TEAS vs HESI A2 — what actually differs
You do not usually get to choose. The nursing program chooses, and it tells you which exam it accepts. But if you are applying to several programs, or trying to work out how much of your studying transfers, one structural difference matters more than any content comparison: the TEAS is a fixed exam and the HESI A2 is a menu.
The difference that matters most
The TEAS is one exam with one structure. Everyone who sits it takes the same four sections, in the same order, with the same question counts and time limits. You can look up exactly what you are walking into, and that is what the previous guide on this site does.
The HESI A2 is not built that way. Elsevier publishes eight academic components, and each nursing program selects which ones its applicants must sit. Two students can both say they took the HESI A2 and have sat different exams of different lengths.
Side by side
| ATI TEAS 7 | HESI A2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute) | Elsevier |
| Structure | Fixed: four sections, same for everyone | Modular: the program picks the components |
| Sections | Reading · Math · Science · English and Language Usage | Up to eight components, commonly four to six |
| Total questions | 170 (150 scored) | Depends on which components your program requires |
| Total time | 209 minutes | Depends on the configuration |
| Passing score | None — each school sets its own cut score | None — each school sets its own requirement |
| Price | Set by the institution or test site | Set by the institution or test site |
TEAS figures from ATI’s exam-details page; HESI component list from Elsevier. Both read 22 August 2026.
What the HESI A2 can include
Elsevier’s academic components are mathematics, reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and physics.
In practice, programs commonly require the first four and often add anatomy and physiology. Chemistry and physics are the least commonly required. Some versions also include a personality or learning-style inventory, which is not scored the way the academic components are.
- Mathematics — with a heavier lean toward conversions than the TEAS math section, and roman numerals, which the TEAS does not ask for.
- Reading Comprehension — same skills as TEAS reading, with health-flavoured passages.
- Vocabulary and General Knowledge — a component the TEAS has no direct equivalent for.
- Grammar — overlaps closely with TEAS English and Language Usage.
- Anatomy and Physiology — overlaps with roughly half of TEAS Science.
How much of your studying transfers
A great deal of it, which is the useful news if you are applying to programs that use different exams. Reading is reading. Grammar is grammar. Anatomy and physiology is the single largest shared block — it is a HESI component in its own right and roughly half the TEAS science section.
What does not transfer is narrower than people expect: TEAS science includes chemistry and scientific reasoning that a typical HESI configuration will not ask for, and the HESI adds vocabulary and roman numerals that the TEAS does not.
Which is harder
This is the question everyone asks and it does not have an answer, because the two exams are not scored against each other and neither has a passing mark. "Harder" would have to mean harder relative to a shared standard, and there is not one.
What can be said usefully: the TEAS is longer in one sitting and its science section is broad. The HESI’s difficulty depends on how many components your program requires and which ones. A five-component HESI including anatomy and physiology is a substantial exam; a four-component one is a shorter day than the TEAS.
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Start a practice testFrequently asked
- Can I choose whether to take the TEAS or the HESI A2?
- Usually not. The nursing program specifies which exam it accepts. If you are applying to several programs you may end up sitting both.
- Is the HESI A2 the same length as the TEAS?
- There is no fixed HESI A2 length. Programs choose which of Elsevier’s components their applicants sit, so the length depends on the configuration. The TEAS is fixed at 170 questions and 209 minutes.
- Do TEAS and HESI scores transfer between schools?
- The score reports do, but the requirements do not — each program sets its own cut score, and some set floors on individual sections as well as on the total.
- What overlaps most between the two exams?
- Anatomy and physiology, reading comprehension, and grammar. Anatomy and physiology is the biggest shared block: a HESI component in its own right and roughly half of the TEAS science section.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of the documents below, with the date it was read. Requirements change; if a source has moved on since that date, the source is right and this page is out of date.
- ATI — TEAS Exam Details (section table) Read August 22, 2026
- Elsevier / Evolve — HESI Admission Assessment (A2) exam components Read August 22, 2026
- ATI Help — What score do I need on the ATI TEAS exam? Read August 22, 2026
Page facts last verified August 22, 2026.
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Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute), Elsevier, or any nursing program. TEAS® and HESI® are trademarks of their respective owners. Practice questions here are original study material, not the official exams.