TEAS score report explained: adjusted individual total score, levels and percentile ranks

The adjusted individual total score

ATI's score explanation says the raw score, meaning the number of items you got right, is converted to the total score through a process called equating, which adjusts for small differences in difficulty between test forms. Adjusted means equated. It does not mean curved against other test takers.

The total draws on all four content areas. The four content area scores are adjusted the same way, and ATI warns that they do not add up to the total. A TEAS 7 sample report from January 2026 lists 150 points: Reading 39, Math 34, Science 44, and English and Language Usage 33, the same split as ATI's content outline.

The five preparedness levels and their ranges

ATI's score explanation sheet sets these bands for the total score: Developmental 0.0% to 40.7%, Basic 41.3% to 58.0%, Proficient 58.7% to 77.3%, Advanced 78.0% to 90.0%, and Exemplary 90.7% to 100.0%. The small gaps between bands, about 0.7 points, match one question out of 150.

ATI describes Proficient as a moderate level of preparedness, where students can require extra preparation on some objectives, and Advanced and Exemplary as levels where extra preparation is not likely needed. These are ATI's labels, not admission decisions. ATI's help center states that each school sets its own required score, so Proficient is not a pass unless your program says it is.

Means and percentile ranks

The national mean is the average score of all examinees, and the program mean is the average for examinees in your program type, such as ADN or BSN. The national percentile rank is the percentage of examinees who scored at or below your score; the program percentile rank uses only your program type.

Worked example. In ATI's January 2026 sample, a total of 92.7% sits at the 99th national percentile against a national mean of 64.9%. That means 99% of examinees scored at or below it. It does not mean the student answered 99% correctly. A percentile also shifts with the comparison group, so the same score can rank differently against ADN and BSN applicants.

Sub-scores, n/a and topics to review

Below each content area you see sub-content scores, such as Key Ideas and Details under Reading. ATI's scoring page says these are plain percentages correct and are not equated across forms, so do not compare them between attempts. The report notes that means and percentile ranks show as n/a for sub-scales with fewer than five items.

Topics to Review lists the objectives behind the questions you missed, with study guide references. This is the most useful part of the report if you plan a retake, because it points at specific objectives rather than whole sections.

Preliminary scores and what schools look at

For TEAS at ATI exams, ATI says the score shows as preliminary for about 4 business days. Check your program's instructions on whether a preliminary report is accepted. The annotated sample that Cal State LA hosts, for example, notes that preliminary scores are acceptable for upload to the Nursing CAS application.

Many programs look past the total. That sample is also annotated with a rule that all four content areas must be 70% or higher to apply, which shows a program can set minimums per section. Read your school's requirement for the total, each section and the number of attempts before you decide whether a score is good enough.

Sources

ATI TEAS sample Individual Performance Profile and Score Explanation (hosted by Cal State LA, 2026). Equating, 0% to 100% scale, preparedness level ranges and definitions, mean and percentile definitions, n/a under five items, January 2026 TEAS 7 sample with 150 points, Cal State LA annotations

ATI Help: What is an Individual Performance Profile for TEAS?. Report contents, preliminary for about 4 business days for TEAS at ATI, schools set their own requirement

ATI Help: How is the ATI TEAS test scored?. Total and content area scores equated; sub-content scores are percentages correct, not equated, not comparable