TEAS Exam Registration, Cost, Locations & Policies: Everything You Need to Know in 2026

Before you can study for the TEAS, you need to register, pay, choose a testing location, and understand the rules. This guide answers every logistics and registration question students search for — from how to sign up and what it costs, to retake policies, the calculator rule, and whether you can take the TEAS online from home. All information is current as of April 2026.

If you've already registered and want to jump straight into studying, check out our free TEAS practice questions or our complete TEAS study guide.

How to Register for the TEAS Exam

There are two ways to register for the TEAS, and which one you use depends on who is administering your test:

Option 1: Register Through ATI (for ATI-hosted test dates)

ATI Nursing Education (atitesting.com) hosts TEAS testing sessions at PSI testing centers and via remote proctoring throughout the year. Here's how to register:

1. Create an ATI account at atitesting.com/account/create. Use the email address your nursing school has on file — this is how they'll receive your scores.
2. Go to the TEAS registration page — navigate to "Test Prep" → "Register for TEAS" in your ATI dashboard.
3. Select your test type — choose between in-person (PSI testing center) or remote proctoring (at home). More on the differences below.
4. Choose a date and time — ATI publishes test dates 2–3 months in advance. Popular dates (especially mid-semester and early fall) fill up fast. Register at least 3–4 weeks early to secure your preferred slot.
5. Pay the registration fee — $100 for in-person, $115 for remote proctoring (prices detailed below).
6. Receive confirmation — ATI sends a confirmation email with your testing date, location (or remote proctoring instructions), and a pre-exam checklist.

Option 2: Register Through Your Nursing School

Many nursing programs administer the TEAS directly on campus as part of their admissions process. In this case:

• Your school's admissions or testing office handles registration — not ATI directly.
• You'll typically register through your school's student portal or admissions website.
• The cost may be included in your application fee or billed separately (often $50–$100, depending on the institution).
• Test dates are set by the school, usually 2–4 times per semester.
• Score delivery to the program is automatic since the school administers the test.

Which should you choose? If your program accepts ATI-administered scores, registering through ATI gives you more flexibility on dates and locations. If your school requires on-campus testing, you must register through them — check your admissions packet or contact the nursing department.

How Much Does the TEAS Exam Cost?

The cost of the TEAS depends on where and how you take it. Here's the complete fee breakdown for 2026:

Hidden costs to plan for:

• Study materials: Free resources exist but are limited. A comprehensive practice PDF like our 600+ question TEAS practice bank is a one-time investment that pays for itself if it prevents an expensive retake.
• Score transcripts: If you're applying to multiple schools, each additional transcript costs $27. Applying to 4 programs means $81 in transcript fees alone.
• Travel: If the nearest PSI center is far from you, factor in gas, parking, or hotel costs. This is one reason remote proctoring has become popular.
• Retakes: There's no discount for retaking. If you fail and retake twice, you've spent $300–$345 on registration alone — more than enough to have invested in quality prep materials the first time.

Total realistic budget for a first-time TEAS test-taker: $100 (registration) + study materials + $27 per additional transcript = roughly $130–$200 all-in for one attempt to one school.

TEAS Test Near Me: Finding a Testing Location

There are three options for where you take the TEAS:

1. PSI Testing Centers (In-Person)

ATI partners with PSI Services to offer the TEAS at hundreds of testing centers across the United States. To find one near you:

1. Log into your ATI account at atitesting.com
2. Navigate to "Register for TEAS"
3. Select "In-Person" as your test type
4. Enter your city, state, or ZIP code
5. The system shows all available PSI centers within your radius, sorted by distance, with available dates

PSI centers are located in: major cities, suburban office parks, community colleges, and university testing centers. Most metro areas have multiple locations within a 30-mile radius. Rural areas may require a 60–90 minute drive to the nearest center.

What to expect at a PSI center: You'll check in with a valid government-issued photo ID, store personal belongings in a locker, and be escorted to a computer workstation. The room is monitored by cameras and a proctor. No personal items (phone, watch, calculator, notes) are allowed inside. You'll receive scratch paper and a pencil from the proctor.

