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TEAS Study Manuals
Contents
Overview Of The TEAS Exam
The ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (a.k.a TEAS) tests Nursing program applicants in Reading, Math, Science, and English Language usage. It’s intended to assess an applicants understanding of these subjects, and ensure they have a basic knowledge in all areas as should be expected of any high school graduate.
We’ll cover the exam in detail, and give you our picks for the best TEAS study manuals, review guides, and practice tests for test years 2023 below, but if you just can’t wait, here’s the short list:
TEAS Exam Details
The TEAS Exam is composed of 4 sections and 170 total questions. The questions are all 4 option multiple choice (one answer per question). The exam lasts around 3.5 hours, and each of the 4 sections lasts a different amount of time:
- Reading: 64 Minutes - 53 Questions
- Math: 54 Minutes - 36 Questions
- Science: 63 Minutes - 53 Questions
- English: 28 Minutes - 28 Questions
Before registering for the test, you should check with the schools you plan to apply at to, and go through the ATI TEAS main website thoroughly. Of the 170 questions, only 150 are scored, with the other 20 being used as part of a ‘Pilot’ program to evaluate them for use in future tests. You won’t know which questions are part of the pilot program ahead of time, so make sure to treat them all as if they’re scored.
Exam Sections
Reading
The reading section of the test is 64 minutes long and contains 53 questions. The content areas are:
- Key ideas and details (22 questions)
- Craft and structure (14 questions)
- Integration of knowledge and ideas (11 questions)
- Pilot-Test questions (6 questions)
Math
The math section of the test is 54 minutes long and contains 36 questions. The content areas are:
- Number and algebra (23 questions)
- Measurement and data (9 questions)
- Pilot-Test questions (4 questions)
Science
The Science section of the test is 63 minutes long and contains 53 questions. The content areas are:
- Human anatomy and physiology (32 questions)
- Life and physical sciences (8 questions)
- Scientific reasoning (7 questions)
- Pilot-Test questions (6 questions)
English and Language Usage
The English and Language Usage section of the test is 28 minutes long and contains 28 questions. The content areas are:
- Conventions of standard English (9 questions)
- Knowledge of language (9 questions)
- Vocabulary acquisition (6 questions)
- Pilot-Test questions (4 questions)
Exam Scoring
The scoring for the TEAS exam doesn’t follow a specific pass / fail model, and the scores you will be expected to have depend on the school you’re applying to. The scores for each section are given to the schools individually rather than as 1 single number (so 4 scores in total). Not all questions are weighted equally, and some adjustment is made for harder questions. The TEAS exam is an important factor for evaluating nursing program applicants, but certainly not the only one. Less than stellar scores can be compensated for by other applicant’s merits, but doing as well as possible should be a high priority.
Taking The Exam
The Exam is typically offered at a computer lab of your perspective school. It’s also available at PSI Test Centers nationwide. Once you’ve started the registration process on the ATI Testing site, you will also see a list of test locations near you. If all else fails, check with the nursing program office at your prospective school for additional help.
Best TEAS Study Manuals
ATI TEAS Prep Plus
Pros: Complete and comprehensive review of all exam topics.
Cons: Science section is less rigorous than english/math/reading.
Our Rating: 5.0 / 5
ATI TEAS Prep Plus by Kaplan is our top pick when it comes to preparing for the TEAS exam. There are many high quality books on this list, but if you get one, this is your best bet. The full list of features include:
- Detailed review of all TEAS test sections.
- Tutorials help master challenging concepts.
- Comprehensive practice questions with detailed answer explanations.
- Test taking tips and strategies.
This is our top choice due to the breadth of information covering all topics included in the test. It has a good number of practice questions that are representative of the questions you’ll face on the actual exam.
ATI TEAS Study Manual
Pros: Comprehensive review of all major test topics.
Cons: Fair number of errors and typos.
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
ATI TEAS Study Manual is our second choice for students preparing for the TEAS exam. It has the same comprehensive list of features as our top pick, but goes slightly less in-depth and contains a few more mistakes and typos. The full list of features include:
- Practice questions with complete answers and explanations.
- Overview of all major test sections covered in the exam.
