Nursing Entrance Math
TEAS Math Practice Test: 12 Questions Solved for Nursing Applicants
Twelve original TEAS math questions in a nursing context, from dosage and unit conversions to percents and data, solved step by step.
The ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) is the entrance exam many nursing and health programs use to decide who gets in, and its math section is where many applicants lose the most points. The current version, TEAS 7, has a math section of about 38 questions in 57 minutes, with a basic on-screen calculator. Below are 12 original practice questions in the two areas the section covers, solved step by step, with the nursing context the real test uses.
What the TEAS math section covers
| Area | Typical questions |
|---|---|
| Numbers and Algebra | Fractions, decimals, and percents; ordering numbers; ratios and proportions; solving equations; word problems |
| Measurement and Data | Converting units (metric and U.S.), reading charts and tables, mean and median, perimeter and area, independent and dependent variables |
A few of the questions are unscored tryout items that you won't be able to tell apart, so treat every one as if it counts. Format details can change between versions; confirm the current numbers on ATI's TEAS page before test day. Each nursing program sets its own minimum score, so check the program you are applying to as well.
Why the math matters in nursing
The TEAS math is not abstract. Converting pounds to kilograms, milliliters to liters, and Fahrenheit to Celsius are everyday nursing tasks, and dosage calculations depend on getting them exactly right. That is why the questions below are written around patients, fluids, and medication orders.
Numbers and Algebra practice
1.Write \(\tfrac{3}{8}\) as a percent.
- A38%
- B37.5%
- C0.375%
- D26.6%
Show solution
\[\tfrac{3}{8} = 0.375 = 37.5\%\]Common trap: Writing 0.375%. To change a decimal to a percent, move the decimal point two places to the right.
Answer: B (37.5%)
2.A patient's fluid goal for the day is 2 liters. By noon, the patient has had 1,250 mL. What percent of the goal is that?
- A1,250%
- B160%
- C7.5%
- D62.5%
Show solution
Use the same unit for both: 2 L = 2,000 mL.
\[\tfrac{1250}{2000} = 0.625 = 62.5\%\]Common trap: Dividing the wrong way, \(2000 \div 1250 = 1.6\), or mixing liters and milliliters. Convert first, and put the part over the whole.
Answer: D (62.5%)
3.Which list is in order from least to greatest?
- A\(-\tfrac{2}{3},\ -0.5,\ 0.45,\ \tfrac{1}{2}\)
- B\(-0.5,\ -\tfrac{2}{3},\ 0.45,\ \tfrac{1}{2}\)
- C\(-\tfrac{2}{3},\ -0.5,\ \tfrac{1}{2},\ 0.45\)
- D\(0.45,\ \tfrac{1}{2},\ -0.5,\ -\tfrac{2}{3}\)
Show solution
As decimals: \(-\tfrac{2}{3} \approx -0.667\), \(-0.5\), \(0.45\), \(\tfrac{1}{2} = 0.5\). The most negative number is the smallest.
Common trap: Putting \(-0.5\) before \(-\tfrac{2}{3}\). With negative numbers, the one farther from zero is smaller.
Answer: A (\(-\tfrac{2}{3},\ -0.5,\ 0.45,\ \tfrac{1}{2}\))
4.Solve for \(x\): \(\tfrac{3}{4}x + 5 = 17\)
- A12
- B9
- C16
- D22
Show solution
\[\begin{gathered}\tfrac{3}{4}x = 12 \\ \Rightarrow\; x = 12 \times \tfrac{4}{3} = 16\end{gathered}\]Common trap: Stopping at 12, or multiplying 12 by \(\tfrac{3}{4}\) to get 9. To undo multiplying by \(\tfrac{3}{4}\), multiply by its reciprocal, \(\tfrac{4}{3}\).
Answer: C (16)
5.A hospital unit keeps a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1 to 6. How many nurses are needed for 42 patients?
- A7
- B36
- C6
- D252
Show solution
\[42 \div 6 = 7 \text{ nurses}\]Common trap: Multiplying instead of dividing, \(42 \times 6 = 252\). Each nurse covers 6 patients, so the number of nurses is smaller than the number of patients.
