How to pass the TEAS science section: study the 27 objectives in order of points
Written and reviewed by Brittany Scott, BSN, RN, CCM · 4 min read · Updated November 2026
Short answer
To pass TEAS science, study ATI's 27 science objectives in order of scored weight: the anatomy and physiology systems first, since they carry 18 of the 44 scored items, then scientific reasoning, biology and chemistry. Practice at about 72 seconds a question, because the section gives 60 minutes for 50 items. Passing means meeting your program's cut score; ATI sets none.
What passing the science section means
ATI reports a Science content area score from 0 to 100 percent, equated across test forms so it can be compared fairly, plus raw sub-content scores for anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and scientific reasoning. ATI's scoring page describes these scores but sets no pass mark. Your nursing program decides whether it looks at science alone or only at your total.
So the first step is to find your program's published requirement. If it names a science minimum, that is your target; if it ranks applicants on the total score, science still matters most because it is 29 percent of scored items, the biggest share of the four sections.
Anatomy and physiology: study by system
ATI's outline has 12 anatomy and physiology objectives: general orientation of human anatomy, then respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, muscular, reproductive, integumentary, endocrine, urinary, immune and skeletal systems. With 18 scored items across 12 objectives, expect one or two items per system, so no system can be skipped safely.
For each system, be able to name the main structures, say what each one does, and trace one pathway without notes: blood through the heart chambers and valves, air from nose to alveoli, filtrate through the nephron, a signal along a reflex arc. Directional terms and body planes belong to the first objective and are easy points.
Scientific reasoning: most items per objective
Scientific reasoning has 9 scored items across only 4 objectives: using measurements and tools, applying logic and evidence to an explanation, predicting relationships among events and processes, and applying the scientific method to interpret an investigation. That is the most scored items per objective of any science sub-area.
Practice reading a short experiment and naming its independent variable, dependent variable, control group and the conclusion the data actually support. Objectives S.4.2 and S.4.4 ask you to apply evidence and interpret an investigation, which is closer to a reading skill than a memorization task, so practice on short experiments fits it well.
Biology and chemistry: 11 objectives for 17 items
Biology has 9 scored items over 5 objectives: cell structure and organization, how genetic material relates to protein structure, Mendel's laws, the four macromolecules, and the role of microbes in disease. Chemistry has 8 items over 6 objectives: atomic structure, properties and changes of matter, chemical reactions, conditions that affect reactions, solutions, and acids and bases.
Chemistry has the fewest items per objective in the section, so study it for recognition rather than depth. Across both areas, be able to read a Punnett square, balance a simple equation, and say what pH 3 and pH 11 mean, then move on rather than working through a full chemistry course.
Pacing, and a worked three-week plan
Science gives 60 minutes for 50 questions, including 6 unscored items you cannot identify, which works out to 72 seconds per question. That is tighter than math at 90 seconds and close to reading at about 73.
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Seconds per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 55 | about 73 |
| Math | 38 | 57 | 90 |
| Science | 50 | 60 | 72 |
| English and language usage | 37 | 37 | 60 |
ATI does not set a study time, so build one from the objectives. With three weeks of weekday study: days 1 to 6 cover two body systems a day, day 7 reviews them, days 8 and 9 cover scientific reasoning, days 10 to 12 biology, days 13 and 14 chemistry, and day 15 is a timed mixed set at 72 seconds per question.
Sources
ATI, ATI TEAS Version 7 Content Outline. Science scored items by sub-area (18, 9, 8, 9), 29 percent share, the 27 science objectives and their wording, objective counts for the other sections.
ATI, TEAS exam details. Questions, unscored items and minutes per section: science 50 questions with 6 unscored in 60 minutes; reading 45 in 55; math 38 in 57; English 37 in 37.
ATI Help Center, How is the ATI TEAS test scored. Total, content area and sub-content area scores; content area scores equated across forms, sub-content scores are raw percentages.
Common questions
How do I study for TEAS science?
Use ATI's content outline as a checklist of 27 objectives. Start with the 12 anatomy and physiology objectives, which carry 18 of 44 scored items, then scientific reasoning, biology and chemistry, and finish with timed sets at about 72 seconds per question.
Is TEAS science the hardest section?
ATI does not rank sections by difficulty. Science is the largest section, with 44 scored items or 29 percent of the test, and it has the most objectives at 27, against 15 in math, 14 in reading and 8 in English.
How long should I study for TEAS science?
ATI sets no study time. Plan from the objectives instead: at two anatomy and physiology systems a day and two or three other objectives a day after that, the 27 objectives plus review and a timed practice day fit in about three weeks of weekday study.