Let the program requirements narrow the choice
- One exam accepted: prepare for that exam unless the program confirms an applicable exception.
- Either accepted: compare the actual required sections, dates and score-selection rules before deciding.
- Different schools require different exams: plan for both requirements or revise your application list. Do not assume one result replaces the other.
- An exemption may apply: obtain confirmation for your own pathway and application cycle before skipping a test.
Use the program’s admissions page, not merely a testing center’s menu of exams. A center can administer a test without making it acceptable to your particular program. “Nursing” can also include several tracks with different requirements at the same college.
This comparison concerns ATI TEAS and the HESI Admission Assessment (A2). CARE’s separate HESI A2 overview explains that exam in more detail. The decision checklist here is for choosing and coordinating admissions tests, not for selecting a nursing licensure exam.
Compare structure without assuming interchangeable scores
| Question | ATI TEAS | HESI A2 |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it? | ATI. | Elsevier. |
| What subject structure should I prepare for? | Four sections: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage. | Confirm the subject modules selected by your program; the required list can differ. |
| Is there one universal test length to copy into my calendar? | The Version 7 outline specifies 170 delivered questions, including 20 unscored items, and 209 minutes of testing time. | Use the instructions for your program’s required test configuration and appointment. Do not infer the duration from a generic module list. |
| What result will my school use? | Check total/section requirements and the program’s selection policy. | Check required module results and any average or other selection rules. |
| Can I substitute the other exam? | Only when the program explicitly accepts it for your pathway. Acceptance at another school is not permission. | |
Source: ATI TEAS Version 7 structure and content outline.
Elsevier’s current sixth-edition A2 review lists mathematics, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry and anatomy/physiology. A review book’s contents are not your registration instructions: the school’s required sections still control what you must complete.
Source: Elsevier, Admission Assessment Exam Review, sixth edition.
Real examples show why the school matters
These examples were checked September 17, 2026. They illustrate differences; they are not a national admissions rule or a substitute for confirming your own application requirements.
Cizik School of Nursing: an either-exam pathway with conditions
UTHealth Houston’s Cizik School of Nursing says Pacesetter Accelerated BSN applicants who completed prerequisites elsewhere may use HESI A2 or TEAS. Its published pathway also describes an exam exemption for eligible direct-admission applicants completing the specified science prerequisites through its Pre-Nursing pathway.
For applicants using HESI, the program lists seven required sections, including Biology and Chemistry. The school also limits combined HESI/TEAS attempts and uses the last attempt. Switching test names is therefore not automatically a way to obtain an extra attempt.
Source: Cizik, BSN application requirements.
Houston City College: verify the particular nursing track
The HCC Coleman nursing page lists HESI A2 and says substitutions are not allowed, but its vocational-nursing section also lists TEAS score thresholds. Those statements do not establish a clear exam-choice rule. Ask the program which requirement applies to your track and application cycle before booking either exam. The same section names HESI A&P, Grammar, Math and Reading, plus Critical Thinking and a Learning Style component; this illustrates a published module list, not confirmation that HESI or TEAS will satisfy your application.
Because the page contains multiple nursing pathways, check the heading for your exact track rather than borrowing a requirement from another section. An online “HESI subjects” list cannot resolve that choice for you.
Reuse academic skills, then check what is missing
Reading evidence, working with numbers and editing sentences can be useful across admissions preparation. That overlap does not make a TEAS practice score a HESI score or turn one provider’s questions into official preparation for the other.
- Reading: practice explaining a conclusion from a passage, but learn the instructions and format of your actual exam.
- Math: review the underlying calculation and units; check the required content instead of assuming two review lists are identical.
- Language: distinguish grammar, vocabulary and reading tasks. A program may name these separately.
- Science: match each required area to a study resource. Do not assume A&P alone replaces Biology, Chemistry or the other Science topics in the TEAS outline.
Make two lists: skills you can reuse and required areas you have not yet addressed. This is more useful than restarting every subject from the beginning or treating the exams as identical. Keep practice materials labeled by the exam they were designed for.
Build one comparison row per program and application cycle
Copy these headings into your notes or a spreadsheet. Fill them from the program’s primary admissions source, including the date checked. Leave an unresolved field visibly unresolved until the program answers it.
| Record | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Program and pathway | Institution, campus, degree/track and application cycle; any exemption that actually applies. |
| Accepted exam | TEAS, HESI A2 or either; required version, provider or testing location if specified. |
| Required subjects | Exact module list and any additional components; whether sections must be completed together. |
| Score use | Required versus recommended results, total/section rules and which attempt is used. |
| Timing and attempts | Score age limit, deadline, retake interval and whether attempts across exams are combined. |
| Registration and delivery | Correct school code, transcript recipient, external-score acceptance and processing time. |
| Evidence | Official URL, retrieval date and admissions contact for unresolved questions. |
An efficient clarification request is specific: “I am applying to [track] for [cycle]. Does a HESI A2 taken for another institution satisfy your requirement, and which sections must appear on that report?” Keep the reply with the source record. A general question such as “Do you take HESI?” may leave the important conditions unanswered.
Which is harder: TEAS or HESI A2?
Another applicant’s experience does not settle your choice. Their required HESI sections, recent coursework, testing conditions and strengths may differ from yours. A shorter subject list is not proof that the required material will be easier for you.
If both are genuinely accepted, examine the required areas and representative authorized practice for each. Note the kinds of work you can explain and the areas that need review. Also consider feasible test dates and the program’s score policy. Do not convert a percentage on one test into an expected percentage on the other; this page provides no validated score-conversion formula.
Most importantly, do not choose an unaccepted test because an online comparison calls it easier. The usefulness of a result begins with whether your program can use it.
Match the next resource to the exam you actually need
Preparing for TEAS: use the study-plan guide, try the free TEAS sample, and review CARE’s TEAS preparation options.
Preparing for HESI A2: start with your school’s instructions and the HESI information page. CARE does not currently sell HESI A2 practice. The TEAS checkout is for TEAS preparation, not a HESI package.
Still deciding: finish the program comparison first. It is reasonable to seek clarification before spending money on a test, transcript or preparation that may not satisfy the requirement.
Choose your next step
- Reading comprehension — Explain a reading conclusion with specific passage evidence.
- English grammar — Recognize and explain the sentence change that fixes a writing problem.
- TEAS study plan — Organize preparation time across subjects, practice and review.
- Try CARE’s free TEAS sample or explore TEAS preparation options.
CARE is independent of ATI and Elsevier. These original lessons and worked examples are educational resources, not official exam questions or predictions of an exam result.