How long is a TEAS score good for? Why the answer depends on your school
Written and reviewed by Brittany Scott, BSN, RN, CCM · 4 min read · Updated November 2026
Short answer
A TEAS score has no expiry date set by ATI. Each nursing program decides how old a score it will accept, and ATI notes that two years is common. Rules really do differ: Kapi'olani Community College accepts scores for three years, while Waukesha County Technical College says its scores have no expiration date.
Who decides how long a TEAS score lasts
As of November 2026, ATI's own TEAS FAQ puts it plainly: schools decide how long they will accept a score, two years is common, and policies vary. ATI does not void or delete your result after a set period. The score stays in your ATI account, and the question is only whether the program you apply to will still count it.
The same split applies to the other rules people expect ATI to set. ATI says there is no universal passing score, and it does not require a waiting period between attempts. Validity, minimum scores and retake limits all come from the program, which is why two applicants with the same old score can get different answers from two schools.
Real school rules compared
The three published rules below show how wide the range is. They were checked on each school's own page in November 2026; programs change these rules between admission cycles, so confirm them on the page for the cycle you are applying to.
| School | How old a score can be | Retake rule on the same page |
|---|---|---|
| Kapi'olani Community College (Hawaii) | Valid for three years | Retest after waiting 90 days |
| Waukesha County Technical College (Wisconsin) | No expiration date | No limit on retakes; 30 days between attempts strongly recommended |
| North Shore Community College (Massachusetts) | The TEAS requirements page does not publish a validity period | Three attempts in the academic year before you apply |
Notice that North Shore controls recency through attempts rather than an expiry date. Its page says scores from attempts beyond the three allowed in that academic year are invalid, so an applicant planning a fourth try would gain nothing from it that year.
Questions to ask before you reuse an old score
If your score is more than a year old, read the admissions page for the exact program, not the college's general testing page. Nursing, practical nursing and allied health programs at the same college can set different TEAS rules, as North Shore's separate minimums for each program show.
Then ask the admissions office three things the published pages often leave out: whether the age is counted from your test date or from the application deadline, whether they take your most recent attempt or your best one, and whether a score from another school's testing session is accepted. Get the answer in writing if your score is close to the cutoff date.
How to send an older score to a new school
According to ATI's FAQ, if you tested through TEAS at ATI or at PSI, one transcript credit is included but it is not sent automatically. You log in to your ATI account, open the Results tab, select Send Transcript, choose the school and send it. The same steps work for an older attempt, as long as the school still accepts it.
If you tested through TEAS at Institution, ATI says your transcript went automatically to the school where you tested. Applying somewhere else means ordering a transcript for that new school from your ATI account. Ask the school what format it accepts, and send the official transcript early enough for it to arrive before the deadline.
Sources
ATI Help: ATI TEAS exam FAQs. Schools decide how long they accept a score and two years is common; no universal passing score; no required waiting period; how transcripts are sent for each test option (checked November 2026).
Kapi'olani Community College: ATI TEAS testing. TEAS scores valid for three years; retest after 90 days.
Waukesha County Technical College: ATI TEAS. No expiration date for TEAS scores; unlimited retakes with a fee; 30 days between retakes recommended.
North Shore Community College: TEAS score requirements. Program-specific TEAS minimums and the limit of three attempts in the academic year before applying.
Common questions
Do TEAS scores expire?
Not on ATI's side. ATI keeps your result in your account and leaves it to each school to decide how old a score it accepts. Some schools set a limit, such as three years at Kapi'olani Community College, and some set none, such as Waukesha County Technical College.
How long are TEAS scores good for at most schools?
ATI's FAQ says two years is common, but that is a pattern, not a rule. Check the admissions page of the exact program you are applying to, because programs at the same college can set different limits.
Can I reuse an old TEAS score for a new application?
Yes, if the new program accepts a score of that age. Send it as an official ATI transcript from the Results tab of your ATI account. If you tested at a school, ATI only sent the result to that school, so order a transcript for any new one.