What a TEAS cut actually is, and who writes the number
A TEAS cut is a faculty or admissions-committee line in a dated packet: composite, sometimes section floors, age of the score, and which attempt counts. A Tacoma sticky note that says “TEAS 70” is a cousin’s memory. A 72 composite with a 58 science can still miss the PDF. ATI does not admit the cohort.
This guide is who writes the number, the three shapes a packet uses, and retake math. The sitting lives on TEAS 7 four sections. The printout lives on how to read the report. ADN waitlists that turn a cut into points live on waitlists, points, and the same NCLEX.
How faculty actually set a TEAS cut
ATI still owns the exam: four sections, 170 questions, 209 minutes. ATI does not own the cohort. Programs choose whether to require TEAS at all, whether to use it as a screen or as points, and how high the floor sits. Read ATI TEAS exam details for the sitting. Read the current nursing-admission PDF for the politics. Nursier does not set cuts. We do not sell TEAS.
Who actually writes the number
- A faculty vote or an admissions committee, written into a packet that has a year on it.
- Sometimes a college-wide testing office that only schedules what nursing already chose.
- Never a TikTok average, never ATI’s marketing adjective, never last year’s Facebook screenshot.
If two campuses share a logo, they may not share a floor. A university BSN and a community-college ADN in the same city are two votes. Keep two packets.
Three shapes a packet uses
| Shape | What it looks like in a PDF | How people misread it |
|---|---|---|
| Hard cut | “Minimum composite 70. Below 70 is not reviewed.” | Treating 69.9 as “close enough” because a video said 70 is average |
| Cut plus floors | “70 composite and no section below 60” | Celebrating the composite while science is 58 |
| Points only | “TEAS is scored on the points sheet. No minimum printed.” | Assuming any score is fine, then losing the waitlist by ten points |
A fourth shape exists: the school accepts TEAS or HESI and prints two different floors. That is two tickets, not a conversion table. Keep the fork on the name in the catalog.
When a cut is really a points line
ADN programs that use points can publish a “minimum 62” and still never admit a 62. The last admitted cohort’s points are the real market. Ask for that number if they publish it. If they do not, treat the printed minimum as the floor that gets you reviewed, not the floor that gets you a seat. Anatomy grades, residency, and CNA hours may outweigh a pretty composite. That is why the packet around the exam is a folder, not a score.
Retake rules faculty hide in a footnote
Highlight four local laws:
- How many attempts count in one cycle.
- The wait between attempts. School wait can beat ATI’s wait.
- Whether they keep the highest, the latest, or an average.
- Whether a score expires on the deadline day, not on your birthday.
A person who retakes and drops the latest score under an “latest counts” rule has not improved. They have replaced. Read the footnote twice before you book the second seat.
What not to treat as policy
Do not treat ATI proficiency labels as faculty policy. Do not treat a 2023 screenshot as the 2026 cohort. Do not treat a dump as a way around a science floor. Sit legal unofficial sets for the short bar. The Nursier editorial team wrote this. Browse TEAS 7 and practice questions after the PDF is in your hand.
After you circle the faculty line
Write four facts: composite floor, section floors, which attempt counts, expiration. Tape them over the sticky note. We do not take ATI checkout. ATI keeps that payment. The college keeps the application fee.
Common questions
Is there a national TEAS cut?
No honest one. ATI reports. Faculty vote. Anyone selling a national cut is selling an ad.
If faculty want 70, should I stop at 70?
If the shape is points, a 70 may still lose. If the shape is a hard cut and the rest of the folder is strong, stopping may be rational. The packet tells you which world you are in.
Does this replace the score-report page?
No. The report page is how to read bars tonight. This page is the policy those bars must meet.
What if the sticky note and the PDF disagree?
The dated PDF wins. Ask advising to update the sticky note. Do not build a month on the note.
Sources
Nursier is independent. We are not affiliated with ATI or any college. This article is planning copy. It is not a faculty policy, not a cut score, and not an offer of admission.
