What Is on the TEAS Test in Reading, Math, Science, and English

By Tiffany Paolino MSN, RN Reviewed by Morgan Taylor, DNP, CPNP | November 13, 2026

If you’re wondering what is on the TEAS test, the short answer is four sections: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage. Each section breaks into smaller content areas, and ATI publishes which topics fall under each one, so you can see where to spend your time studying.

For pre-nursing and allied health applicants with a test date coming up, this guide breaks down all four sections, the topics to focus on, which areas carry the most scored questions, and practice questions with explanations. If your test date is coming up fast, these TEAS 7 study tips can help you plan your time.

Key takeaways

• Science carries the most scored questions, with 44.
• Human Anatomy and Physiology and Numbers and Algebra tie as the largest content areas, with 18 scored questions each.
• Twenty unscored pretest questions are mixed in across the four sections, and there’s no way to tell which ones they are.
• The computer-based test includes four question formats beyond standard multiple choice.
• This guide includes 11 practice questions, each with an explanation of the correct answer.

TEAS Test Breakdown by Section, Questions, and Time

What is on the TEAS test comes down to four timed sections taken in a set order: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage. Science carries the most scored questions, and each section breaks into two to four content areas listed in ATI’s official outline.

How many questions are on the TEAS test? There are 170, and 150 count toward your score. How long is the TEAS test? You get 209 minutes, or about 3.5 hours, according to ATI’s exam details. Each section has its own clock, unused time doesn’t carry over, and you can’t return to a submitted section. The TEAS test breakdown below lists every count and time limit, using ATI’s sub-content area data.

The other 20 are unscored pretest items ATI uses to evaluate questions for future exams. You can’t tell them apart from scored ones, so treat every question as if it counts.

TEAS Science Section Content Areas

The TEAS science section has 50 questions in 60 minutes, and 44 of them are scored, more than any other section. Those questions test whether you understand how the body’s systems work together. For example, a question might ask what happens to carbon dioxide levels when breathing slows, so you need to know how the lungs function along with the names of their parts.

Questions in the ATI TEAS science section fall into four content areas: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, and Scientific Reasoning. None of them require nursing-level knowledge of disease or medication, since the exam measures readiness for a health program. The sections below cover anatomy and physiology first, then the cardiovascular system, then biology, chemistry, and scientific reasoning.

Anatomy and Physiology, the Largest Science Area

TEAS anatomy and physiology accounts for 18 of the 44 scored TEAS science questions, the largest of any Science content area. ATI’s outline names general anatomical orientation plus the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, muscular, reproductive, integumentary, endocrine, urinary, immune, and skeletal systems. Start with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, which work together.

Draw each system from memory and label it before you look at a diagram. If you can’t draw it, you don’t know it well enough yet. In the respiratory system, breathing and circulation meet at the alveoli, and the first of the TEAS science questions below asks how oxygen and carbon dioxide move during gas exchange there. NHLBI explains each step, and Archer’s on-demand TEAS 7 videos walk through every system.

Practice Question 1: Anatomy and Physiology

Which statements describe gas exchange at the alveoli? Select all that apply.

• A. Oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the pulmonary capillaries
• B. Carbon dioxide diffuses from the pulmonary capillaries into the alveoli
• C. Oxygen is actively transported into the bloodstream using cellular energy
• D. Carbon dioxide moves into the blood to be stored for later use
• E. Oxygen moves from an area of lower concentration to higher concentration

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answers: A and B

Oxygen diffuses from an area of higher concentration in the alveoli to an area of lower concentration in the pulmonary capillaries. Carbon dioxide diffuses from a higher concentration in the blood to a lower concentration in the alveoli so it can be exhaled.

Cardiovascular System Topics the TEAS 7 Tests

As part of anatomy and physiology, review the cardiovascular system for the TEAS 7 by focusing on the key structures of the heart and how blood circulates throughout the body. Blood from the body moves through the right atrium and ventricle to the lungs, returns through the pulmonary veins to the left side, and leaves through the aorta. Most arteries carry oxygen-rich blood, but the pulmonary arteries carry oxygen-poor blood.

