There is no single, nationwide nursing school entrance test. Instead, prospective nursing students typically take one of several standardized exams, with the choice determined by the specific requirements of the nursing program to which they are applying. These exams are designed to assess academic readiness and predict success in a rigorous nursing curriculum.

The two most common and prominent entrance exams are:

TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills): Developed by Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI), the TEAS is widely used for admission into associate degree (ADN) and bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs. It evaluates core academic skills in Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Usage.
HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) A2: Developed by Elsevier, the HESI A2 (Admission Assessment) is also commonly required. It covers similar academic sections (Math, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar) but often includes additional, more detailed science sections like Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, and Biology.

Other tests you may encounter include the NLN PAX (for pre-admission to some BSN programs) and various school-specific placement exams. The key takeaway is that you must check the specific admissions requirements for each nursing program you are interested in, as they will mandate which exam you need to take and what their minimum passing score is.

For a comparison of the difficulty and focus between the two main exams, you can read about TEAS vs. HESI.

To access official study guides, practice tests, and registration, visit the websites of the test providers: ATI Testing for the TEAS and Elsevier for the HESI A2.