ATI does not set a passing score for the TEAS. Every nursing programme sets its own, which is why you will find wildly different numbers online — they are all true, for different schools.
Typical thresholds
- ADN / associate programmes — commonly around 60–70%
- BSN / bachelor's programmes — commonly around 70–80%
- Competitive programmes — routinely admitting at 85%+
These are ranges, not rules. A programme in a high-demand area may sit well above its category; a programme actively recruiting may sit below it.
ATI's performance levels
Your report also places you in a band — Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced, Exemplary. Programmes sometimes phrase their requirement as a level ("Proficient or above") rather than a percentage. Proficient is the usual floor for a competitive application.
Section minimums catch people out
Plenty of programmes set a floor on an individual section on top of the total — most often Science or Mathematics. It is entirely possible to clear the overall requirement and be rejected on one section. If your school publishes a section minimum, treat it as a hard target and study to it specifically.
How your score is used
Some programmes treat the TEAS as pass/fail and then rank on GPA. Others put it into a points formula alongside GPA and prerequisites, where every percentage point moves you up the list. Which model your school uses changes your strategy: under the first, clearing the bar is enough; under the second, another five points is worth real effort.
If you score below what you need
- Check the retake policy first. Attempts per cycle and waiting periods are set by the school.
- Use the sub-scores. The report tells you exactly which topics cost you. A second attempt that repeats the first study plan usually repeats the first result.
- Ask which attempt counts. Some programmes take your highest score, some the most recent, some the average. This materially changes whether a retake is a good idea.