How many times can you take the TEAS?

A score below your program’s minimum can feel final, especially with an application deadline close. A retake is often still possible. The rules are written down, and most of them sit on your program’s page, not ATI’s.

How many times can you take the TEAS?

ATI does not cap your total attempts, but your school can. ATI’s registration page says it doesn’t limit attempts, “but many schools do.” Its help pages say your school sets the attempt limit, any waiting period, the minimum score and how long scores stay valid.

A score you never send can still count as an attempt. ATI’s help center says each completed and scored TEAS counts, even if you don’t submit the result. Its registration page goes further and says each exam counts, even if you don’t finish or submit it.

To be safe, treat any exam you start as an attempt, and ask your school how it counts an unfinished one. Schools see your updated attempt count when you send a transcript, so an unsent low score can still count toward a program’s limit.

ATI’s pages also disagree on whether ATI adds a wait. Its help center says ATI has no waiting period between attempts. Its registration page says you must wait at least 48 hours after an exam before you schedule a retake through ATI (both checked October 2026).

Plan on at least 48 hours, and follow your school’s rule if it is longer. As the table below shows, a school’s wait can be much longer.

What do nursing programs say about TEAS retakes?

Programs differ a lot, so read your own program’s page before you pay for a retake. The table shows six programs, each from its own TEAS page in October 2026. They are examples, not a full list, and rules change. “Not stated” means the page we read doesn’t say.

Program	Attempts	Wait between tries	Score used	Score valid for
University of Arizona College of Nursing (MEPN, entry-level master’s)	2 per application cycle	None stated	Highest of eligible attempts	1 year, and valid on the application deadline
Moorpark College	No fixed cap stated	None stated	First results in any 12-month period	12 months before applying
Towson University	2 per application period	None required	Higher of the two	2 years before the materials deadline
Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU)	1 retake	At least 30 days	Highest, but see the note below	Not stated; scores accepted in set date windows for each admission cycle
St. Louis Community College (STLCC)	3 in 12 months	30 days	Not stated	2 years
Cerritos College	No maximum stated	365 days, unless remediation is documented	Most recent	Not stated

Some programs add a remediation step, which means set extra study after a low score. Moorpark requires it below 62%, and NWOSU requires proof of it within the 30-day period before a retake. Cerritos allows a retest inside 365 days only after a score below its 62% minimum, with documented remediation from a college.

A few cells need care. Arizona’s page does not state a wait, so ask the program. NWOSU says it accepts the highest score, but also that only the first or second attempt is accepted and the two can’t be combined.

NWOSU also words its remediation trigger two ways: below 68% and/or below 58% in Science in one place, and both together in another. Confirm both points with the program.

Which TEAS score counts, and does it expire?

It depends on the school, and the rule can change your plan. Arizona and Towson use the higher score, Moorpark the first in a 12-month period, and Cerritos the most recent.

Scores also expire: after 1 year at Arizona, 12 months at Moorpark, and 2 years at Towson and STLCC. Count back from the application deadline, not from today.

How much does a TEAS retake cost, and how do you register again?

A retake is a new registration at full price. ATI’s help page lists TEAS at ATI (remote, proctored by ATI) and TEAS at PSI at $120 plus applicable sales tax each (checked October 2026). Exams run by a school are priced by that school, and STLCC, for example, lists $82 for testing on its campuses.

ATI’s registration page says the price shown at checkout depends on the format and proctor you choose, so check the amount there before you pay. ATI also says active-duty military members, spouses and dependents can request a discount.

To register again:

1. Ask your program which format it accepts and how to register. Your school may require TEAS at ATI, TEAS at PSI, or a test on campus, and some schools handle registration themselves.
2. Sign in to your ATI student account. Your name must match your photo ID.
3. If your school sends you to ATI, register at atitesting.com/teas/register for that format, then schedule with ATI, PSI or your school.

ATI says registrations are not refundable except for a documented emergency. An exam your school won’t accept is not refunded and still counts as an attempt.

How do you read your ATI score report?

Your Individual Performance Profile (IPP) shows your total score, your preparedness level and a Topics to Review list of what you missed. ATI posts it to your student account after a proctored exam. A TEAS at ATI report shows as “Preliminary” for about four business days while ATI validates it.

It also gives a score for each of the four content areas, with the national mean and your percentile rank.

Many students worry that one weak section means starting over. It does not.

ATI calls your first attempt “the best diagnostic you have.” It says to put most of your study time into your lowest-scoring areas.

Write down each content area score, circle the lowest, and list its Topics to Review. That list is your first week of study.

Should you retake a passing score?

It depends on whether your program rewards a higher score and will count the retake. Meeting a minimum and being competitive can be different things. Towson, for example, sets its minimum at a Proficient total score of 58.7 or higher, and says a competitive score averages 85% to 86%.

A higher score on a retake isn’t certain, and it can’t ensure admission. Base the decision on what your own program says.

Before you pay for another exam, check four things on your program’s page:

• Points or ranking. Does a higher score earn more admission points, or only clear a minimum? Cerritos gives points for the score in one admission option, and Moorpark says the exam weighs heavily.
• Which score counts. Moorpark takes only your first score in any 12-month period, so a retake inside that period would not be accepted. Cerritos takes your most recent, so a lower score could replace a higher one.
• Timing. Will the waiting period and your test date fit before the deadline? Cerritos, for instance, asks for 365 days after a passing score.
• Validity. Will the new score still be valid on the deadline?

If you can’t tell from the page, email the program. For score benchmarks, see what a good TEAS score is.

How should you prepare for the next attempt?

Change the plan before you change the date. If you study the same way, you may see the same weak spots. Use your score report to choose what to study, then confirm it with fresh practice.

1. Match the report to your practice. Take the free 40-question TEAS diagnostic and compare its weak sections with your Topics to Review.
2. Build a dated plan. The TEAS study plan works back from your test date and puts your weakest areas first.
3. Learn the weakest section first. Open the TEAS lessons for that section and work through them in order.
4. Review each miss. For every wrong answer, write why you chose it and what the right reasoning is. Then revisit it a few days later.
5. Practice a full test before you book. Try the free TEAS practice test and book your date when your results are steady.

HealthcareExams is independent and not affiliated with ATI. Our practice questions are written by us and are not real exam questions.

Quick answers

How long do you wait to retake the TEAS? ATI’s help center says no wait, but its registration page says 48 hours before scheduling a retake through ATI. Plan on at least 48 hours, and follow your school if it requires longer, such as 30 or 365 days.

Does a failed TEAS attempt still count? Yes. ATI’s help center counts each completed and scored exam, even if unsent. Its registration page also counts an exam you don’t finish.

Do you pay full price again? Yes. ATI says each retake is a new registration at full price. That is $120 plus tax for TEAS at ATI and TEAS at PSI, or the school’s price for a school-run exam.