TEAS Reading Practice Test

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The Reading section of the TEAS 7 evaluates specific, complex details of the reading process. To help you prepare for this section of the TEAS, this page contains everything you need to know, including what topics are covered, how many questions there are, and how you can study effectively.

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What’s on the TEAS Reading Section?

section outline for the TEAS Reading section, which contains 45 questions and has a time limit of 55 minutes

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Top 5 Most Challenging TEAS Reading Questions

Over the last year, we’ve compiled the data from nearly 15,000 test-takers who tried their hand at the practice test at the top of this page. According to the data, around 70%-80% of people answered these five questions incorrectly.

Answer each question and read through the answer explanation, whether you got the answer right or wrong. This will help you ensure you’ve got the topic mastered.

Whether you struggled with these questions or aced them on your first try, be sure to take the full practice test to get a better idea of how prepared you really are!

1. Read the schedule below before answering the question:

Closed Book Icon Read Passage

From the information given, on which show would you expect to hear the broadest discussion about national US politics?


News from the BBC notes that world headlines will be discussed, and Commonwealth Club notes that the world economy will be discussed; this eliminates choices A and D. Both California Update and Smart Talk indicate that US politics will be involved, but it can be expected that a show about President Obama's first 100 days in office will cover a larger and wider range of US politics than a discussion about the upcoming election, therefore eliminating choice B.

2. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Closed Book Icon Read Passage
It has come to the university’s attention that there is crowding in the faculty canteen between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., an issue that is due to the increase in staff numbers in several faculty departments. A number of faculty members have complained that they stood in line so long that they were unable to get lunch, or did not have time to eat lunch. To offset the crowding, the university has polled the various departments about schedules, and has settled on a recommended roster for when the members of each department should visit the faculty canteen for lunch:

  • Business Dept: 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Art Dept: 10:45 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
  • Math and Science Dept: 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
  • Social Sciences Dept: 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
  • Humanities Dept: 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
We ask that all faculty members respect this schedule. Faculty will be expected to display a department badge before entering the canteen for lunch.

Based on the information in the announcement, what might the reader assume about how the university determined the lunch schedule?


The announcement includes the following sentence: “To offset the crowding, the university has polled the various departments about schedules, and has settled on a recommended roster for when the members of each department should visit the faculty canteen for lunch.” This suggests that the university made every effort to find out the schedules for each department and create a lunch arrangement that would give the members of each department the best opportunity possible to visit the canteen. The list is clearly not arranged alphabetically, so choice A is incorrect. The university definitely contacted the departments, as noted in the announcement. However, since the announcement mentions respecting the schedule and says nothing about an approval process, it is difficult to determine whether or not the university is worried about whether the faculty members will be amenable to the new lunch roster. Therefore, choice B can be eliminated. Finally, choice D seems to contradict the information in the announcement, so it too is incorrect. If the university contacted the departments about faculty schedules, the university obviously put some thought into the schedule. Choice D would suggest an arbitrary decision about scheduling, with no thought given to current faculty department schedules.

3. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Closed Book Icon Read Passage
It has come to the university’s attention that there is crowding in the faculty canteen between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., an issue that is due to the increase in staff numbers in several faculty departments. A number of faculty members have complained that they stood in line so long that they were unable to get lunch, or did not have time to eat lunch. To offset the crowding, the university has polled the various departments about schedules, and has settled on a recommended roster for when the members of each department should visit the faculty canteen for lunch:

  • Business Dept: 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Art Dept: 10:45 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
  • Math and Science Dept: 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
  • Social Sciences Dept: 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
  • Humanities Dept: 1 p.m.–2 p.m.
We ask that all faculty members respect this schedule. Faculty will be expected to display a department badge before entering the canteen for lunch.

Which best describes the final two sentences of the announcement?


The final two sentences are as follows: “We ask that all faculty members respect this schedule. Faculty will be expected to display a department badge before entering the canteen for lunch.” The overall recommendation is that faculty members should honor the schedule, with the added implication that faculty members will either not be allowed to enter the canteen outside of the posted lunch roster or that departments will be notified if the faculty members attempt to enter outside of their time. No doubt the announcement is also a recommendation to bring the badge, but there is an undercurrent of warning in it that goes beyond a “friendly reminder.” Therefore, answer choice A is incorrect. There is nothing in the announcement or in the two final sentences to suggest that the university wants faculty members to eat lunch elsewhere, so choice C is incorrect. Choice D is a good option, but it infers just a little too much from the final two sentences. While university sanctions might very well be imposed on faculty members who don’t follow the schedule, these two sentences do not mention sanctions. Choice D goes too far, so it too is incorrect.

4. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Closed Book Icon Read Passage
Among the first females awarded a degree from Oxford University, Dorothy L. Sayers proved to be one of the most versatile writers in post-war England. Sayers was born in 1893, the only child of an Anglican chaplain, and she received an unexpectedly good education at home. For instance, her study of Latin commenced when she was only six years old. She entered Oxford in 1912, at a time when the university was not granting degrees to women. By 1920, this policy had changed, and Sayers received her degree in medieval literature and modern languages after finishing university. That same year, she also received a master of arts degree.

