The ATI TEAS V exam is an entrance exam nursing schools require students to take prior to admission. Some nursing schools will base your TEAS V score on if you are accepted into their program or not. Others will simply just require it as a requirement for admission and not base it upon acceptance into the program.
Regardless of whether it counts towards acceptance into the nursing program or not, it is very important to prep for this exam prior to taking it.
In this article, I am going to discuss how to study for the TEAS exam and what study guides you should use to study.
What Subjects are covered on the TEAS V Exam?
There are four subjects on the TEAS exam. The subjects include English, science, math, and reading. Each section is timed, so it is important you pace yourself throughout the exam to ensure you answer all the questions.
If a question is not answered, it is counted against you. The exam is 3.5 hours long and each section is divided into the following amount of time:
- Reading: 58 minutes
- Math: 51 minutes
- Science: 66 minutes
- English: 34 minutes
There are 170 questions on the exam with each section having the following amount of questions:
- Reading: 48 questions
- Math: 34 questions
- Science: 54 questions
- English: 34 questions
*Source: http://www.csueastbay.edu/academic/colleges-and-departments/apgs/testing/tests/nursing/information/teas-info.html
Tips on How to Study for ATI TEAS V Exam
1. Prepare for this exam is advance!
Give yourself at least 1 month to study prior to the exam date. To do this, look at when the nursing program you plan to attend administers the exam. They will have this listed on their website.
Register in advance because spots fill-up fast, and then develop a study plan. Students who give themselves a limited amount of time to study don’t perform as well as students who prepped in advance. Be sure to study every day of the week (except one day to rest) for at least 1.5 to 2 hours per day. Don’t cram!
2. Purchase the ATI Study Manual! Make sure you get the correct edition because ATI is coming out with a new version of the exam after August 31st, 2016. Here are the guidelines for what study guide you should buy:
- If you are taking the exam prior to August 31, 2016, buy the 5th edition of the study guide:
- If you are taking the exam on or after August 31, 2016, buy the 6th edition of the study guide:
I recommend the ATI Study Manual developed by ATI because it is made by the company who actually develops the questions for the real exam and it contains information that will be on the exam.
3. Optional but HIGHLY recommended: Purchase the ATI Online Practice Tests sold by ATI!
This is to compliment the study manual you bought (which is part of planning how to study) and is used to help you understand what type of questions will be on the exam. The TEAS exam questions are critically-thinking (not fact based) and are timed. The online practice tests allow you to get familiarized with the questions and develop a strategy for pacing yourself. Many students who do not practice taking the “mock” exams run out of time on the real exam because they weren’t prepared for limited time during each section on the real exam.
Note: To save money on buying both the ATI Study Manual and ATI Online Practice test, it is sometimes cheaper to buy them individually. The online practice tests can only be purchased without the study guide through ATI’s website or they sell it as a bundle for $115 (current price) which includes the study manual.
However, it is sometimes cheaper to buy the manual on Amazon.com and the online practice tests through ATI. Always be sure to calculate the price and make sure you are getting the best deal.
4. How to Use the Study Guide & Online Practice Test!
First, take the online practice tests (both A and B version) and see how well you scored in each section. (Note: you are only allowed to take the practice test through ATI twice)
While you are taking the test note how long it takes you to answer each question and if you were able to complete each section in the allotted time.
After you take the practice exams, look at your scores and see where you scored the lowest in compared to the highest. Then, analyze the detailed report and see what subjects (content areas) you performed the worst.
Next, start reading the study manual by starting with the section you performed the worst. For example, say you performed worst in math, start reading this section in the manual. Then analyze what areas you struggle the most in. For example, did you score the lowest in fractions, conversions, or algebraic equations? If it was fractions, review the section on fractions and find practice quizzes or YouTube tutorials on how to do these problems along with practicing the questions in the study manual. Repeat this for all the other sections.
5. Tips for reading the ATI TEAS study manual: pay attention to bold areas, charts, diagrams etc (these concepts will likely be on the exam). Be sure to read and review everything in the manual. If you don’t understand something, read about it online or watch YouTube videos explaining the material. The key is that you understand the material and not just memorize facts. Remember the TEAS exam tests you on critical-thinking.
6. Additional resources students find helpful:
Secrets of the TEAS® V Exam Study Guide: TEAS® Test Review for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (give you extra practice test and review material).
*Note: the books recommended in this post are based on my personal opinion. This website is an affiliate for Amazon.com and if you make a purchase through links provided (via Amazon.com) we obtain a commission which helps support this website (a free resource for nursing students).
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