What’s a Good Score on the TEAS 7 Test?

Are you ready for a career that offers $30 an hour entry-level and above-average job satisfaction? If you answered yes, it’s time to start applying to nursing school programs.

Your nursing program may require the Test of Academic Skills, or TEAS, on your application package. Your TEAS test score can make the difference between admission acceptance and rejection.

What do colleges consider a good score on TEAS? How can you improve your TEAS score to be more competitive? This guide goes over the ins and outs of TEAS exam scoring and the resources you need to ace it with ease.

What is the TEAS Test?

The TEAS test is an entrance exam developed for the admissions process of nursing school programs. It’s administered throughout all the U.S. states.

College admissions use the TEAS test to gauge your academic readiness for college-level nursing classes. Students who pass the minimums prove they have the basic skills and knowledge needed to pass the coursework.

TEAS Test Subjects

TEAS covers for main test areas:

These sections ask questions specifically related to nursing duties. For example, the math section will focus on both basic arithmetic knowledge and certain math skills like measurements. These are fundamental to many nursing duties, like giving patients medicine or monitoring vitals.

TEAS 7

The Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) oversees TEAS testing. ATI regularly updates the exam so the testable information stays current and relevant.

The latest revision is TEAS 7, released in June 2022. Many study sites are slow to update their TEAS material. If you want to use online resources to improve your TEAS score, make sure it’s through a resource site that stays current with the newer revisions, like Union Test Prep.

What is a Good Score on TEAS?

Every college has unique requirements. If your prospective nursing program uses TEAS, it’s important to look up their minimum scores and other admission criteria.

Many TEAS guides will give a general average of passing scores. A passing TEAS score at one college may miss the cut at another college, however.

Texas Women’s University, for example, requires a minimum score of 64 for each section. Applicants who don’t meet this minimum can’t apply to the nursing program. They must re-test for consideration.

At Minnesota State University, by contrast, there is no minimum score requirement. TEAS total scores are used to rank students applying for admission instead.

Understanding the TEAS Test Score

Your TEAS test score is critical to your admission success. But how does the TEAS exam produce your score results, exactly?

Like other academic tests, you’ll receive a score report with your results. The information included in this report will help both you and educators determine if you meet certain academic benchmarks, but it can be confusing at first glance.

TEAS Test Score Report

Your TEAS test score report will include four main areas:

Total Score
Content Area Scores
Sub-Content Area Scores
Percentage comparison to other students

The Total Score is based on your overall exam performance. The score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly. However, it’s also adjusted so each different test version is scored with comparable results.

The Content Scores are based on your performance in each main section. Like the Total Score, it’s adjusted for a more accurate comparison across multiple exam versions.

Sub-Content Scores highlight individual skills within each section. For example, the Reading Section has the following sub-content areas:

Key Ideas and Details
Craft and Structure
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Sub-Content Scores are also based on the correct number of questions. Unlike the other two areas, they are not adjusted to account for test version differences.

The report also highlights how well you performed compared to other test-takers, expressed as a percentile rank between 0% to 99%. For example, you may score higher than 75% of other students. This score compares you to both the national level and students within your specific program.

Your Percentage Scores

Scores scale from 0% to 100%. Although your score depends on the number of questions you answer correctly, not every question counts toward your score.

The entire TEAS exam includes 170 questions. Only 150 are scorable. The unscored questions are divided as follows:

Math: 38 total, 4 unscored
Science: 50 total, 6 unscored
English and Language Usage: 37 total, 4 unscored
Reading: 45 total, 6 unscored

You will not be able to tell the scored questions from the unscored questions on the exam. You also won’t get partial credit for partially correct answers, so make sure to do your best on each question.

TEAS Academic Preparedness Levels

Your score also gives you an academic preparedness level. These levels are divided into percentage ranges:

Developmental: 0% to 40%
Basic: 40.7% to 58%
Proficient: 58.7% 79.3%
Advanced: 80% to 91.3%
Exemplary: 92% to 100%

Colleges and universities may use this score range as part of their requirements. For example, they may require a minimum score of Proficient (58.7% or above) for admission consideration.

TEAS Perfect Score

Competitive nursing programs may only accept students who score in the advanced or exemplary ranges. You’ll also be compared to other applicants with similar academic accomplishments, so you want to make the most of your TEAS scores and rankings to stand out.

A “perfect” TEAS score may not necessarily mean you answered every single question correctly. You can rank in the 99% percentile, for example, even if you only scored 96% on the Total Score.

TEAS Test Prep

Your TEAS score depends on how prepared you are to take the exam. This includes studying, and also adequate levels of:

Test-taking confidence
Restful sleep
Food and nutrition

Your brain needs more than just knowledge and skills. It also needs concentration, focus, and memory retention. If you’re anxious, tired, and/or hungry when you take the exam, you may not perform well on the test even if you faithfully studied the material.

How to Improve Your TEAS Score

A high TEAS test score is within reach with the right test prep. Your first step is learning the test material.

Everyone has crammed for a test the night before they take it, but research shows this actually hurts your long-term learning. This is especially true if you swap out sleeping for cram time.

A more effective study is to plan a consistent study schedule weeks and even months in advance. Your study sessions should include:

No more than 1-3 hours
Little to no distractions
All of the testable material (divided up across sessions)
Regular breaks
Dynamic study tools

Life does happen, however, and you may not always have weeks and months to prepare in advance. You can still effectively prepare for the test by using dynamic study tools during the time you have to study.

If you just re-read the same passage over and over for hours with interruptions and distractions, your brain most likely isn’t retaining the information. It needs focus and dynamic learning methods to boost your long-term memory.

TEAS Study Tools

Some online resources want you to pay a high price for study materials. There are many free and low-cost resources available, however.

Before you break your bank just to pass the TEAS, take advantage of the free stuff. It may be all you need to get that high TEAS test score you’re aiming for.

Study Guides

Study guides are invaluable. They ensure you only study material that’s on the test, and they help you keep all the testable material organized. A study guide is your metaphorical road map for reaching your study goals.

Lessons

Lessons are a great tool that bases your study material on your performance in specific academic areas. This helps you sort the material you’ve mastered from the material you’re still struggling to learn. You can fine-tune your study sessions more effectively using lesson plans.

Flashcards

Study flashcards are one of the most common tools students use, for good reason. Flashcards use active recall, which helps information stick in your long-term memory. Instead of selecting the “best guess,” you must retrieve the answer straight from your brain.

Informative Articles

The skills and knowledge you need for the TEAS test will actually be put into use in your nursing career. If you’re an active learner, informative articles can help you learn by demonstrating how and why the test material is important.

Articles can also show you tips and tricks for study material, testing, and developing skills. They may also answer questions you have about the test material that isn’t available in basic resource guides.

Cram Courses

If you’re looking for a comprehensive study strategy, cram courses can sort it all out for you. Simply input your testing date, and the course will maximize your learning time by creating a schedule for you. This schedule is also based on your lesson plan performance, ensuring you get the most out of each session.

Practice Tests

Practice tests are considered one of the most effective learning tools available. Not only do they give an idea of your actual test performance, they also reduce test anxiety. Students who use practice tests consistently score higher than students who skip this method.

Your Nursing Career is Just Within Reach! Get Started Today

The TEAS test lets your prospective nursing program know you can pass their coursework. A high TEAS test score will place you above the other applicants, and boosts your admission chances.

If you’re still searching for TEAS test prep resources, look no further! Our resource center has everything you need for success. Sign up for a free account to get started.