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.