Preparing for a Nursing School Entrance Exam: NET, TEAS, and HESI Admission Tests

Nursing school programs have competitive admission processes in most areas of the United States. Most schools that train Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses require prospective students to take an entrance exam when applying to the program. This ensures that applicants have a solid, basic understanding of the prerequisite subject areas. Some nursing schools require students to achieve a certain score on the nursing exam to be considered for acceptance, while others weigh applicant scores on the admission test along with other factors (such as GPA) to determine who gets admitted.

Three of the most popular pre-entrance exams that nursing schools require prospective students to take are the NET (Nursing Entrance Test), the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills), and the HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) Admission Assessment. Pre-nursing students should check with the schools they are applying to and find out which tests they will be required to take, as well as how their scores affect the admission process. While nursing entrance exams all generally test on a specific selection of key subject areas, the different versions do vary somewhat in format and content.

By knowing which specific admission exam they will be taking, pre-nursing school students will be able to adequately prepare themselves. There are study guides and tips available for all of these admission tests, often both online and in print. Many college bookstores stock preparation guides for the entrance exam that their nursing school uses. Often, a faculty member of the nursing department will be able to give information regarding the format of the admission test and which subject areas are covered. Alternatively, once the name of the required test is known, the student can easily find information and practice questions for the entrance exam they will have to take by doing a quick internet search.

NET (Nursing Entrance Test)