TEAS-style practice questions (all four sections): cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 16 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

Reading comprehension (entrance exams)

Method

  1. Read the question first so you know what you are looking for.
  2. Skim the passage for its topic and main point; the first or last sentence often states it.
  3. Go back to the exact lines that answer the question.
  4. For inferences, choose the option the clues most strongly support, not one that goes further.
  5. For labels and tables, apply every rule that fits the case and do the small calculation carefully.

Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)

Order of operations
parentheses → exponents → × ÷ (left to right) → + − (left to right)
Fractions
a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd, a/b × c/d = ac/bd, a/b ÷ c/d = a/b × d/c
Percent
p% of N = (p/100)·N; percent = part/whole × 100
Percent change
(new − original)/original × 100
Discount, then tax
price × (1 − d/100) × (1 + t/100)
Proportion
a/b = c/d → ad = bc
Mean, median, mode, range
sum/count; middle of ordered list; most frequent; max − min
Length, capacity, time
1 km = 1000 m, 1 m = 100 cm, 1 ft = 12 in, 1 yd = 3 ft, 1 mi = 5280 ft, 1 gal = 4 qt = 16 cups, 1 h = 60 min
Temperature
°F = °C·9/5 + 32, °C = (°F − 32)·5/9; a change of 1 °C = 1.8 °F
Area
rectangle l·w, triangle ½·b·h, circle π·r²
Perimeter and circumference
rectangle 2l + 2w, circle π·d = 2π·r
Volume
box l·w·h, cylinder π·r²·h; 1000 cm³ = 1 L
Speed
distance ÷ time (time in hours for mph or km/h)

Method

  1. Read the last sentence first: what exactly is asked, and in which unit or form (lowest terms, nearest cent, one decimal place)?
  2. Write the numbers in one form: turn mixed numbers into improper fractions, percents into decimals, and hours and minutes into one unit.
  3. Pick the method: PEMDAS for expressions, a common denominator for adding fractions, part ÷ whole × 100 for percents, cross-multiplying for proportions, inverse operations for equations.
  4. Work one step at a time and write each line down; round only at the very end.
  5. Check the size of the answer with an estimate, and put an equation’s answer back in.

Biology for nursing entrance exams

Method

  1. Name the topic of the question: cell parts, transport, division, DNA and protein synthesis, inheritance, biomolecules, microorganisms or experimental design.
  2. Recall the key rule: A–T and G–C, diffusion from high to low, water moves towards more solute, mitosis keeps and meiosis halves the chromosome number.
  3. For crosses, write the parents’ genotypes, list the gametes and fill a Punnett square before counting.
  4. For experiments, label the independent, dependent and controlled variables, and ask whether the evidence supports or only suggests the conclusion.
  5. Check each option against the question asked, not just whether it is a true statement.

Chemistry for nursing entrance exams

Method

  1. Identify what is given and asked: particles, a formula, a state change, a concentration, a pH or a mass.
  2. Use the periodic table: the atomic number gives protons, the group gives valence electrons and the usual ion charge.
  3. Balance equations with coefficients only, element by element, oxygen and hydrogen last.
  4. For amounts, go mass → moles → mole ratio → moles → mass, and for solutions use M = mol/L and C₁V₁ = C₂V₂.
  5. Remember that pH is logarithmic: one unit is a factor of 10.

English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)

Method

  1. Find the subject and the verb of the sentence before choosing a form.
  2. Strip away phrases (of the …, along with …) and extra people (you and …) to test agreement and pronoun case.
  3. Check each clause: can it stand alone? Join independent clauses with a comma + conjunction or a semicolon.
  4. Check modifiers and lists: the describing phrase next to its word, items in the same form.
  5. For word choice and register, pick the precise, formal and concise option.

Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)

Method

  1. Read the whole sentence and look for a context clue: a definition, a contrast, an example or a cause and effect.
  2. Split an unfamiliar word into prefix, root and suffix and translate each part.
  3. Read a medical term from the suffix back to the start (hepat-itis: inflammation of the liver).
  4. Put each option into the sentence and check that the meaning still fits.
  5. Choose the meaning used in this sentence, even if the word has another everyday meaning.

2Practice problems

1.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Medium

A footnote at the bottom of a page reads: “1. Data from the National Health Survey, 2022.” What is the purpose of the footnote?

