How Many Times Can You Take the TEAS? (And Do Nursing Schools See All Attempts?)

The First Attempt Disaster

You studied for a month, walked into the testing center, and walked out devastated. You scored a 62% (Basic) on the ATI TEAS exam. Most nursing programs require a minimum of 65% or 70% just to apply.

You need to retake it. But immediately, anxiety sets in: Will nursing schools see that I failed the first time? Will they average my scores together?

The ATI Transcript Rule

When you take the TEAS, ATI (the company that makes the test) generates a transcript.

Yes, nursing schools will see every single attempt. Unlike the SAT, you cannot use "Score Choice" to hide your bad attempts. If you take the TEAS three times, the admissions committee will see all three scores.

How Nursing Schools Treat Retakes

While they see all attempts, how they use the data varies wildly by program. You must read the fine print of the specific school you are applying to.

1. The "Highest Score" Rule (The Best Case) Many large state universities use an automated point system. The computer will simply locate your highest TEAS score, regardless of when you took it, and award you points based on that number. The failed attempts are ignored.

2. The "Most Recent Score" Rule (The Trap) Some highly competitive programs explicitly state: "We only accept the most recent TEAS score." This is incredibly dangerous. If you score a 75% on attempt one, get greedy, retake it to try for an 80%, and accidentally score a 68%, you are legally locked into the 68%.

3. The "Attempt Limit" Rule (The Hard Cutoff) Almost all elite BSN programs have a hard cap on attempts. Usually, it is two attempts per calendar year. If you fail the TEAS twice, you are completely banned from applying to that nursing program until the following year.

The Strategy: Do not use the real TEAS as a practice test. Only sit for the exam when you are consistently scoring 80%+ on the official ATI practice modules.