Answer: A (7)
6.A medication is ordered at 5 mg per kilogram of body weight. The patient weighs 154 pounds. How many milligrams should the patient receive? (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
- A770 mg
- B350 mg
- C30.8 mg
- D159 mg
Show solution
Convert pounds to kilograms first, then apply the dose.
\[\begin{gathered}154 \div 2.2 = 70 \text{ kg} \\ 70 \times 5 = 350 \text{ mg}\end{gathered}\]Common trap: Multiplying the weight in pounds by 5, which gives 770 mg, more than twice the correct dose. In dosage problems, always check the unit the order is written in.
Answer: B (350 mg)
Measurement and Data practice
7.How many milliliters are in 2.5 liters?
- A25 mL
- B250 mL
- C25,000 mL
- D2,500 mL
Show solution
1 L = 1,000 mL, so multiply by 1,000.
\[2.5 \times 1000 = 2500 \text{ mL}\]Common trap: Moving the decimal point the wrong number of places. "Milli" means one-thousandth, so there are 1,000 mL in a liter.
Answer: D (2,500 mL)
8.A patient's temperature is 98.6°F. What is it in degrees Celsius? Use \(C = (F - 32) \times \tfrac{5}{9}\).
- A37°C
- B145.8°C
- C66.6°C
- D32°C
Show solution
\[(98.6 - 32) \times \tfrac{5}{9} = 66.6 \times \tfrac{5}{9} = 37\]Common trap: Stopping after subtracting 32 and answering 66.6. The formula has two steps: subtract 32, then multiply by \(\tfrac{5}{9}\).
Answer: A (37°C)
9.A patient is 5 feet 4 inches tall. What is the height in centimeters? (1 inch = 2.54 cm)
- A101.6 cm
- B25.2 cm
- C162.56 cm
- D137.16 cm
Show solution
Convert to inches first: \(5 \times 12 + 4 = 64\) inches.
\[64 \times 2.54 = 162.56 \text{ cm}\]Common trap: Treating 5 feet 4 inches as 5.4 feet, or converting only the 54 inches. Turn the whole height into inches before converting.
Answer: C (162.56 cm)
10.A nurse records five resting heart rates: 72, 80, 76, 88, and 84 beats per minute. What is the mean?
- A76
- B80
- C84
- D400
Show solution
\[\tfrac{72 + 80 + 76 + 88 + 84}{5} = \tfrac{400}{5} = 80\]Common trap: Stopping at the total, 400. The mean is the total divided by the number of values.
Answer: B (80)
11.A patient room measures 12 feet by 14 feet. What is its perimeter?
- A168 ft
- B26 ft
- C84 ft
- D52 ft
Show solution
\[P = 2(12 + 14) = 2(26) = 52 \text{ feet}\]Common trap: Finding the area, \(12 \times 14 = 168\), instead. Perimeter is the distance around; area is the space inside, in square feet.
Answer: D (52 ft)
12.A study measures how patients' blood pressure changes depending on how much salt they eat each day. What is the independent variable?
- ABlood pressure
- BDaily salt intake
- CThe number of patients
- DThe length of the study
Show solution
The independent variable is the one the study changes or compares; the dependent variable is what is measured in response. Here salt intake is the input, and blood pressure depends on it.
Common trap: Choosing blood pressure because it is the thing being measured. Ask "what depends on what?": blood pressure depends on salt, so blood pressure is the dependent variable.
Answer: B (Daily salt intake)
Answer key
How to prepare
- Memorize the key conversions: 1 kg = 2.2 lb, 1 L = 1,000 mL, 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 12 inches = 1 foot. Conversion questions are quick points once these are automatic.
- Get fast with percents and fractions. Our lesson on percent word problems covers the patterns that come up most.
- Practice equations with fractions, like question 4. The ACCUPLACER Arithmetic practice test is good extra practice at a similar level.
- Use the calculator for arithmetic, not for thinking. It is a basic four-function calculator, so you still need to set up each problem yourself.
Some programs use the HESI A2 instead of the TEAS. Its math section covers very similar skills, plus military time and Roman numerals; see our HESI A2 math practice test.
Teacher's note: In every measurement problem, I ask students to write the units next to each number and cancel them like fractions. If you are converting 154 lb to kg and your units come out as "lb² per kg," you know you multiplied when you should have divided, before you ever look at the answer choices. In nursing, that habit protects patients as well as test scores.
Keep practicing
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