What nursing entrance exam should I take for nursing school admission?

It depends on your target school's requirement. The most common nursing entrance exams are: TEAS 7 (ATI) — used by many BSN programs and community college ADN programs; HESI A2 — common at schools using Elsevier materials; NLN PAX (PAX-RN for RN programs, PAX-PN for LPN programs) — used by NLN-member schools; and KAPLAN Nursing Admission Test — used at some programs. Check your specific school's admission requirements — some schools accept multiple exams, others require only one specific test.

What is the minimum score needed to get into nursing school?

Nursing school admission score requirements vary by program and tend to be competitive. For TEAS 7, most programs require a minimum composite score of 60-65%, with competitive programs expecting 75%+. For HESI A2, most programs require 65-75% minimum, with top programs expecting 80%+. Nursing programs are highly competitive — meeting the minimum doesn't guarantee admission. Scoring in the top 25% of applicants significantly improves your chances at selective programs.

Can I retake the nursing entrance exam if I don't pass?

Most nursing entrance exams allow retakes, but with waiting periods. TEAS typically allows one retake per testing window (usually 3 months between attempts). HESI A2 allows retakes per school policy — typically 60 days between attempts. NLN PAX allows retakes, but schools may only accept a limited number of attempts. Some nursing programs count only your most recent score; others count your highest. Check your target program's retake policy before testing.

How important is science knowledge for nursing entrance exams?

Science is critical — it's typically the highest-weighted section on TEAS (50 questions out of 170 total) and is tested across multiple sections of the HESI A2 (separate biology, chemistry, and A&P modules). Anatomy and physiology is particularly important — it's directly relevant to nursing practice, so programs weight it heavily. Students with recent high school biology and chemistry courses have an advantage; others should invest significant study time in science foundations before testing, particularly cell biology, human body systems, and basic chemistry.

Nursing Entrance Exam Practice Test PDF (Free Printable 2026)

Prepare for the Nursing Entrance certification. Practice questions with answer explanations covering all exam domains.

NEX - Nursing Entrance ExamMay 7, 20266 min read

Nursing Entrance Exam Practice Test PDF (Free Printable 2026)

NEX Nursing Entrance Exam Practice Test PDF – Free Printable Nursing School Prep

Preparing for a nursing entrance exam (NEX) for nursing school admission? A printable NEX practice test PDF gives you an offline format to review the math, reading comprehension, science, and verbal reasoning sections that nursing school entrance tests assess. Working through nursing entrance exam questions on paper builds the academic foundations that nursing programs require. This page provides a free PDF download and a guide to what nursing entrance exams test.

Nursing school entrance exams are required for admission to associate degree (ADN), bachelor's degree (BSN), and LPN/LVN nursing programs. Common nursing entrance tests include the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills), HESI A2 (Health Education Systems Incorporated Admissions Assessment), NLN PAX (National League for Nursing Pre-Admission Examination), and program-specific tests. All test foundational academic skills in reading, math, science, and English language.

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What Nursing Entrance Exams Cover

Nursing entrance exams test foundational academic skills with a health science emphasis. Your NEX nursing entrance exam PDF covers all major content areas.

Reading Comprehension

Reading passages include health and science texts, informational articles, and clinical scenarios. Question types: main idea and purpose, supporting details, inference, vocabulary in context, text structure (compare/contrast, cause/effect, sequence), and drawing conclusions. For nursing school reading practice, focus on medical and health-science texts — you'll read about anatomy, pharmacology, and patient care. Practice identifying the central argument and distinguishing facts from opinions in clinical reading passages.

Mathematics

Nursing entrance math tests practical mathematics used in clinical settings. Topics: arithmetic (fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios), algebra (solving equations, proportions — directly used for drug dosage calculations), measurement (converting between metric units, reading measurement tools), and data interpretation (reading graphs and tables). Drug dosage calculation format: "Patient weighs 70 kg and requires 2 mg/kg. The medication comes in 50 mg/mL. How many mL should you administer?" Know how to set up ratio/proportion equations — the same skill used for nursing dosage math.

Science: Anatomy and Physiology

A&P is the highest-weighted science content area on nursing entrance exams. Key systems tested: cardiovascular (heart chambers, valves, blood flow path, cardiac cycle), respiratory (lungs, gas exchange — oxygen/CO2 at alveoli, respiratory control), digestive (organs and their functions — stomach acid, small intestine absorption, large intestine water resorption), urinary (kidney function — filtration, reabsorption, urine formation, nephron anatomy), nervous (brain regions and functions, PNS vs. CNS, neurotransmission basics), and musculoskeletal (major muscles, types of muscle tissue, bone structure). Cell biology basics (cell organelles, mitosis vs. meiosis, osmosis/diffusion/active transport) are also tested.

Science: Biology and Chemistry

Biology topics include: cell structure and function (plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes), genetics (DNA structure, transcription/translation, dominant/recessive inheritance patterns, Punnett squares), ecology basics, and human biology systems. Chemistry topics focus on what's directly relevant to clinical practice: atomic structure (protons, neutrons, electrons — periodic table basics), chemical bonding and reactions, acids and bases (pH scale — acids below 7, bases above 7, body pH 7.35-7.45), and basic organic chemistry (functional groups relevant to biochemistry).

English Language and Grammar

English language sections test grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. Grammar topics: subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, parallel structure, verb tense consistency, and modifier placement. Punctuation: comma usage (before coordinating conjunctions, after introductory phrases), apostrophes, and semicolons. Vocabulary: health science terminology, prefixes and suffixes (Brady- = slow, tachy- = fast, cardio- = heart, -itis = inflammation, -ectomy = removal) directly tested on HESI A2 and NLN PAX vocabulary sections.

How to Use This PDF

Focus on A&P first — it's the most heavily weighted science content and requires the most memory work. After this PDF, take online nursing entrance practice tests at nex nursing entrance exam for instant scored feedback by subject area.

Hesi Test Practice Test - NEX - Nursing Entrance Exam certification study resource

Free Nursing Entrance Exam Practice Tests Online

After completing this PDF, take full online nursing entrance exam practice tests at nex nursing entrance exam — instant scoring across reading, math, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and English language with explanations for every answer. Use both formats: PDF for offline science content review and math practice, online for timed exam simulation matching the format of the TEAS, HESI A2, or NLN PAX your target nursing program requires.