Practice Question 2: Cardiovascular System

Oxygen-rich blood traveling from the lungs back to the heart is part of which type of circulation?

• A. Systemic circulation
• B. Pulmonary circulation
• C. Coronary circulation
• D. Portal circulation

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: B

Pulmonary circulation is the process of moving blood between the heart and lungs. Deoxygenated blood is pumped from the heart to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart to be pumped into systemic circulation.

Biology, Chemistry, and Scientific Reasoning Priorities

The ATI TEAS science section also includes Biology, Chemistry, and Scientific Reasoning, which together make up the remaining 26 scored Science questions. In Biology, focus on cell structure and function, how DNA carries the instructions for building proteins, Mendelian inheritance, the major biological molecules, and the role of microorganisms in disease. Chemistry covers atomic structure, physical and chemical changes, reactions, solutions, and acids and bases, including pH.

The TEAS chemistry questions are introductory and applied. In the Scientific Reasoning section, you’ll read an experiment, identify its independent and dependent variables, spot the control, and determine which conclusion the data supports.

Practice Question 3: Scientific Reasoning

A researcher is testing whether different amounts of sunlight affect the rate of algae growth in freshwater tanks. Each tank receives a different light exposure, but all tanks contain the same type of algae, identical water volume, equal amounts of nutrients, and the same temperature. Algae growth is measured every 24 hours. Select all statements that correctly match the experimental variable with its explanation.

• A. Constant variables: The water volume, nutrient levels, and temperature remain the same in all tanks.
• B. Dependent variable: The amount of sunlight provided to each tank is measured.
• C. Independent variable: The light exposure is deliberately varied between tanks.
• D. Control variable: The tanks receiving different light treatments serve as the control group.
• E. Dependent variable: The rate of algae growth recorded over time.
• F. Independent variable: The variable plotted on the Y-axis of the growth graph.

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answers: A, C, and E

Constant variables are all factors kept the same across experimental groups so that the independent variable is the only thing influencing the dependent variable. The independent variable is the factor intentionally manipulated—in this case, the amount of sunlight each tank receives. The dependent variable is what the researcher measures in response to changes in the independent variable. Here, algae growth rate depends on sunlight exposure.

What Kind of Math Is on the TEAS Test

What kind of math is on the TEAS test? It primarily covers foundational math concepts, including arithmetic, algebra, measurement, and data interpretation, without requiring advanced topics such as trigonometry or calculus. Much of it is math you already do in daily life, like splitting a bill or doubling a recipe, written out as test questions. The TEAS math section splits into two content areas, Numbers and Algebra and Measurement and Data.

These are the skills you’ll use in nursing school to set up a dose from a ratio, convert a patient’s weight from pounds to kilograms, or read a trend off a vital signs chart. The TEAS doesn’t directly test dosage calculation, but the ratios, proportions, and conversions it does test are the groundwork for it. The three sections below cover the Numbers and Algebra skills to drill first, then measurement and conversions, then the built-in calculator.

Numbers and Algebra Skills to Drill First

Focus on converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages first, followed by ratios and proportions and then one-variable equations. Those skills sit under most of the other Numbers and Algebra objectives, including percent change, rounding, and multistep worded questions.

When practicing TEAS math questions, read each question carefully, reread it to make sure you understand what is being asked, and identify what you need to solve before starting your calculations. The answer you’d get from a common misread is often sitting among the choices. Try that habit on the two TEAS math questions below.

Practice Question 4: Numbers and Algebra

If Jack gets paid $18.00 per hour for the first 40 hours each week and he gets paid $25.00 per hour for any hours worked over 40 hours in a week, how much will he gross if he works 50 hours in one week?

• A. $970
• B. $900
• C. $1,250
• D. $935

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: A

$720 ($18 × 40) is the amount of money Jack made for working 40 hours. Since he actually worked 50 hours, that is 10 additional hours over 40 hours at $25 per hour. Therefore, Jack grossed $970 for 50 hours of work in a week ($720 + $250).

