There is no single nursing school entrance exam. Different programs require different tests, and the exam you need to take depends entirely on which schools you’re applying to. The four main exams — ATI TEAS 7, HESI A2, NLN PAX, and the Kaplan Nursing Admission Test — are published by different companies, used by different types of programs, and scored on different scales.
This guide gives you a side-by-side comparison so you can understand what each exam involves, which programs typically use each one, and how to find out which exam is on your specific list.
Quick reference:
- Full comparison table below
- How to figure out which exam you need
- Prep resources for each exam
- ATI TEAS 7 section breakdown
Why nursing schools use entrance exams
Nursing programs are selective and have meaningful attrition. Schools use entrance exams as a standardized, objective predictor of two things: whether an applicant has the foundational academic skills to succeed in the program, and — indirectly — whether they’re likely to pass the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN licensing exam after graduation.
The NCLEX pass rate matters to programs because it affects accreditation standing. ACEN and CCNE both monitor NCLEX first-attempt pass rates and flag programs that fall below benchmarks. Entrance exams with documented predictive validity help programs maintain selectivity in a way that improves their downstream outcomes.
Most programs use entrance exam scores as one factor among several — alongside GPA (often prerequisite GPA specifically), letters of recommendation, work or volunteering experience, and personal statements. A strong exam score won’t overcome a weak GPA at most programs, and vice versa.
The four main entrance exams {#comparison-table}
| Exam | Publisher | Typical users | Sections tested | Time | Score range | Typical passing score | Retake wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATI TEAS 7 | ATI Nursing Education | Community college ADN, BSN programs, some ABSN | Science, Reading, Math, English & Language Usage | 209 min | 0–100% composite | 58–70% (varies by program) | ATI policy: 30 days; program may set longer wait |
| HESI A2 | Elsevier | Hospital-based diploma programs, some BSN/ADN programs | Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology (programs choose subset) | 5–8 hours depending on modules required | 0–100 per section | 75–80 per section (varies) | 60 days per Elsevier policy; program may vary |
| NLN PAX-RN/PN | National League for Nursing | LPN/PN programs, some ADN and diploma programs | Verbal, Mathematics, Science | ~2–3 hours | Percentile rank composite | Varies widely; some programs set minimums at 50th–60th percentile | 90 days per NLN policy |
| Kaplan Nursing | Kaplan | Primarily used by some ADN and PN programs | Reading, Writing, Math, Science | ~165 min | Scaled score; sections also reported | Program-specific; often 65–75 composite | Program-specific |
A few clarifications on what’s in the table:
ATI TEAS 7 is currently the most widely used nursing entrance exam in the US. ATI TEAS is used by hundreds of ADN and BSN programs, and it is the most researched in terms of NCLEX predictive validity. The TEAS 7 (released 2022) replaced the TEAS 6 and added more science depth and more critical thinking questions. If you are applying to multiple schools and don’t know which exam to prepare for first, TEAS is the safest default assumption.
HESI A2 is published by Elsevier (which also publishes many nursing textbooks). It is heavily used by hospital-based diploma programs and some community college ADN programs. A key point: the HESI A2 is modular — programs select which sections they require. One school might require only Reading, Math, and A&P; another might require all sections. Before you register for the HESI A2, find out exactly which sections your program requires, because you pay per section and may not need all of them.
NLN PAX is published by the National League for Nursing and is more commonly associated with older ADN programs and LPN/PN programs than with newer BSN pathways. It tests Verbal, Mathematics, and Science and reports scores as percentile ranks rather than raw or percentage scores — a meaningful difference when trying to compare your score to a program’s minimum.
Kaplan Nursing Admission Test is the least widely used of the four. Kaplan doesn’t publish a full list of which programs use it, so if a program in your list requires it, you’ll find out from the program directly. Kaplan also sells nursing school prep courses and NCLEX prep, so there is a business incentive behind the exam’s design and distribution.
