TEAS vs PAX: how the NLN entrance exam compares with ATI TEAS 7

PAX or NEX: check the name first

Many school pages still say "NLN PAX" or "pre-admission exam". As of November 2026, the assessments page of the National League for Nursing lists the Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX), not a product called PAX, and the NLN technical brief, last updated January 26, 2026, describes the NEX as its tool to guide admission decisions.

If your program asks for the PAX, email admissions and ask whether they mean the NEX and which score report they read. That one question saves you from studying for a format the NLN no longer lists.

Side by side: questions, sections and time

ATI TEAS 7: Reading has 45 questions in 55 minutes, Mathematics 38 in 57, Science 50 in 60, and English and Language Usage 37 in 37. That is 170 questions in 209 minutes, and 20 of them are unscored pretest items.

NLN NEX: Verbal has 50 scored and 8 unscored items, Math 40 scored and 5 unscored, Science 55 scored and 5 unscored, so 163 items in all. Each subject test is timed at 60 minutes and all three must be finished to get a score report. Every item is four-option multiple choice, with no penalty for guessing; a blank counts as wrong.

What each exam emphasizes

The TEAS gives grammar and language usage its own section. The NEX has no grammar section; half of its Verbal test is Word Knowledge, which the NLN says tests word meaning using context clues and Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots, and the other half is reading passages at a ninth-grade level or higher.

Science weighting also differs. The NEX science blueprint has 20 biology items, 11 anatomy, 11 physiology, 8 health and only 5 chemistry. If your school gives you a choice of exam, compare those weights with your own strong subjects rather than relying on reputation.

How the PAX (NEX) is scored

Since November 1, 2025, NEX score reports show each subject as percent correct and as a percentile rank against two national groups: RN applicants and LPN/VN applicants. The composite score is the sum of the three subject percentile ranks, so it runs from 0 to 300.

Worked example from the NLN brief: an RN applicant with percentile ranks of 13 in Verbal, 91 in Math and 6 in Science has a composite of 110, which sits at the 36th percentile of RN applicants. The 50th percentile is a composite of 145 for RN applicants and 143 for LPN/VN applicants, and the NLN says these are not recommended cutoffs; each school sets its own.

Is the PAX easier than the TEAS?

There is no official way to say so, and the question hides a trap. Because the NEX reports where you rank among other applicants, an easier question set does not lift your standing. The NLN brief shows that reaching the RN median needs about 70% correct in Verbal, 72.5% in Math and 69.1% in Science.

The better test is fit. If grammar is your weak spot, the NEX has no grammar section; if vocabulary is weak, note that Word Knowledge is 25 of its 145 scored items. Most schools require one specific exam, so confirm which before choosing a study plan.

Sources

NEX Technical Brief: Blueprint, Norms and Reports (National League for Nursing, updated January 2026). NEX sections, item counts, 60-minute subject tests, percentile scoring, composite 0 to 300, 50th percentile figures.

NLN assessments (National League for Nursing). Current NLN assessment list, which names the NEX (viewed November 2026).

ATI TEAS exam details (ATI). TEAS 7 sections, question counts, unscored items and timing.