The nursing students all across the US have to take an entrance exam.
Choosing the right exam that meets your potential is important. You have to assess which test will prove more beneficial in the long run.
And the ATI TEAS 6 and HESI A2 exams make you critically aware of the job responsibilities that come with being a nurse. However, HESI A2 is extensively longer and slightly difficult to attempt as compared to the ATI TEAS 6 exam.
This article aims to differentiate the subjective and contextual variations attached to each exam to help aspiring nursing students make the right decision.
Changes in Content
The ATI TEAS 6
Reading Section
As per TEAS 6 requirements, nursing students have 53 questions to complete in 64 minutes. The reading section of the exam entails knowledge and ideas, contextualization and reading, and combining the central idea with details.
Mathematics Section
The mathematics section comprises of 36 questions in total with a given time of 54 minutes. And nursing students have to solve algebra problems, measurement of data, conversion of decimals, percentages, and non-numeric fractions.
Science Section
The science section, on the other hand, has 53 questions that the students have to answer within 63 minutes. Moreover, the section also includes questions specific to the human anatomy and physiology. Also, nursing students need to have knowledge of the laws of heredity for analytical and scientific reasoning.
Use of English Language
The last section of the ATI TEAS 6 exam consists of usage of the English language. This category comprises of 28 questions in total with an allocated time of only 28 minutes. Topics may vary from the use of vocabulary, standardized etiquette, and overall knowledge of the English language.
HESI A2
The HESI A2 exam has a total number of 10 sections as compared to just 4 sections of the TEAS 6. The learning criteria and method also vary significantly with the added length of the exam.
Reading Comprehension
HESI A2 exam starts with the reading comprehension category with 47 questions in total. The purpose of the section is to strengthen the ability of nursing students to analyze different scenarios in a competitive environment and draw logical conclusions from given content.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary section will have a total of 50 questions related to healthcare area. You will be asked to make necessary sentence structures comprising of simple and complex vocabulary words.
Grammar
The grammar-centric category consists of 50 questions and will focus on speech, identifying common grammatical errors, basic terminology, and speech pattern.
Standard Math Skills
This section contains 50 questions in total directly associated with everyday functioning of the healthcare sector. Furthermore, you will have to add, subtract, multiply, use decimals, apply ratio and proportions for specific given measurements.
Biology
Nursing students will have to answer questions related to photosynthesis, metabolism, cellular structure, cellular respiration, and water properties, and biological molecules. The test consists of 25 questions that students need to answer in just 25 minutes.
Chemistry
The chemistry category comprises of 25 questions. And you will receive mixed questions regarding chemical equations, periodic tables, matter properties, chemical bonding, and nuclear chemistry.
Anatomy and Physiology
As for as anatomy and physiology section goes in HESI A2 exam, the questions range from applied terminology and structured mechanism of anatomical systems in the body. The section consists of 25 questions.
General Profiling and Learning Style
A separate section comprised of profiling and learning technique distinguishes HESI A2 most from the TEAS 6 exam. The category will examine your personality type and ask relevant questions suitable for your persona.
After the completion of questions that identifies your learning technique, a guideline of study tips is presented that is specifically concentrated and highlights your perceived style.
Critical Thinking
The moral dilemma and empathy are generalized with the help of the critical thinking section. Additionally, the goal is to weigh your problem-solving skills and analyze argumental data without unbiased and unprejudiced opinion.
Allocation of Time
The time given to complete the ATI TEAS 6 exam is approximately 209 minutes whereas the extensive length of the HESI A2 has a limit of 4 hours. Moreover, you need to plan the division of time on each section carefully beforehand to minimize the risk of missing out any question.
Marking Scores
Although the score sheet is available to students for each section after the completion of the TEAS 6 exam, there are no specific judgmental set of conditions to ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ the exam. Similarly, nursing schools set in motion their own rules and regulations to pass or enter the program.
And HESI A2 exam isn’t set under nursing program authority yet also has no “passing” score mechanism in place.
