The Short Answer
The ATI TEAS 7 is the entrance exam most nursing and allied-health programs use to decide who is ready for their coursework. It has 170 questions — 150 scored and 20 unscored pretest items mixed in — across four separately timed sections, with 209 minutes of testing time and an optional 10-minute break. There is no passing score. Each program sets its own minimum, so the number that matters is the one on your school's admissions page.
| Section (in this order) | Questions | Scored | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 39 | 55 minutes |
| Math | 38 | 34 | 57 minutes |
| Optional 10-minute break — it does not use testing time | |||
| Science | 50 | 44 | 60 minutes |
| English and Language Usage | 37 | 33 | 37 minutes |
| Total | 170 | 150 | 209 minutes |
You can try the question style right now: our free TEAS 7 practice questions cover all four sections with worked explanations, and the practice quiz takes about fifteen minutes.
What Each Section Tests
Reading
Three kinds of skill: key ideas and details (what a passage says and implies), craft and structure (the author's purpose, point of view, word meaning in context), and integration of knowledge and ideas (comparing sources, reading charts and evaluating arguments). The passages are short and practical — directions, labels, articles — so speed comes from knowing what the question wants before you reread.
Math
Numbers and algebra (fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions, simple equations and word problems) and measurement and data (unit conversions, geometry basics, reading graphs and interpreting data). A calculator is built into the exam; you cannot bring your own. Most lost points are set-up errors on word problems, not arithmetic.
Science
The heaviest section and the one most applicants dread. Human anatomy and physiology is its largest part — every body system, not just the cardiovascular and respiratory ones people tend to revise — followed by biology, chemistry and scientific reasoning (reading an experiment, spotting the variable, drawing a sound conclusion).
English and Language Usage
Conventions of standard English (grammar, punctuation, spelling), knowledge of language (clarity, formality, sentence structure) and using vocabulary in context. At one minute per question it is the tightest section, but also the most coachable.
How Your Score Is Reported — and What "Good" Means
Your score report gives an adjusted individual total score, a score for each section with the national mean and your percentile, and an academic preparedness level: Developmental, Basic, Proficient, Advanced or Exemplary. Programs usually want Proficient or above, and many state a total-score minimum as well. Competitive programs rank applicants by score, so the minimum is a floor, not a target.
Test-Day Rules Worth Knowing
- Each section has its own clock. Finishing early does not add time to the next section.
- You can move back and forth inside a section and flag questions to revisit — but once you submit a section, you cannot return to it.
- Unanswered questions count as wrong and there is no penalty for guessing, so answer everything before a section closes.
- The break comes after Math and does not eat into your testing time; the Science clock starts only when you begin it.
- Retakes are set by your school, not ATI. ATI has no waiting period, and every completed attempt counts, even if you do not send the results. Some programs cap attempts per year or require a gap between them.
A Six-Week Study Plan
- Week 1 — Diagnose. Take a full timed practice test. Rank the four sections by how far each sits below your target.
- Weeks 2–3 — Science first (unless it is already strong). Anatomy and physiology system by system, then chemistry basics and experimental reasoning. Twenty minutes of mixed questions daily.
- Week 4 — Math. Percentages, ratios and conversions first — they appear everywhere, including science — then equations and data interpretation.
- Week 5 — Reading and English. Timed passages at 70 seconds a question, and a grammar review of the rules you actually miss rather than every rule in the book.
- Week 6 — Full practice. Two timed practice tests in exam order, with the break where it falls. Review every miss by why it happened: knowledge gap, misread, or time.
Your program might use the HESI A2 instead — our HESI A2 guide covers how that exam differs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a passing score on the TEAS 7?
There isn't one. ATI reports your scores and a preparedness level; each nursing program sets its own minimum. Many look for Proficient or higher.
How many questions are on the TEAS 7?
170: Reading 45, Math 38, Science 50 and English 37. Of those, 150 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items you cannot tell apart.
How long is the TEAS 7?
209 minutes of testing time — Reading 55, Math 57, Science 60, English 37 — plus an optional 10-minute break after Math.
Can you use a calculator on the TEAS?
Yes, an on-screen calculator is built into the exam. Personal calculators are not allowed.
How soon can I retake the TEAS?
ATI sets no waiting period; your school's policy decides how many attempts count and whether you must wait between them.
Sources
- ATI — TEAS sections, time limits and navigation — section order, questions and times, the 10-minute break, flagging and returning, built-in calculator, unanswered items scored incorrect.
- ATI — TEAS 7 content areas and question counts — 170 items, 150 scored and 20 pretest; scored items per section.
- ATI — TEAS score report — adjusted individual total score, section scores and academic preparedness levels.
- ATI — How many times can I take the TEAS? — attempts and waiting periods set by programs, not ATI.