Practice Question 5: Percentages

A jar contains marbles in different colors. The ratio of red marbles to the total number of marbles is 9:30. What percentage of the marbles in the jar are not red?

• A. 30%
• B. 70%
• C. 33%
• D. 67%

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: B

Be careful! We need the percentage that are NOT red. If you did divide 9 by 30, you would get 0.3, which is 30%. This means 30% of the marbles are red. The remaining 70% are not red. You could also take the remaining 21 marbles that are NOT red and divide it by 30, which equals 70%.

Metric Conversions and Measurement Skills for the TEAS 7

Measurement and Data covers unit conversions, reading graphs and tables, basic statistics such as mean and median, and basic geometry. The metric conversions for TEAS 7 are worth memorizing, along with a few conversions between U.S. customary and metric units: 1 liter equals 1,000 milliliters, 1 gram equals 1,000 milligrams, 1 kilogram is approximately 2.2 pounds, and 1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters.

On graph questions, check what each gridline represents before you read a value, since a scale counting by 5s or 20s is an easy place to slip. For area, perimeter, and volume, make sure your study resources cover the geometry formulas tested on TEAS 7, such as those in the cheat sheets included with Archer’s TEAS 7 on-demand videos. The question below practices one of the metric conversions for TEAS 7 worth memorizing, and it’s a fill-in-the-blank question, so you’ll type your answer into a box.

Practice Question 6: Metric Conversions

Convert 2.34 grams to milligrams. Only type in numbers. No additional letters or punctuation should be included in your answer; just numbers.

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: 2340

One gram equals 1,000 milligrams. Multiply 2.34 by 1,000 to get 2340 mg.

Can You Use a Calculator on the TEAS 7

Can you use a calculator on TEAS? Yes, but only the one built into the exam. Personal calculators, phone calculators, and calculator watches aren’t allowed, according to ATI’s calculator policy. The TEAS calculator opens from an icon next to the timer, works on every question in every section, and includes percent, square root, and memory keys. On the paper exam, the proctor provides one. You also get scratch paper or a small whiteboard. Practice with an on-screen calculator before test day, since it works differently from a handheld one, and enter longer problems one step at a time.

ATI TEAS Reading Section Content Areas

The ATI TEAS reading section opens the test with 45 questions in 55 minutes, and 39 of those count toward your score. That works out to a little over a minute per question, including the time it takes to read each passage.

TEAS Reading tests skills you’ll use in nursing school: following written directions, interpreting charts, evaluating arguments, and comparing information across texts. The material may be a little dry, but the task is to understand what it says and support your answers with evidence from the text. The two sections below cover the three question types, then helpful reading habits to help manage your 55 minutes.

TEAS Reading Passages and the Three Question Types

Key Ideas and Details and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas account for 30 of the 39 scored TEAS reading questions, split between the two. Key Ideas and Details questions ask for a passage’s main idea, a specific detail, the next step in a set of directions, or the order events happened in. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas questions ask you to draw a conclusion, compare two passages, or judge whether an argument’s evidence holds up.

Craft and Structure covers the remaining nine questions, which ask you to distinguish fact from opinion, determine a word’s meaning from context, and identify the author’s purpose. The first TEAS reading question below asks for a supporting detail, a Key Ideas and Details skill, and the second asks for a word’s meaning from context.

Practice Question 7: Reading: Supporting Details

Read the passage and answer the following question: A significant aspect of space exploration is its contribution to scientific discovery. By studying planets, asteroids, and cosmic phenomena, researchers gain insight into the origins of the universe and the potential for life beyond Earth. The search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life fuels curiosity and drives advancements in astronomy and planetary science. Furthermore, understanding space weather, such as solar storms, helps protect Earth’s technology-dependent society. Which detail from the passage supports the societal benefits of space exploration?