ATI TEAS 7 section breakdown {#teas-breakdown}
Because TEAS 7 is the most commonly required exam, this breakdown is worth having in detail.
| Section | Scored questions | Unscored pretest items | Time | Key topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science | 44 | 6 | 60 min | Biology, chemistry, A&P, life science, scientific reasoning |
| Reading | 39 | 6 | 55 min | Passage comprehension, inference, main idea, author’s purpose |
| Mathematics | 34 | 4 | 57 min | Number sense, algebra, measurement/data |
| English & Language Usage | 33 | 4 | 37 min | Grammar, punctuation, vocabulary in context |
| Total | 150 | 20 | 209 min | — |
The composite score is calculated from the 150 scored items only. The 20 unscored pretest items are embedded throughout and are not labeled — you won’t know which questions count and which don’t.
Science is the section where most applicants underperform relative to their expectations. The biology and A&P content assumes completion of at least one semester of A&P at the college level. Students who take the TEAS before completing their prerequisite science courses consistently score lower on this section.
For a complete guide to TEAS 7 preparation, scoring benchmarks by program type, and retake strategy: TEAS test for nursing school.
How to figure out which exam you need {#which-exam}
The only reliable answer is to check each program’s admissions requirements directly. There is no central database mapping programs to exams, and programs change their exam requirements — occasionally without updating every reference on third-party sites.
Steps to find out:
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Go to each program’s admissions page. Look for “admissions requirements,” “application requirements,” or “entrance exam” in the navigation. Most programs list the required exam on the program page.
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Look for the exact exam name and version. “ATI TEAS” vs “TEAS 6” vs “TEAS 7” matters. Some programs haven’t updated their website to reflect the TEAS 7 (the current version since 2022) — if you see TEAS 6, call and confirm which version they accept.
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Call the admissions office if unclear. Nursing program admissions staff are used to fielding this question. A 5-minute phone call will give you a definitive answer and may also give you the program’s score minimums, which aren’t always on the website.
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Note the program’s accepted score age. Most programs require test scores from within the last 2–3 years. If you’re planning to apply in multiple cycles, check whether a score you take now will still be valid for applications in 18 months.
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Check if the program has a preferred testing vendor. Some programs have a partnership with a specific vendor (particularly for HESI A2) and require you to register through their vendor portal rather than independently. This affects where and how you schedule.
If you are applying to multiple programs and they require different exams, you may need to take more than one. Prioritize by which programs you’re most interested in and when applications open. Most students preparing for multiple exams start with TEAS (because it’s most commonly required and has the most prep material available) and add the second exam afterward.
Prep resources for each exam {#prep-resources}
ATI TEAS 7
- ATI’s official TEAS prep includes SmartPrep (adaptive practice) and full-length practice tests; available at atitesting.com
- Mometrix TEAS study guide is widely used by students for its clear explanations
- Khan Academy covers the math and science content areas well for building foundational skills
- r/StudentNurse has an active TEAS prep thread with score ranges and study timelines
HESI A2
- Elsevier’s official HESI A2 study guide is the primary resource; matches the actual exam content areas
- Evolve (Elsevier’s online platform) offers practice questions
- Mometrix HESI A2 guide is a common secondary resource
- Focus your prep specifically on the sections your program requires — not all of them
NLN PAX
- NLN offers official study guides at nln.org
- The NLN Examination Resource Center has practice materials
- Because PAX reports percentile ranks, review score percentiles for your target programs before setting a prep goal — knowing the cutoff percentile is more useful than a raw score target
Kaplan Nursing Admission Test
- Kaplan’s official prep materials are available through kaplan.com
- Because the exam is less widely used, there is less third-party prep material available compared to TEAS or HESI A2
Related resources
For prerequisites and GPA requirements at the application stage:
- Nursing school prerequisites: what you need before you apply
- Nursing school GPA requirements: what programs actually expect
- TEAS test for nursing school: complete guide to TEAS 7
What programs are looking for
A note on how entrance exam scores are used in context: most programs that publish score minimums treat those as floors, not targets. A score at the minimum cutoff puts you in the running; a score significantly above it strengthens your application alongside your GPA and other factors.
Programs that are more competitive — particularly direct-entry BSN programs at universities with high selectivity — tend to see applicant pools where most candidates clear the minimum significantly. In those contexts, your entrance exam score is less a gate than a tiebreaker. In community college ADN programs where a single minimum score determines eligibility (and programs admit based on a points system), your score above the minimum may directly determine your rank in the applicant pool.
Know which type of program you’re applying to. The weight of the entrance exam in the admissions decision varies considerably, and studying for a score well above a points-system minimum has a real return on investment that studying for an already-cleared minimum does not.