- Test taking tips and strategies.
As with all of our recommendations, this guide does a great job of covering the core exam materials you need to know. It does have a decent number of mistakes in answer keys, etc, so if you find this to be particularly annoying you might want to go with our top pick. That said, if you do go with this book, we think you’ll do just fine!
ATI TEAS 6 Study Guide
Pros: Strong material presented in an organized fashion.
Cons: Some typographical and answer key errors.
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
The ATI TEAS 6 Study Guide is another strong entry for best TEAS study guide. As with other guides on the list, the contents are strong and cover all relevant exam topics. Features include:
- A detailed overview of what you need to know for the HESI exam.
- Coverage of all the subjects over which you will be tested.
- Practice questions for you to practice and improve.
- Test tips and strategies to help you score higher.
Also like other entries on this list, this guide does contain some errors both typographical and in answer keys. Other than that drawback, this book does a good job of introducing students to the test. It’s particularly useful for prospective students who have been out of school for some time.
TEAS Practice Tests
Pros: Great print and online resources.
Cons: Some inaccurate answers in the answer key
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Trivium TEAS Practice Test book is our final entry for best teas study manual for 2021. It has comprehensive and well organized contents which hit all the important info you need for the exam. Features include:
- A detailed overview of what you need to know for the ATI TEAS exam.
- Full-Length ATI TEAS Practice Tests for the ATI TEAS 6 Exam.
- 35 tried and tested test tips.
The full length test and online resources are great supplements to the text, and will help you understand what to expect on test day. As with some other books on this list, there are some incorrect answers in the answer key, but if you can get past that this is an overall good resource.
Best TEAS Flashcards
In addition to the excellent books mentioned above, prospective nursing students will see significant benefits in prepping for the exam using flashcards. Our top picks for Best TEAS Flashcards are outlined below.
ATI TEAS Flash Cards
Pros: Comprehensive list of terms covering major exam topics.
Cons: Cards are relatively dense and contain a lot of info.
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
ATI TEAS Flash Cards is our top pick for flashcards to help you prepare for the exam. It has over 400 cards containing significant amounts of information across all test topics. Key features include:
- Over 400 flashcards.
- Covers all major topics and themes covered by the exam.
Flashcards have a tremendous benefit for students who elect to use them in their test preparation. Repetitive drilling on major topics is a good way to help in the days leading up to the exam. If you plan to pick up flashcards to help in your studies, these are your best bet!
ATI TEAS Practice Tests Version 6
Pros: Comprehensive list of questions covering major exam topics.
Cons: Book format, not actually cards.
Our Rating: 4.0 / 5
ATI TEAS Practice Tests Version 6 aren’t technically flashcards, but we put them in this section because it has the same basic function. This book contains a ton of useful and relevant questions and answers of the same type you’ll find on the actual TEAS Exam. Key features include:
- Over 600 TEAS review questions.
- Organized in a sequence of increasing difficulty
- Covers all major topics and themes covered by the exam.
The organization of increasing difficulty is extremely helpful for focusing your study time. There are tons and tons of questions in this book, and they are great for drilling in the days leading up to the exam.
Wrapping Up
For prospective nursing students, the TEAS is one of the most important exams you need to prepare for. Study manuals, flashcards, and practice tests are a huge help to many people, and if you’ve read this far you’re probably one of them.
We’ve rounded up the top TEAS study manuals and flashcards and presented them above. To recap our recommendations:
| Top Study Guide Recommendation | ATI TEAS Secrets Study Guide(Mometrix) |
|---|---|
| Top Flashcard Recommendation | ATI TEAS Flash Cards (Trivium Test Prep) |
Our top pick for best TEAS Study Manual is ATI TEAS Secrets Study Guide by Mometrix. It’s the most comprehensive and accurate guide on our list, and is the single best resource available.
For top flashcard pick, we recommend ATI TEAS Flash Cards from Trivium. It’s got over 400 highly relevant cards covering all topics from the exam.
Whatever your circumstance, supplemental study and review materials are a key part of ensuring success on the exam. We’ve listed some of the best TEAS resources available. Good luck, and study hard!