What TEAS 7 Score Do Nursing Programmes Actually Require?

There is no passing score

The TEAS has no pass mark. ATI does not set one and does not describe candidates as passing or failing. Each nursing programme decides what score it will accept, and those decisions vary widely between schools and between admission cycles.

This means any figure you read, here included, is a typical band rather than a requirement. The only authoritative number is the one published by the programme you are applying to.

It also means a score that is comfortably competitive at one school may be below the floor at another. Applicants who apply broadly should plan against the highest requirement on their list, not the average.

The best academic structure does not decorate the clinical reasoning—it makes that reasoning visible.

Typical requirements by programme type

Associate degree in nursing programmes commonly ask for a total score in the region of 55 to 65 percent. These programmes are frequently oversubscribed, so a score that merely clears the floor may not be competitive even when it is technically sufficient.

Bachelor of science in nursing programmes typically look for 65 to 80 percent. Accelerated bachelor programmes, which compress the degree for applicants who already hold one, are usually the most demanding at around 70 to 85 percent.

Practical nursing programmes generally sit at the lower end, often accepting scores in the region of 50 to 60 percent. Across all types, competitive admission usually requires clearing the stated minimum by a visible margin.

The four numbers on your report, and which one counts

Your TEAS report contains more than one figure and programmes differ on which they use. The Total Score is the percentage of scored items you answered correctly and is the number most commonly screened on.

Sub-scores give your percentage in each of Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Usage. Some programmes set minimums on individual sections in addition to the total, most often on Science or Mathematics.

The National Percentile Rank and Program Percentile Rank compare you against other test takers rather than against a fixed standard. A few programmes screen on percentile instead of raw score. Confirm which your school means, because a 70 percent total and a 70th percentile are entirely different achievements.

Section minimums catch people out

A composite requirement is forgiving; a section floor is not. If a programme requires a 65 total and a 60 in Science, then a candidate scoring 78 overall with 58 in Science does not meet the requirement despite a strong headline number.

Science is the most commonly floored section because it predicts performance in nursing coursework. Mathematics floors also appear, usually where the programme is concerned about dosage calculation.

Check for section floors before you sit rather than after. They change how you should allocate revision — a section floor makes your weakest area the priority regardless of your composite.

The score is one input among several

Most programmes combine the TEAS with prerequisite grade point average, and many weight the two into a single admission score. A strong TEAS can partially offset a weaker science GPA at some schools and cannot at others.

Some programmes award points for healthcare experience, prior degrees, residency within the district, or completion of specific prerequisites. Ask for the admission rubric if one is published; several schools publish theirs and it removes most of the guesswork.

Understanding the rubric tells you whether another TEAS attempt is the best use of your time or whether retaking a prerequisite would move your application further.

Retakes and which attempt counts

ATI does not cap attempts, but programmes do, and most impose a waiting period between sittings — commonly 30 days. Many limit you to two or three attempts within an admission cycle.

Critically, programmes differ in which attempt they use. Some take your highest total, some the most recent, and a few average across attempts. If your school averages, a speculative early sitting can actively damage your application.

Ask both questions before booking: how long must I wait, and which attempt do you count. It is a two-minute call that changes your whole strategy.

What to ask admissions

Ask four things. What is the minimum total score? Are there section minimums, and on which sections? Is the requirement expressed as a raw score or a percentile? And how many attempts are permitted, with which one counted?

Ask also what the average accepted score was in the most recent cycle. Programmes will often share it, and the gap between the stated minimum and the actual average tells you what competitive really means at that school.

Get the answers in writing where you can. Requirements published on websites are frequently out of date by a cycle, and an email from admissions is the version that will hold.