Today, we need more nurses than ever before. Unfortunately, nursing schools can only accept a limited number of applicants due to issues such as a lack of faculty to teach and fewer clinical sites that allow students to gain experience in real-life nursing settings. These factors increase competition among those eager to fulfill their dreams of becoming nurses. What can you do to improve your chances of getting accepted? One key way is to ace the nursing-school entrance exam, the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). The TEAS comprises multiple-choice and alternate item-type questions. Its aim is to assess your knowledge in 4 areas: math, reading, English language and usage, and science. Most nursing programs recommend you prepare for the test ahead of time — ATI recommends 6 weeks — to ensure you get the highest score. Don’t think you need to study beforehand? Some reasons to reconsider that approach include:

• Schools can limit TEAS retakes. If you take the test and score lower than the school’s cut score (the lowest score the school will accept, which varies from school to school), you can retake the test. But some nursing schools only accept the score of your first attempt, while others may take an average of all your scores. You simply can’t count on a program accepting your highest score. So, getting your best score on your first attempt is the smart move to ensure you are above the program’s cut score.
• A low score on the TEAS can indicate you won’t do well in nursing school. Research has shown that TEAS scores can tell a nursing program how well you’ll succeed in your classes. If you don’t get a score that shows you are at a level of “proficient” or above, that’s an indicator that — if they accept you — you’re not likely to do well in nursing school. A lack of success could lead you to become discouraged and drop out or could force the program to drop you. Nursing programs want students to succeed, so they want to admit the most promising applicants. They may not be willing to take a risk on students who don’t — or barely — meet their cut score.
• Taking the TEAS multiple times costs money. If you can get the score you need on your first attempt, you’ll save money that you can put toward other needs.

Listen to a podcast to hear tips from representatives of ATI and Rasmussen University on improving your TEAS score and presenting yourself as the best nursing school applicant for the job. Other reasons to prepare for the TEAS ahead of time are more basic, such as:

• You get nervous taking tests, so practicing ahead of time will help put you at ease.
• You aren’t confident about the strength of your knowledge in some areas.
• You’ve been out of school for a few years, and the subject matter isn’t as fresh as it once was.

Of course, the TEAS is only the first of many crucial exams you’ll take in nursing school. So, developing a positive mindset can help you succeed not only on the TEAS but on future tests.

Being passionate about your future career is important too. We recently talked to some students who had taken the TEAS about why they chose nursing as their profession. 28-year-old Colleen Keeven, who lives in Denver, said, “Everyone deserves good, unbiased care, and I want to be one of the wonderful nurses in this world who provides that.” She pointed out that nurses help people “on quite possibly the worst day of their lives.” As a result, someone who can “show true compassion and listen to their patients’ needs is something that the healthcare system really needs right now.” From her home in Little Rock, Ark., Ashley Bias, also 28, said she decided to pursue nursing to have a fulfilling career that helps others. “After years of working office jobs,” she said, “I always knew I was missing out on what my true calling was. I love nursing school, and I believe this is a great field to join.”