Choosing an admission exam
TEAS 7 vs HESI A2
In most cases the choice is not yours. Your nursing programme decides which exam it accepts, so ask admissions before comparing anything. Where a school accepts both, pick the one whose subject list plays to your strengths, because neither is reliably harder than the other.
Last updated August 2026
Side by side
| ATI TEAS 7 | HESI A2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Administered by | ATI | Elsevier |
| Published blueprint | Yes, full public specifications | No public per-section blueprint |
| Structure | 170 questions, 209 minutes, four timed sections | Set by your programme from the subject exams offered |
| Subjects | Reading, Mathematics, Science, English & Language Usage | Maths, Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, A&P, Biology, Chemistry, Physics |
| Which you sit | All four sections, always | Only the subjects your school selects |
| Science weighting | Heavy, at 44 of 150 scored items | Depends entirely on whether your school assigns the science exams |
| Scoring | Overall score plus section breakdown | A percentage per subject exam you sit |
| Pass mark | None nationally; set by each programme | None nationally; set by each programme |
The honest drawbacks
Both exams have real weaknesses. We sell preparation for both, so here they are.
Against the TEAS
- You sit all four sections whether or not your programme cares about all four.
- Science is weighted heavily, which punishes anyone whose last science class was years ago.
- The composite weighting is not published, so you cannot calculate exactly what a section is worth.
- Three hours and twenty-nine minutes in one sitting is genuinely tiring.
Against the HESI A2
- No published blueprint, so you cannot see question counts or timing before the day.
- The exam differs between schools, which makes comparing your score with anyone else meaningless.
- Subjects are reported separately, so one weak area can sink an otherwise strong result.
- Some programmes add Chemistry or Physics, which many candidates do not discover until late.
If your school accepts both
Choose on subject fit, not on reputation. If your sciences are strong and your reading speed is not, the TEAS suits you, because Science is where the marks concentrate. If your school's HESI configuration leaves out the science exams, the A2 becomes the lighter paper for the same application. Ask which subjects it assigns before deciding. That single answer settles it more often than anything else.
Which is harder?
Neither, reliably. Candidates strong in reading often find the TEAS science sections tougher, and the reverse is just as common. Anyone telling you one is definitively easier is describing their own strengths, not the exams.
Whichever one your programme requires, practice is the same job
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Keep reading
More TEAS Resources
Guides and tools across the TEAS course.
TEAS 7 Exam Prep
Format, sections, timing
TEAS 7 FAQ
Scoring, retakes, test day
Is the TEAS Hard?
An honest answer
How Long Is the TEAS 7?
209 minutes, section by section
What Is a Passing TEAS Score?
Your programme sets the bar
TEAS Reading
18 topics · 39 scored questions
TEAS Math
18 topics · 34 scored questions
TEAS Science
22 topics · 44 scored questions
TEAS English
21 topics · 33 scored questions
Free TEAS Practice Test
Sit a set before you buy
TEAS Plans & Pricing
Choose your access
Start TEAS Prep
Create your account
TEAS Study Guide
All four sections, free
8-Week Study Plan
Week-by-week schedule
TEAS Cheat Sheet
Formulas and high-yield facts
TEAS vs HESI A2
Which exam to take