• A. Space exploration has created thousands of new jobs.
• B. Understanding space weather helps protect Earth’s technology-dependent society.
• C. Space missions are always successful in finding extraterrestrial life.
• D. The financial costs of space programs are decreasing significantly.

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: B

One key supporting point is that understanding space weather, such as solar storms, helps protect Earth’s technology-dependent society. This highlights a direct benefit of space exploration, as it allows scientists to predict and mitigate the effects of space weather on satellites, power grids, and communication systems.

Practice Question 8: Reading: Vocabulary

Read the sentence below, and then answer the following question. Many people may believe that I do things to appease my children, but, in reality, I do it because they behave well and work hard for everything that I give them. Which of the following defines the word “appease” as it is used in the sentence?

• A. To educate
• B. To pacify
• C. To antagonize
• D. To comfort

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: B

The word “appease” means “to pacify” or “to conciliate.” Appeasement is the process of making concessions to someone and, often, involves sacrificing principles/ rules.

Reading Strategies That Fit the 55-Minute Clock

Reading the question before the passage is the most useful habit, because it tells you what to look for before you start. From there, read only enough of the passage to answer the question. Detail and vocabulary questions often need a single sentence, while main idea and author’s purpose questions need the whole thing.

For TEAS reading passages, skim once for structure, then scan for the detail the question is looking for. Read a chart’s title and axis labels before the numbers. Practice with timed TEAS reading questions regularly, and review any incorrect answers to better understand where you went wrong.

ATI TEAS English and Language Usage Content Areas

English and Language Usage is the last and shortest section on test day. It covers three content areas: Conventions of Standard English, Knowledge of Language, and Using Language and Vocabulary to Express Ideas in Writing. Because grammar and punctuation follow a limited set of rules, many students raise their English score faster than any other section score with focused practice.

By the time you reach this section, you may begin to feel mentally fatigued, so staying focused and managing your time will be especially important. If a punctuation question is taking too long, flag it and come back to it. The two sections below cover the grammar rules that come up most and the word parts behind the vocabulary questions.

Grammar Rules Behind Most TEAS English Questions

The rules that come up most are subject-verb agreement, comma splices and run-ons, “its” versus “it’s”, common homophones like “their” and “there”, parallel structure, and pronoun agreement. Most TEAS English questions test one of these, often by changing a single word or punctuation mark between the answer choices.

Subject-verb agreement trips people up when a phrase sits between the subject and verb. In “The box of syringes is on the shelf,” the subject is box, so the verb is singular. A comma splice joins two full sentences with only a comma, as in “The patient’s blood pressure dropped, the nurse called the provider.” A period, a semicolon, or a comma plus “so” fixes it.

Practice Question 9: English: Punctuation

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

• A. The book that I read last week, was really good.
• B. The book, that I read last week was really good.
• C. The book that I read, last week was really good.
• D. The book that I read last week was really good.

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: D

This sentence uses a relative clause correctly to provide additional information about “the book.” A comma is not necessary because the relative clause is needed to understand which book is being referred to. Therefore, no punctuation except the period for the closing punctuation is necessary.

Practice Question 10: English: Subject-Verb Agreement

Read the sentence below, and answer the following question. One of the research assistants were working in the lab when the equipment malfunctioned. Which of the following grammar errors appears in the sentence?

• A. Ambiguous word selection
• B. Poor diction
• C. Inappropriate transition word choice
• D. Subject-verb agreement

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: D

The sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. The subject, ‘one,’ is singular— remember, ‘of the research assistants’ is a prepositional phrase and does not change the number of the subject. However, the verb ‘were working’ is plural, which creates a disagreement. Instead of ‘were working,’ the correct verb should be ‘was working’ to match the singular subject.

Medical Word Parts Worth Memorizing for TEAS 7 English

Knowing common roots, prefixes, and suffixes lets you work out the meaning of a word you’ve never seen, which is what the vocabulary questions in ATI TEAS English and Language Usage test. If you know “brady” means slow and “cardi” means heart, then the term bradycardia explains itself. The same word parts come back frequently in nursing school terminology, so memorizing them now pays off.

