What to study for ATI TEAS Science (and where to focus first)

OK, be honest. Are you overwhelmed when it comes to what to study for ATI TEAS® science section?

When I talk to motivated students about what’s holding them back on the TEAS, “studying science” is one of the most popular responses.

So if you are feeling that way, you are in good company!

I get it—it is a lot of material.

Here’s what I tell my students about how to study for ATI TEAS Science section—and it’s a bit of bad news/good news.

Keep Reading: Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards and Test Prep Tips

Bad News → The TEAS has a TON of science questions that are fair game.

What does this mean? On the TEAS science section, you could see a question about ionic bonds and the periodic table, zygote formation and cell differentiation, endocrine system dysfunctions, acid-base reactions, and specific cells in the epidermis.

It’s like taking your chemistry final, your biology final, and your anatomy and physiology final all at once. Yikes!

You could get lost in what you might be tested on the TEAS. Odds are, you’ll waste time, feel overwhelmed, and start doubting yourself. No thanks.

A prioritized framework for studying means that you can breeze through specific questions on the TEAS, which gives you more time for the harder ones.

To better show you what to study for the ATI TEAS science section, let’s break down your timing.

You have about one minute per question (1 minute, 6 seconds to be exact) for the Science portion of the TEAS.

The best way to develop a prioritized framework is through focused Anatomy and Physiology studying.

To illustrate this, take a look at the breakdown of questions on the Science section:

Keep Reading: ATI TEAS Anatomy and Physiology: How to Prep

As you can see, the majority of this section is all Anatomy and Physiology questions.

(In my online prep program, you’ll find that Anatomy & Physiology has its own section, separate from the other science concepts. This can help you keep your TEAS prep on track.)

By the way, of all the TEAS questions you’ll have, you’ll be tested the most on Anatomy and Physiology for the entire exam.

It’s the most-tested single concept on the entire exam.

To help you figure out what to study for the ATI TEAS science section, you can break down the exact question types.

The TEAS follows a standardized scoring structure. Though there is plenty of variability, the scored questions all follow the same standardized blueprint.

✅ TEAS Science = 47 scored questions.

Now, here is where things get interesting.

Of your scored TEAS Science questions, the exact number of questions per topic is enlightening.

✅ Anatomy and Physiology Scored Questions = 32

✅ Biology AND Chemistry Scored Questions = 8

✅ Scientific Method Scored Questions = 7

As you can see, you’ll have 32 scored Anatomy and Physiology questions.

(By the way, you only have 24 scored English questions. Wow!)

Instead of getting lost in “science” and feeling overwhelmed, you are best served to make sure you focus on anatomy and physiology.

After all, you’ll see FOUR TIMES as many questions on anatomy and physiology than you will on genetics, the periodic table, chemical reactions, and all that good bio and chem stuff.

Of course, if you are aiming for a great score, you will need to get these topics down.

But if you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s totally cool to press pause on chem and bio. Come back to them later.

Now, even better, is you can get really specific on what to memorize for Anatomy and Physiology.

To further get you clear on exactly what to study for ATI TEAS science, you can identify different High-Value, must-know concepts for the exam.

Most students have trouble identifying the High-Value Concepts—and you probably do too.

The test makers do this on purpose. Imagine if they spelled out, precisely, what you needed to know—scores would skyrocket!

This is the #1 study method I recommend to all my students: focus on the most-emphasized concepts first—and then build up your studying to the other concepts.

That might sound obvious, like, “know what you need to know,” but the simple fact is that most students don’t actually know what it is they need to know! (And even after buying study guides…sigh.)

If you are confident in the High-Value Concepts, you’ll be able to dive deeper into the details (and stay relaxed) simply because you know that you’ve got the most important TEAS study points in the bag.

When it comes to what to study for ATI TEAS science, focus on the High-Value Concepts–the questions you are most likely to be tested on–first.

Then, study the material that you might see. 

Now, will studying these concepts guarantee you the highest score ever recorded? Well, if you want an exceptional score, you’ll need to study exceptionally well.

If you want a very high score, you’ll need to be prepared for the curve balls. Remember, the bad news is that the TEAS has a huge bank of concepts that are all fair game.

Yet mastering these High-Value Concepts will absolutely give you a leg up over the average TEAS taker.

In my online TEAS prep course, I help you identify the high-value concepts you’ll need to know. You’ll get more comfortable with the High-Value Concepts so that you can prioritize your studying.

In addition to the High-Value Concepts, we’ll cover a good amount of “fair game” material in the practice questions.

Plus, you’ll get audio review lessons and workbooks so that all the material sticks for test day.

Prioritize anatomy and physiology to set yourself up for success on test day!