TEAS V vs HESI

Nursing school entrance exams can be a daunting task. You normally have your transcripts and a test score in order for a school to determine if you fit their cut.... To most schools, you are nothing but a piece of paper! Some schools have essay portions and require interviews as well, but mostly its just numbers.

 I applied to a number of schools this past May and found that each college requires different things. Its super annoying and can become VERY time consuming, frustrating and expensive! I want to stick to the 2 most basic and popular tests that I took. TEAS V and HESI A2. There are SEVERAL portions to each test, and you want to be sure you complete the required portions needed for which school you are applying. I.e. San Jacinto Community college does not require the Critical Thinking portion of the HESI, while University of Texas Health Science Center does... Just make sure to contact each school you are applying to in order to determine what the specifics are that they require.

I HIGHLY recommend these study guides... these are made by the test makers! For HESI, I used THIS HESI Study Guide and for the TEAS V, I used THIS TEAS V Study Guide.  I did not study them night and day weeks before the test...maybe a couple hours a day, 3-4 days prior to my test. I could have been MUCH more prepared... I made a 91.7% overall on my HESI and a 90.8% on my TEAS V overall. 


HESI A2 - I found that  A LOT of questions came directly from the book. Literally word for word from their review sections on each subject. The math questions were incredibly similarly modeled after those of the practice questions. Some people complained of running out of time on certain portions, but I didn't have that problem, but I am strong in math. Know your basic conversions!  Manage your time and don't waste a bunch on a certain question you may be fighting with. There is a calculator on the computer that you are allowed to use. Its just a basic calculator, but it is pretty basic math.


TEAS V - This test made the HESI look like a walk in the park!!! The reading comps were a million times harder! I cannot stress this enough! GET THE STUDY GUIDE!!! It will definitely prepare you for the types of questions they ask and how to think about the questions to get to the right answer. Especially if it has been a while since you have had reading comp classes or English... The math was definitely a step above the HESI for sure. No calculator for this math either! Use your time wisely. The science sections were similar but the TEAS definitely goes more in depth on Science overall as HESI only has A&P and Biology whereas TEAS has a science section that covers human body science, life science, earth and physical science, and scientific reasoning.


Here are a couple links I found

FAQ on TEAS V - this page has a lot of good info on what this test covers, and how it is structured and timed...disregard anything about due dates, how long scores are good for etc as these are all campus specifics!!! 


General HESI A2 Info - My minimum passing score was 75% PER SECTION... and I didnt have to wait 60 days in between testing if I had not passed the first go around. It really depends on the school you are applying to. 


I could go on and on about the specifics. If there is something I have not covered, please feel free to leave me a question in the comments area and I will do my best to answer you.

I cannot stress this enough...get a study guide! The 2 I talked about in this post are outstanding in my opinion. I would not have done as well as I did had it not been for those. Both have tons of practice questions and really give you a good feel for what you are getting into.  

Acceptance

A little background so far...

Applying to nursing schools is torture! You put yourself and your money out there hoping to get in all the while fearing that you will find out that your just not good enough for that particular program! After a solid year of pre-reqs, I applied to UTMB as well as 2 other ADN programs as backups in May of 2011. The waiting game is hell. I first found out from COM (in June)  that I was accepted and then from San Jac (in July).  It wasn't until mid October that I had heard that I had landed an interview for a spot at UTMB! The whole while I kept thinking about my past grades and withdrawals on my transcript from years ago when I was all but focused on college. 
                                            . 

The GPA monster lurked above me as if it were a permanent storm cloud in my presence, ready to drop a flood of regret and doom at any given moment with a rejection letter. At the time of my application to UTMB I had a meager 2.98 gpa overall! The minimum accepted was 2.75.... My entrance exam (TEAS V), however, I managed to knock out of the park with a 90.7%. That along with what I considered to be a pretty decent personal statement essay is what I believe landed me an interview.  I got my invite to interview around mid October. A whopping 4 1/2 months after the application deadline! 

While waiting to hear from my #1 choice (UTMB) I had accepted COM's invitation and had begun their nursing program. By the time I received my interview invite, I was full swing into the program. I decided that if accepted, I would continue in COM's program to get  a leg up on my first semester. 2 days after my interview I received my acceptance email. I was so happy I cried in Walmart while standing in the candle aisle as I read my email on my phone. I could tell people thought I had lost it by their stares and quiet shuffling in the opposite direction as me. They just didn't know or understand what I had achieved! 

I was IN!!!

My mission...

I am creating this blog to try to help prospective and current nursing students. I have had a tough time so far and I have not yet begun. This will be a information resource as well as a timeline of my experiences before and during my stay in the BSN program at UTMB. Enjoy!