Word part	Meaning	Example
cardi/o	heart	cardiology
gastr/o	stomach	gastritis
neur/o	nerve	neurology
hyper-	above, excessive	hypertension
hypo-	below, deficient	hypoglycemia
brady-	slow	bradycardia
tachy-	fast	tachycardia
-itis	inflammation	dermatitis
-ectomy	surgical removal	appendectomy
-emia	blood condition	anemia

Practice Question 11: English: Word Parts

What is the meaning of the suffix “-philic” as used in scientific terminology?

• A. Causing disease
• B. Resisting heat
• C. Having an affinity or attraction to something
• D. Capable of movement

Show answer and explanation

Correct Answer: C

The suffix “-philic” comes from the Greek word philos, meaning loving or having an affinity for. It’s often used in scientific contexts— for example, hydrophilic means “water-loving.”

Is the TEAS Test Multiple Choice

Is the TEAS test multiple choice? Mostly, and the computer-based TEAS 7 also includes four alternate item types, according to ATI’s guide to TEAS 7 question types. Multiple select questions offer five or six options with two or more correct and end with “select all that apply.” Fill in the blank questions have you type a word or number. Ordered response questions have you drag four to six options into order. Hot spot questions have you click one of two to five areas on an image.

Every question is scored right or wrong with no partial credit, so a multiple select item counts only if you pick every correct option and no wrong ones. If a question asks which three of six structures belong to the respiratory system, choosing only two earns nothing. Practice these formats in Archer’s TEAS 7 Q-Bank so select-all-that-apply questions feel routine by test day.

FAQs About the TEAS 7

Can you retake the TEAS 7 if your score is too low?

Yes, you can. ATI doesn’t require a waiting period between TEAS attempts, so the limits come from the school or program you’re applying to. Some programs require a set amount of time between attempts or cap how many attempts they’ll accept in one admissions cycle. Check your target program’s rule before registering again.

How long is the TEAS test with the break?

The testing time is 209 minutes, and you get one optional 10-minute break after Math and before Science that doesn’t count toward that time. If you take the full break, plan for about 3 hours and 40 minutes of testing, plus check-in. At an in-person testing center, you can’t access personal items during the break. If you test remotely, this is the only scheduled time you may leave the camera’s view, so keep your camera on and return within 10 minutes.

How long are TEAS 7 scores valid?

ATI says TEAS scores are usually valid for two years, and each nursing program decides how old a score it will accept. Check your target program’s policy before relying on an older score, and if you’ve tested more than once, confirm which attempt the program counts.

Do nursing schools look at section scores or only the composite?

It depends on the program. ATI’s score report includes a total score, a score for each of the four sections, and sub-content area scores. Some programs require minimum section scores, such as Science or Reading, in addition to an overall score, so check each program’s admissions page for both.

How Hard Is the TEAS Test?

The answer to how hard is the TEAS test depends mostly on the score your target program requires, since cutoffs vary widely between programs. According to ATI, around 40% of students take the TEAS more than once, so a second attempt is common. Look up each program’s cutoff first, and use Archer’s guide to what counts as a good TEAS 7 score to set your target.

Are TEAS 6 study materials still useful for the TEAS 7?

They’re partly useful, since the core content overlaps, but the structure changed when the TEAS 7 launched in June 2022. Reading dropped from 53 questions to 45, Math shifted more weight toward Measurement and Data, and alternate item formats were added, according to ATI’s comparison of the two versions. Use materials published after June 2022 so your practice matches the current exam.

Start Practicing With Archer Review

Now that you know what is on the TEAS test, the next step is practicing under the same conditions you’ll face on test day. Start with a timed TEAS 7 mock exam, which matches how many questions are on the TEAS test and the time you get for them, to see whether you run short on time in any section. Then work one section at a time to drill the topics you missed in the TEAS 7 Q-Bank.