  1. ATo give the meaning of a difficult word
  2. BTo tell the reader to turn the page
  3. CTo show the source of the information
  4. DTo list the chapters of the book
2.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Hard

Passage A: “Hospital food should be cooked fresh on site to improve taste.” Passage B: “Cooking on site costs more and needs more kitchen staff.” Which question would best help decide between the two views?

  1. AWhen was the hospital kitchen first built?
  2. BHow many patients like to eat breakfast?
  3. CDo the benefits justify the extra cost?
  4. DWhat colour are the hospital’s food trays?
3.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Medium

Use the order of operations to find the value of x: x = 50 − 2³ + 7 × 2.

x = 50 − 2³ + 7 × 2
x =
4.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Hard

A hospital fundraiser has 48 raffle tickets. 1/4 of them are sold on the first day, and 3/4 of the remaining tickets are sold on the second day. How many tickets x are still unsold?

481/43/4
x =
5.Human anatomyMedium

Which nerve is compressed in carpal tunnel syndrome?

  1. AMedian nerve
  2. BRadial nerve
  3. CMusculocutaneous nerve
  4. DUlnar nerve
6.Human anatomyHard

An ECG shows an infarct in leads II, III and aVF (inferior wall). Which coronary artery is most commonly blocked?

  1. ALeft main coronary artery
  2. BRight coronary artery
  3. CFirst diagonal branch
  4. DLeft anterior descending artery
7.Human physiologyMedium

In skeletal muscle, where does most of the calcium for contraction come from?

  1. AThe mitochondria
  2. BThe sarcoplasmic reticulum
  3. CThe extracellular fluid
  4. DThe nucleus
8.Human physiologyHard

Why does a person with lactase deficiency get diarrhoea and bloating after drinking milk?

  1. AUndigested lactose draws water into the gut and is fermented by colonic bacteria
  2. BMilk protein triggers an allergic reaction
  3. CLactose damages the villi directly
  4. DLactose is absorbed too quickly and raises blood glucose
9.Biology for nursing entrance examsMedium

In a food chain, which organisms are the producers?

  1. AAnimals that eat only plants, such as rabbits and deer
  2. BFungi that break down dead material
  3. CPlants and algae that make food by photosynthesis
  4. DPredators at the top of the chain
10.Biology for nursing entrance examsHard

Redi placed meat in open jars and in jars covered with gauze. Maggots appeared only on meat that flies could reach. What did this show?

  1. AMaggots come from eggs laid by flies, not from the meat itself
  2. BFlies form from rotting meat, and then they lay eggs on fresh meat
  3. CMeat turns into maggots when exposed to air
  4. DGauze produces chemicals that stop meat from rotting
11.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsMedium

During digestion, large molecules are broken down by adding water across their bonds. What is this reaction called?

  1. ACondensation
  2. BHydrolysis
  3. CCombustion
  4. DPolymerisation
12.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsHard

A metal reacts with an acid and a gas is given off that burns with a squeaky pop. Which gas is it?

  1. AHydrogen
  2. BCarbon dioxide
  3. COxygen
  4. DNitrogen
13.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Medium

According to traditional formal usage, which phrase uses the adjective “unique” correctly?

  1. Aa very unique design
  2. Ba unique design
  3. Ca more unique design
  4. Dthe most unique design
14.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Hard

Which sentence follows the American rule of “that” for essential clauses and “which” for nonessential clauses?

  1. AThe form, which you need is on the desk that, is near the door.
  2. BThe form that you need is on the desk, which is near the door.
  3. CThe form, that you need, is on the desk which is near the door.
  4. DThe form which you need is on the desk, that is near the door.
15.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Medium

What does the suffix -megaly mean, as in “hepatomegaly”?

  1. AShrinking
  2. BSoftening
  3. CEnlargement
  4. DInflammation
16.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Hard

Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “The nurse documented serous drainage from the wound.”

  1. AThick, cloudy and containing pus
  2. BPink and mixed with some blood
  3. CClear, thin and pale yellow
  4. DBright red and mostly blood

3Solutions

1.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)

Answer: C · To show the source of the information

Why this is the answer

The footnote names where the data came from, so its purpose is to give the source of the information.

Answer

C · To show the source of the information
2.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)

Answer: C · Do the benefits justify the extra cost?