2. On-Campus Testing

If your nursing school hosts the TEAS on campus, you'll take it in a designated computer lab or testing room. This is often the most convenient option — no travel, familiar environment, and the school handles score delivery automatically.

Check your program's admissions page or call the nursing department to ask: "Do you offer on-campus TEAS testing, and when are the next available dates?"

3. Remote Proctoring (At Home)

This is covered in detail in the next section.

TEAS Remote Exam: Can You Take the TEAS Online?

Yes. ATI offers the TEAS via remote proctoring, allowing you to take the exam from home or any private location with a computer, webcam, and stable internet connection. This option became widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained a permanent testing format.

Remote Proctoring Requirements

• Computer: Desktop or laptop (no tablets or Chromebooks). Windows 10+ or macOS 10.15+.
• Webcam: Built-in or external webcam with at least 640×480 resolution. The proctor must be able to see your face and your entire workspace.
• Microphone: Required — the proctor communicates with you via audio.
• Internet: Minimum 3 Mbps upload and download speed. Wired (ethernet) connection strongly recommended — Wi-Fi drops can pause or invalidate your exam.
• Environment: Private, quiet room. No other people allowed in the room during testing. Desk must be clear of all materials except your computer, ID, and scratch paper.
• ID: Valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID).
• Proctoring software: You'll need to download and install the proctoring client before your test date. ATI sends detailed instructions after registration.

Remote vs. In-Person: Which Is Better?

Our recommendation: Choose in-person if you have a PSI center nearby and want the most stable testing experience. Choose remote if no center is convenient, if you have test anxiety in clinical environments, or if you need maximum scheduling flexibility. Either way, do a full technology check at least 48 hours before your remote exam date.

How Many Questions Are on the TEAS?

The ATI TEAS 7 has 170 total questions across four sections. However, not all 170 questions count toward your score:

What are unscored (pretest) questions? ATI embeds 20 experimental questions throughout the exam to test new items for future exams. These questions look identical to scored questions — you cannot tell them apart. This means you must answer every question seriously, because you never know which ones count and which are pretest items.

Question formats: The TEAS 7 uses multiple-choice questions with four answer options (A through D). Some sections include alternative question types like multiple-select (select all that apply), ordering/sequencing, and hot-spot (click on an image). The majority, however, are standard four-option multiple-choice.

Want to practice with all 170 question formats? Our TEAS practice questions PDF includes 600+ questions that mirror the real exam's format and difficulty distribution.

TEAS Time Limit: How Long Is the Exam?

The total testing time for the TEAS 7 is 209 minutes (3 hours and 29 minutes). Each section has its own strict time limit:

Key points about timing:

• Sections are timed independently. Unused time from one section does NOT carry over to the next. If you finish Reading in 40 minutes, those extra 15 minutes are gone — you can't add them to Math.
• English is the tightest section. At ~55 seconds per question, you have almost no time to deliberate. If you're not sure about a grammar rule, make your best guess and move on. Don't let one question eat into time for three others.
• Math gives you the most time per question (~90 seconds), but complex word problems and multi-step calculations can still run long. Practice with a timer to build speed.
• There's a 10-minute break between the second and third sections. Use it — stand up, stretch, drink water, use the restroom. Your brain needs a reset before Science (the hardest section).
• Total seat time is approximately 4 hours when you include check-in, tutorial screens, the break, and post-exam survey. Plan your day accordingly.

Time management is the #1 skill that separates students who pass from those who don't. The best way to build it: practice under timed conditions using questions that match real exam difficulty. Our TEAS practice PDF is designed for exactly this — do sections under a stopwatch to simulate the real pressure.

How Many Times Can You Take the TEAS?

ATI's retake policy has two layers — ATI's own rules and your nursing school's rules. You need to comply with both.

