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🧭 How the TEAS works · How the TEAS Works · Lesson 1 of 5 · 4 min

How the TEAS is built: 4 sections, 170 items, 209 minutes

🗺️ The TEAS has no surprises in its layout. Learn the map once and you can spend all your energy on the questions.

💡 Key idea

Reading, Math, Science, English: 170 items (150 scored) in 209 minutes, always in that order.

🧠 The idea

The ATI TEAS (Version 7) has 170 ITEMS in 209 MINUTES, split into FOUR SECTIONS that always come in this order. READING: 45 items in 55 minutes (Key ideas and details 15, Craft and structure 9, Integration of knowledge and ideas 15). MATH: 38 items in 57 minutes (Numbers and algebra 18, Measurement and data 16). SCIENCE: 50 items in 60 minutes (Human anatomy and physiology 18, Biology 9, Chemistry 8, Scientific reasoning 9). ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE: 37 items in 37 minutes (Conventions of standard English 12, Knowledge of language 11, Using language and vocabulary 10). Only 150 items are scored; the other 20 are UNSCORED PRETEST items (6 in Reading, 4 in Math, 6 in Science, 4 in English) being tried out for future tests. The sub-area numbers above are scored items, so they show where the points are. An optional 10-minute break comes after Math.

✏️ Worked example

Where are the points? Science has the most scored items (44), and anatomy and physiology alone is 18 of them, the largest single sub-area on the test, tied with Numbers and algebra. Craft and structure is only 9. So a student with four weeks to study who is weak in both A&P and craft should give A&P more hours. Study time should follow the points.

📌 Takeaways

  • Order: Reading, Math, Science, English.
  • 170 items, 150 scored, 20 unscored, 209 minutes.
  • A&P (18) and Numbers and algebra (18) are the biggest sub-areas.

✅ Check yourself

Question 1 of 3

How many of the 170 TEAS items count toward your score?

  1. 120
  2. 150
  3. 160
  4. 170
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: B

150 items are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items, for 170 in all. Counting all 170 forgets the pretest items, and 120 and 160 do not match the test's design.

Question 2 of 3

Which section comes THIRD on the TEAS?

  1. Science
  2. English and language usage
  3. Math
  4. Reading
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: A

The order is Reading, Math, Science, then English and language usage, so Science is third. Reading is first, Math is second, and English is last.

Question 3 of 3

Which section gives you the same number of minutes as it has items?

  1. Reading
  2. Math
  3. English and language usage
  4. Science
Show the answer and rationale

Answer: C

English has 37 items in 37 minutes, one minute per item. Reading has 45 items in 55 minutes, Math 38 in 57, and Science 50 in 60, so each of those gives more than a minute per item.

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