Sayers’s first foray into published writing was a collection of poetry released in 1916. Within a few years, she began work on the detective novels and short stories that would make her famous, due to the creation of the foppish, mystery-solving aristocrat Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers also wrote short story mysteries about the character Montague Egg. In spite of her success as a mystery writer, Sayers continued to balance popular fiction with academic work; her translation of Dante’s Inferno gained her respect for her ability to convey the poetry in English while still remaining true to the Italian terza rima. She also composed a series of twelve plays about the life of Christ, and wrote several essays about education and feminism. In her middle age, Dorothy L. Sayers published several works of Christian apologetics, one of which was so well-received that the archbishop of Canterbury attempted to present her with a doctorate of divinity. Sayers, for reasons known only to her, declined.

Which of the following describes the type of writing used to create the passage?


An expository passage seeks to expose information by explaining or defining it in detail. As this passage focuses on describing the written works of Dorothy L. Sayers, it may safely be considered expository. The author is not necessarily telling a story, something one might expect from a strictly narrative passage. (Additionally, the author’s main point, that of explaining why Sayers was such a versatile writer, represents a kind of thesis statement for shaping the overall focus of the passage. A narrative passage would focus more on simply telling the story of Sayers’s life.) At no point is the author attempting to persuade the reader about anything, and there is nothing particularly technical about the passage. Rather, it is a focused look at Sayers’s educational background and how she developed into a writer of many genres; this makes it solidly expository.

5. Read the passage below before answering the question:

Closed Book Icon Read Passage
The following is an excerpt of an article published by The New York Times announcing the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Awful Event

President Lincoln Shot by an Assassin

The Deed Done at Ford's Theatre Last Night

THE ACT OF A DESPERATE REBEL

The President Still Alive at Last Accounts

No Hopes Entertained of His Recovery

Attempted Assassination of Secretary Seward

DETAILS OF THE DREADFUL TRAGEDY

Official

War Department, Washington April 15, 1:30 A.M. - Maj. Gen. Dis.: This evening at about 9:30 P.M. at Ford's Theatre, the President, while sitting in his private box with Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Harris, and Major Rathburn, was shot by an assassin, who suddenly entered the box and appeared behind the President. The assassin then leaped upon the stage, brandishing a large dagger or knife, and made his escape in the rear of the theatre.

The pistol ball entered the back of the President's head and penetrated nearly through the head. The wound is mortal. The President has been insensible ever since it was inflicted, and is now dying.

About the same hour an assassin, whether the same or not, entered Mr. Sewards' apartments, and under the pretense of having a prescription, was shown to the Secretary's sick chamber. The assassin immediately rushed to the bed, and inflicted two or three stabs on the throat and two on the face. It is hoped the wounds may not be mortal. My apprehension is that they will prove fatal.

The nurse alarmed Mr. Frederick Seward, who was in an adjoining room, and hastened to the door of his father's room, when he met the assassin, who inflicted upon him one or more dangerous wounds. The recovery of Frederick Seward is doubtful.

It is not probable that the President will live throughout the night.

Gen. Grant and wife were advertised to be at the theatre this evening, but he started to Burlington at 6 o'clock this evening. At a Cabinet meeting at which Gen. Grant was present, the subject of the state of the country and the prospect of a speedy peace was discussed. The President was very cheerful and hopeful, and spoke very kindly of Gen. Lee and others of the Confederacy, and of the establishment of government in Virginia.

All the members of the Cabinet except Mr. Seward are now in attendance upon the President. I have seen Mr. Seward, but he and Frederick were both unconscious.

Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.

Which of the following is NOT evidence of the author’s credibility?


The author includes doubts that Mr. Seward will live or that President Lincoln will survive the night. These statements may be factual, but they themselves do not contribute to the author’s credibility. However, the author does distinguish such statements from confirmable facts. The author’s honesty and clarity do suggest that he is credible, so choice B is incorrect. Choice A shows that the author is likely in direct communication with those involved in the events, so this does lend to his credibility. Choice C shows that the newspaper’s editors affirm the author’s credibility enough to publish the article.

TEAS Online Course

If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online TEAS prep course designed to give you everything you need to succeed!

Here’s what you’ll find in the TEAS course:

  • 100+ Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
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Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the TEAS online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the TEAS 7 exam.

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TEAS Reading Comprehension Tips

Acing the Reading section on the TEAS requires more than just being able to read.

It’s about how you read.

To help you improve your reading comprehension and boost your confidence to conquer the test, check out this free reading comprehension guide! This PDF is full of tips and tricks, all paired with example reading passages to help you apply what you learn.

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FAQs

Q

How many questions are on the TEAS Reading exam?

A

The TEAS reading section is 55 minutes long and contains 45 questions. This section includes six “pretest” questions that do not count toward your final score.

Q

How long is the TEAS Reading exam?

A

The TEAS Reading exam is 55 minutes long, with 45 questions.

Q

What is a passing TEAS Reading score?

A

Institutions decide what score is considered a passing TEAS Reading Score. After taking the exam, you will receive a total score, which includes your scores from all four sections (Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English & Language Usage). You will also receive individual scores for each section. Many programs consider a total score of at least 60% to 70% passing, but students are strongly encouraged to learn more about the score requirements for the nursing program.

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by Mometrix Test Preparation | Last Updated: June 30, 2025