Failed ATI TEAS 7 (Test of Essential Academic Skills)? Here's Your Recovery Plan

Pro tip: You may schedule several TEAS at ATI exams in advance provided 14 days separate each attempt. A TEAS at ATI appointment can be rescheduled up to 48 hours beforehand for a $15 change fee, and not every exam type allows rescheduling at all. Because a TEAS at ATI score stays preliminary for several business days before a transcript can go out, count backwards from your application deadline when planning a second attempt.

• Studying for a score without knowing what your programme requires
  ATI sets no passing score. Every nursing and allied health programme publishes its own minimum, and they differ widely. Look up the requirement for each school on your list in week one, then aim at the highest of them rather than at a number from a forum.
• Giving all four sections equal study time
  Science carries 44 of the 150 scored items and Reading carries 39, while English carries 33. Anatomy and physiology alone is 18 scored items, more than any other sub-content area. Weight your hours toward Science and Reading in proportion to the item counts ATI publishes.
• Leaving a section early to bank time for a later one
  Each section is timed separately and time does not carry over. Once you close a section you cannot reopen it. Use the full 55, 57, 60, and 37 minutes on the section in front of you, and review flagged questions before you advance.
• Practising Mathematics with a scientific calculator
  Personal calculators are prohibited and ATI provides an on-screen calculator for the Mathematics section only. Practise the entire Mathematics section with a basic on-screen calculator so that keying and rounding do not slow you down on the day.
• Treating multiple select items like multiple choice
  Select all that apply items require every correct option and no incorrect ones. Read the stem twice, decide independently on each option, and count how many you have marked before moving on.
• Skipping the 10-minute break to save time
  ATI states the break between Mathematics and Science does not come out of your exam time. Science is the biggest scored section and immediately follows the break, so taking it costs you nothing and protects the section that matters most.
• Running the English section at the same pace as Reading
  English gives 37 questions in 37 minutes, which is 60 seconds each, while Reading gives 45 questions in 55 minutes, which is 73 seconds each. English is the tightest section on the exam and it comes last. Practise it at exact pace rather than in untimed drills.
• Booking the exam before checking the retake rule at your test site
  For a TEAS at ATI exam, ATI requires 14 days between attempts. For an institution-proctored exam, the school sets the rule and a 30-day wait is common. If your application deadline is close, that difference decides whether a second attempt is possible at all.
• Registering with a name that does not match your ID
  You need a physical government-issued photo ID whose name matches the name used at registration. Accepted documents include a United States state or territory driving licence or ID card, a United States passport or passport card, a military ID, a permanent resident card, a visa, or a foreign government passport.
• Assuming your score reaches the school automatically
  One free transcript is included with exam registration, but how it reaches a school depends on how you sat the exam. Check ATI's transcript article for your proctor type, and note that a TEAS at ATI score stays preliminary for up to four business days after the exam before it can be sent.

• ATI sets no pass mark, your programme does
• Science carries 44 of the 150 scored items, and 18 of those are human anatomy and physiology
• Practise the Mathematics section with only an on-screen four-function calculator, since personal calculators are banned
• Finish each section before moving on, because a closed section cannot be reopened
• Time English at 60 seconds a question and Science at 72, the two tightest sections; Reading gets 73 and Mathematics 90
• Use the 10-minute break between Mathematics and Science; it does not come out of your exam time