Why this is the answer

A wants better taste and B worries about cost and staffing. Asking whether the benefits are worth the cost addresses both.

Answer

C · Do the benefits justify the extra cost?
3.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)

Answer: x = 56

Order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS): work inside parentheses first, then exponents (powers), then multiplication and division from left to right, and last addition and subtraction from left to right. Multiplication does not come before division, and addition does not come before subtraction: each pair is done in the order it appears. A negative number in parentheses keeps its sign when squared: (−3)² = 9, but −3² = −9.

One operation at a time

2³ means 2 × 2 × 2.

x = 50 − 2³ + 7 × 2
= 50 − 8 + 7 × 2
= 50 − 8 + 14
= 42 + 14

Result

x = 56

Answer

x = 56
4.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)

Answer: x = 9

Multiplying and dividing fractions: first turn mixed numbers into improper fractions (2 1/3 = 7/3). To multiply, multiply the numerators and the denominators. To divide, keep the first fraction, change ÷ to ×, and flip the second fraction (multiply by its reciprocal). Cancel common factors and write the result in lowest terms as a mixed number.

After the first day

48 − 1/4·48 = 48 − 12 = 36

After the second day

36 − 3/4·36 = 36 − 27 = 9

Answer

x = 9
5.Human anatomy

Answer: A · Median nerve

Why this is the answer

The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel under the flexor retinaculum; compression causes tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers.

Answer

A · Median nerve
6.Human anatomy

Answer: B · Right coronary artery

Why this is the answer

The inferior wall is usually supplied by the right coronary artery through the posterior descending artery (right-dominant circulation), so inferior infarcts are mostly RCA occlusions.

Answer

B · Right coronary artery
7.Human physiology

Answer: B · The sarcoplasmic reticulum

Why this is the answer

Depolarisation of the T-tubules opens ryanodine receptors in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, releasing stored calcium into the cytoplasm.

Answer

B · The sarcoplasmic reticulum
8.Human physiology

Answer: A · Undigested lactose draws water into the gut and is fermented by colonic bacteria

Why this is the answer

Unabsorbed lactose acts osmotically, pulling water into the lumen. Colonic bacteria ferment it, producing gas and short-chain fatty acids.

Answer

A · Undigested lactose draws water into the gut and is fermented by colonic bacteria
9.Biology for nursing entrance exams

Answer: C · Plants and algae that make food by photosynthesis

Why this is the answer

Producers (autotrophs) make their own food using light energy. Herbivores are primary consumers, predators are higher consumers and fungi and bacteria are decomposers.

Answer

C · Plants and algae that make food by photosynthesis
10.Biology for nursing entrance exams

Answer: A · Maggots come from eggs laid by flies, not from the meat itself

Why this is the answer

Redi's experiment showed that maggots did not arise spontaneously from meat. They appeared only where flies could lay eggs, which was early evidence against spontaneous generation.

Answer

A · Maggots come from eggs laid by flies, not from the meat itself
11.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams

Answer: B · Hydrolysis

Why this is the answer

Hydrolysis uses water to break the bonds between monomers, as when enzymes break starch into glucose or proteins into amino acids. It is the reverse of condensation.

Answer

B · Hydrolysis
12.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams

Answer: A · Hydrogen

Why this is the answer

Reactive metals displace hydrogen from acids, for example Mg + 2HCl → MgCl₂ + H₂. Hydrogen burns with a squeaky pop.

Answer

A · Hydrogen
13.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)

Answer: B · a unique design

Why this is the answer

Traditional usage treats “unique” as an absolute adjective: something either is one of a kind or is not, so it is not used with very, more or most.

Answer

B · a unique design
14.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)

Answer: B · The form that you need is on the desk, which is near the door.

Why this is the answer

“That you need” identifies the form, so it is essential and has no commas. “Which is near the door” adds extra information about the desk, so it follows a comma.

Answer

B · The form that you need is on the desk, which is near the door.
15.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)

Answer: C · Enlargement

Why this is the answer

-megaly means abnormal enlargement: hepatomegaly is an enlarged liver.

Answer

C · Enlargement
16.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)

Answer: C · Clear, thin and pale yellow

Why this is the answer

Serous drainage is thin, clear to pale yellow fluid; pink drainage is serosanguineous and pus is purulent.

Answer

C · Clear, thin and pale yellow

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