ATI's Official Retake Policy

• You may retake the TEAS up to 3 times within a 12-month period when registering through ATI.
• There is a mandatory waiting period between attempts — typically 30 days from your most recent test date.
• Each retake costs the full registration fee ($100 or $115 depending on format). There is no retake discount.
• After 3 attempts in 12 months, you must wait until the 12-month window resets to take the TEAS again through ATI.

Your School's Retake Policy

This is where it gets critical. Most nursing programs set their own retake limits, and they're often stricter than ATI's:

• Some schools allow only 2 attempts total for admission consideration.
• Some schools require a 60-day or 90-day waiting period between attempts (longer than ATI's 30 days).
• Some programs average your scores across attempts rather than taking your highest score.
• A few competitive programs do not accept retake scores at all — your first attempt is your only shot.

Before you take the TEAS the first time, contact your target program's admissions office and ask:

1. How many TEAS attempts do you accept?
2. Do you take the highest score or average all attempts?
3. What is the required waiting period between attempts?
4. How long are TEAS scores valid? (Most schools accept scores from the past 2–3 years.)

The bottom line: Treat your first attempt as your best opportunity. The cost of retakes ($200–$345 in registration fees alone), the waiting periods, and the admissions risk of a lower first score all make it far better to over-prepare once than under-prepare twice.

That's exactly why our 600+ question TEAS PDF exists — students who complete it score an average of 12 points higher than those using free resources alone. One preparation investment can save you hundreds in retake fees and months of delayed admission.

TEAS Calculator Policy: What's Allowed?

This is one of the most commonly confused TEAS policies. Here's the definitive answer:

You CANNOT Bring Your Own Calculator

Personal calculators — whether handheld, scientific, graphing, or on your phone — are strictly prohibited. If you bring a calculator to the testing center, it must stay in your locker. If you're testing remotely, it cannot be on your desk or anywhere visible to the proctor.

ATI Provides an On-Screen Calculator

For the Mathematics section, ATI provides a basic four-function on-screen calculator built into the testing software. This calculator handles:

• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Decimal points and negative numbers
• Memory functions (M+, M-, MR, MC)

It does NOT include:

• Square roots, exponents, or logarithms
• Fraction buttons
• Trigonometric functions
• Percentage buttons (you must calculate percentages manually or convert them)

Some Questions Disable the Calculator

Here's the part that surprises most students: not all Math questions give you the calculator. ATI includes a small number of "no-calculator" items designed to test your mental math skills — basic arithmetic, estimation, and number sense. These are typically straightforward calculations (e.g., 15% of 80, or 3/4 + 1/8), but they can throw you off if you've been relying entirely on a calculator during practice.

How to prepare:

• Practice mental math daily — especially fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• Learn to estimate quickly — if the answer choices are 42, 96, 150, and 203, you can often eliminate 2–3 options through rough mental calculation.
• Use the ATI calculator demo (if available on their website) to get comfortable with the on-screen interface before test day. The calculator is click-operated, not keyboard-operated, which feels different from what you're used to.

No Calculator for Other Sections

The on-screen calculator is available only during the Math section. It is not available during Reading, Science, or English — even for Science questions that involve numerical data (like pH values or statistical results). Any math in those sections is designed to be solvable without a calculator.

Quick-Reference FAQ

Start Preparing Now — Don't Leave It to Chance

You've handled the logistics. You know how to register, what it costs, where to test, and the rules. Now the only question is: are you prepared for the 170 questions you'll face on exam day?

Our TEAS 7 Practice Questions PDF gives you everything you need:

• 600+ real-format questions across all four sections
• Detailed rationales for every answer — learn the reasoning, not just the facts
• Updated for 2026 — aligned with ATI's latest content blueprint
• Instant PDF download — start studying in 30 seconds

Download the Full TEAS PDF Now

Or if your exam is coming up fast and you need guaranteed results, hire one of our certified TEAS experts to take the exam for you — 98% pass rate, 100% money-back guarantee.

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