TEAS English & Language Usage Practice Test

Prepare for your test with realistic questions.


The English & Language Usage section of TEAS challenges your grammatical and sentence structure skills, as well as your ability to make predictions based on passages. 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.

What’s on the TEAS English Section?

section outline for the TEAS English and Language Usage section, which contains 37 questions and has a time limit of 37 minutes

TEAS Checklist


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Top 5 Most Challenging TEAS English Questions

Over the last year, we’ve compiled the data from nearly 20,000 test-takers who tried their hand at the practice test at the top of this page. According to the data, around 65% 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. Which of the following are LEAST likely to require citations? (Select all that apply.)


The opening of a short story, a personal anecdote, and observational data from the writer’s own life are the least likely examples given here to require citations. These are examples of information where the source is the writer themselves, not another source that the writer was not involved with. Choices B and C each show the inclusion of external sources that would require citations, as they involve the work of another person.

2. Which of the following sentences has a complex sentence structure?


Choice B contains an independent clause and a dependent clause, so it has a complex sentence structure. A complex sentence is one in which there is at least one dependent clause. Choices A and C both contain two independent clauses, so they are compound sentences. A compound sentence is one in which there are two or more independent clauses. While choice D does contain a dependent clause, it also contains more than one independent clause. Sentences that contain multiple independent clauses and a dependent clause are considered compound-complex sentences because they are a combination of a compound sentence and a complex sentence. This means that choice D is incorrect.

3. Which of the following scenarios would call for revision of any informal language to formal language? (Select all that apply.)


Choices C and E represent scenarios that would call for revision of informal language to formal language. The other choices represent scenarios in which informal language would be acceptable.

4. Which of the following will likely need a citation in order to be included in your essay? (Select all that apply.)


Data from an experiment that is not your own and a summary of an interview you did not conduct would require citations in order to be included in your essay. Choices B, D, and E all reflect sources that would not require citations because the information has been experienced, recorded, or thought of by you. Choice E in particular is worth noting as a distractor. While the research itself would almost certainly require a citation, the conclusion you came to would not. Your own conclusions are your personal intellectual property and, as such, do not require citation in order to give the original source credit.

5. Read the following:

  1. We do not know the exact impact that infrequent bathing had on these people of the past. However, today’s experts point out a few likely results of not bathing for extended periods.

  2. At many times throughout history, bathing was a rare activity for most people—particularly those who were not wealthy.

  3. While regularly showering or bathing is common practice today, such was not always the case.

  4. At first, the effects would be increased odor and an itchy scalp, but these would turn into fungal growth and frequent skin infections. So it is easy to understand how frequent bathing came to be adopted.

Which of the following choices shows the best chronological order for the sentences within the paragraph?


We can work through the selections one by one to find the connections. Starting with I, we can see it leads on from II, mentioning the infrequent bathing in II, and setting up a description of its likely results. Looking at II, we find it is a natural extension of III—supporting the idea and giving more detail. At first in IV is misleading; this selection is actually last in the sequence. A reading of IV reveals that it describes the effects of infrequent bathing, which we are expecting to find as a logical follow-up to “experts point out a few likely results” in I. This gives us the order in choice D.

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:

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.

Click below to check it out!

TEAS English and Language Usage Tips

As a nurse, it’s crucial that you’re able to communicate clearly and accurately. Even small mistakes can lead to big misunderstandings.

To help you improve your English and communication skills and boost your confidence to conquer the test, check out this free TEAS English guide! This PDF is full of tips, tricks, and examples to help you apply what you learn.

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FAQs

Q

Who takes the TEAS?

A

Students who are interested in nursing and allied health programs take the TEAS exam to gain admission into the program. It’s common for schools to require TEAS scores as a prerequisite, so students are encouraged to learn more about their program’s eligibility requirements.

Q

How many questions are on the TEAS English and Language Usage exam?

A

The English & Language Usage section contains 37 questions, four of which are “pretest” questions which have no effect on your final score.

Q

How long is the TEAS English and Language Usage exam?

A

Students will have 37 minutes to complete the 37 questions on the English & Language Usage section.

Q

What is a passing TEAS English and Language Usage score?

A

It’s common for the programs to require students to earn a total score of at least 60%-70%. Nursing programs across the country are highly competitive, so students are encouraged to score higher than the program’s minimum score requirement.

TEAS® is a registered trademark of the Assessment Technologies Institute®, which is unaffiliated, not a sponsor, or associated with Mometrix Test Preparation.

 

by Mometrix Test Preparation | Last Updated: July 3, 2025