiction you have: a health news article, a hospital's visitor rules, a bus timetable, a product label, a college's admissions page. The point is practice on real text, then checking yourself against it.
| Day | Skill | The drill |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline | Do the 14 questions above in 17 minutes. List your misses by skill. |
| 2 | Topic and main idea | Five short articles: write the topic in 3 words and the main idea in one sentence for each. |
| 3 | Summary | Three multi-paragraph articles: label every paragraph, then write a one-sentence summary from the labels. |
| 4 | Inference | From one article, write five things that must be true and five that only might be. Check each against the text. |
| 5 | Directions | Find three sets of instructions with conditions (a form, a recipe, device setup). Walk two imaginary people through each on paper. |
| 6 | Locating in graphics | A timetable, a nutrition label and a table: write three questions for each, then answer them from the graphic only. |
| 7 | Sequence | One article that moves back and forth in time: write its timeline, then check it against the text. |
| 8 | Mixed, timed | Our reading practice test, questions 1 to 15 only, at 73 seconds each. |
| 9 | Your weakest skill | Repeat the drill for whichever skill you missed most on day 8. |
| 10 | Full section pace | The whole reading practice test in 47 minutes (39 questions at 73 seconds). Note which content area your misses fall in. |
Not sure reading is the section to spend these ten days on? Our free TEAS practice test scores all four sections against your program's minimum in 15 questions, so you can see where your points are before you plan.
TEAS key ideas and details FAQ
How many key ideas and details questions are on the TEAS?
15 scored questions, out of 39 scored reading questions on the ATI TEAS Version 7. Some of the 6 unscored reading questions may test the same skills; you can't tell which questions are unscored, so treat every one as if it counts.
Is key ideas and details the hardest part of TEAS reading?
It is usually the most direct, because every answer is stated in the text or must follow from it. Points are lost to speed and attention more than to reading level: a missed "if" in a set of directions, a true detail picked for a main idea, a number read from the wrong row.
Are tables and charts part of key ideas and details?
Finding one fact in a table, label, schedule or map key tests the skill ATI calls locating specific information. When a question asks you to combine a graphic with a passage, or compare sources, it usually belongs to integration of knowledge and ideas. Either way, read the title, headings, units and notes first.
What is the difference between a main idea and a summary on the TEAS?
The main idea is the one point the whole passage makes, in a sentence. A summary is the main idea plus the point of each paragraph, in order. A summary choice that leaves out the passage's turn ("but the program has limits") is incomplete.
Do I need outside knowledge for TEAS reading?
No. Questions are answered from the passage. Outside knowledge can hurt, because one wrong choice is often true in real life but not supported by the text.
Where are my key ideas and details results on my TEAS score report?
Your report shows a total score, a score for each section and a score for each content area, so key ideas and details has its own percentage under reading. Programs usually look at the total and sometimes the section; the content area score is for your own study.
Sources
- ATI, ATI TEAS exam details (reading: 45 questions, 55 minutes, 39 scored; content areas 15, 9 and 15). Read for our format guide, October 2026.
- ATI, TEAS 7 content outline: key ideas and details objectives (summarize a multi-paragraph text; make inferences and draw conclusions about a text's purpose and meaning; demonstrate comprehension of written directions; locate specific information in a text), as listed in Archer Review's TEAS 7 reading R.1 outline. Checked 2026-11-03; ATI's own outline page refused our fetch.
- ATI, question types on the ATI TEAS Version 7 (multiple select, ordered response, no partial credit).
- ATI, ATI TEAS sections and going back to a question (flagging, returning within a section).
- ATI, How is the ATI TEAS test scored? (total, section and content area scores).
More on TEAS reading: the TEAS reading study guide, the free TEAS reading practice test with 39 questions, what is on the TEAS test, or all guides. To find out whether reading is where you'd gain the most points, take the free practice test: 15 questions across the four sections, scored against your program's minimum.