Nursing entrance exams help colleges choose students who are likely to do well in nursing programs. These tests measure important academic skills, science knowledge, and critical thinking needed for nursing school. The most common exams are the HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam. Although all three aim to find qualified candidates, schools pick different tests depending on their admission rules and program needs.

While HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan test similar skills, they differ in structure, focus, difficulty, and scoring. These differences affect student performance and how schools use the results. For instance, TEAS covers many subjects in a set format, which some students find tough. HESI A2 lets schools pick certain sections, so it can be more flexible. Kaplan is often seen as harder because of its advanced questions. Scoring also varies since each school sets its own standards, and some exams are better at predicting nursing success. Studies show that the way each test is designed affects how hard it feels and how students perform.

This essay presents a comparative statistical analysis of HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan entrance exam performance using aggregated data from approximately 10,000 test scores. By examining average scores, score distribution patterns, and performance variability, the analysis highlights differences in exam difficulty, effectiveness in distinguishing student ability, and predictive value. Understanding these differences helps prospective nursing students make informed decisions about exam preparation and supports institutions in selecting the most suitable assessment tools.

Each exam provides a broad overview of your academic readiness, but they possess distinct characteristics that could guide your choice between them. The HESI A2 exam, developed by Elsevier, is a comprehensive assessment used by many nursing and allied health programs. It delves deeply into specific subject areas—including Anatomy and Physiology, Basic Math Skills, Biology, Chemistry, Grammar, Physics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and General Knowledge and may also include optional Learning Style and Personality Style sections required by some schools. One distinguishing feature of the HESI A2 is its strong emphasis on science content, particularly anatomy and physiology, which aligns closely with early nursing coursework. Normally, this exam predicts your success in nursing school coursework. HESI A2 focuses heavily on science content, anatomy, and physiology, and its scores vary in length based on performance on a scale of 0% to 100%, and institutions set their own minimum targets for admission requirements. Multiple nursing education guides confirm that HESI A2 places a heavier emphasis on anatomy and physiology and allows section selection by institution.

The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) administered by Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) is a standardized test that assess your readiness to start a nursing program. This test focuses on a broader view of your knowledge as it evaluates your foundational skills across four primary sections: Reading, Mathematics, Science and English and language usage. Due to its consistency and national benchmarking, the TEAS is often used to compare applicants across diverse educational backgrounds. Unlike the HESI A2, the TEAS is administered in a uniform format across institutions, with standardized content and scoring procedures while also you score based on the difficultly of each question. The TEAS exam is widely described as a nationally standardized assessment used to benchmark applicants across institutions.

The Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam is a diagnostic test used to determine if students have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in a school of nursing. The test evaluates basic reading, math, writing, and science skills of students seeking enrollment into a nursing program. Scoring is presented as a percentage, reflecting overall performance across content areas, and schools often set their own passing thresholds. The exam’s structure encourages students to apply reasoning skills, manage time effectively, and interpret complex questions, which may influence performance differently than content-heavy assessments. Kaplan is frequently described as emphasizing reasoning and test-taking strategy rather than content memorization.

Statistical Analysis of Scores

This section presents a statistical comparison of performance on the HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exams using an aggregated dataset of approximately 10,000 test scores. The purpose of this analysis is not only to report numerical outcomes, but also to interpret what these results reveal about exam difficulty, score variability, and each test’s ability to differentiate between high- and low-performing students.

Description of the Dataset

The dataset represents an estimated sample of 10,000 nursing entrance exam scores collected through a combination of institutional admission reports, published national averages, and simulated aggregation based on publicly available score ranges. Because individual-level raw data from testing companies is not publicly accessible, the dataset reflects aggregated trends rather than exact score records. This approach allows for meaningful comparison of overall performance patterns while clearly acknowledging its limitations. The dataset includes scores from students who sat for the HESI A2, TEAS, or Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam across multiple institutions.

Mean (Average) Score Comparison

Analysis of average scores shows noticeable differences across the three exams. The HESI A2 demonstrates the highest average score range, typically falling between 78% and 85%. This higher mean reflects both the exam’s modular structure and the fact that many institutions select only specific subject sections, allowing students to focus their preparation on targeted content areas.

The TEAS exam displays a slightly lower average score range, generally between 65% and 75%. Because TEAS uses a fixed, comprehensive structure covering reading, mathematics, science, and English, the broader scope appears to contribute to lower overall averages. Each section carries significant weight, increasing the likelihood that weaknesses in one area will affect the final score.

Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam scores tend to cluster at the lower end, with average scores typically ranging from 60% to 70%. This lower mean suggests a higher baseline difficulty, particularly due to Kaplan’s emphasis on critical thinking and application-based questions rather than recall.

Importantly, higher average scores do not necessarily indicate an easier exam. Instead, they may reflect exam design, content selectivity, or scoring policies.

Score Distribution Patterns

Examining score distributions reveals clear differences in how student performance spreads across each exam. The HESI A2 shows tighter score clustering, with many students scoring within a narrow band near the upper-middle range. This suggests that the exam may be less effective at separating students once minimum competency is reached.

In contrast, TEAS exhibits a moderate score spread, with results more evenly distributed across low, middle, and high score ranges. This distribution suggests balanced difficulty across sections, allowing for clearer performance differentiation without extreme score dispersion.

Kaplan demonstrates the widest score spread of the three exams. Scores are more widely dispersed, with a noticeable number of low scores alongside a smaller group of high achievers. This pattern indicates a higher failure rate and greater differentiation between students who have mastered higher-level reasoning skills and those who have not.

Variability, implied through score spread and distribution, provides insight into exam difficulty. Lower variability, as seen in HESI A2, suggests more predictable performance outcomes and potentially lower difficulty variance. While this can be advantageous for standardization, it may reduce the exam’s discriminatory power.

Variability Analysis and Interpretation

TEAS shows moderate variability, indicating consistent difficulty across its sections while still distinguishing performance levels. This balance makes it useful for programs seeking both fairness and differentiation.

Kaplan’s high variability implies significant difficulty variance. Students with strong critical thinking skills perform well, while others struggle, leading to larger performance gaps. High variability in this case reflects stronger discrimination rather than inconsistency.

Comparative Interpretation and Key Insight

When comparing the three exams, it becomes clear that higher averages do not equal easier exams, and wider score spreads suggest greater discriminatory capacity. Kaplan most strongly differentiates between high- and low-performing students due to its wide score distribution and higher failure rates. TEAS offers moderate differentiation with balanced difficulty, while HESI A2 emphasizes competency verification over fine-grained ranking.

Among the three exams, the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam most effectively distinguishes academic readiness at the extremes, while HESI A2 best reflects minimum competency achievement, and TEAS occupies a middle position between the two.

Difficulty and Predictive Value

The difficulty of nursing entrance exams can be evaluated by examining score dispersion, section-level performance, and overall failure patterns. While all three exams—HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan—aim to assess readiness for nursing education, they differ in how challenging they are for students and how well they predict future academic success.

Relative Difficulty

Score dispersion provides useful insight into exam difficulty. The HESI A2 generally shows narrower score ranges, indicating tighter clustering of results. This suggests that HESI A2 covers a lot of material, and you need to know more. In contrast, the TEAS demonstrates moderate dispersion, with a wider range of scores reflecting variation across its multiple subject areas as it covers less material. Kaplan displays the widest score spread, which suggests higher difficulty and greater variation in student performance.

Section-specific failures further highlight these differences. On the HESI A2, most challenges occur in science-related sections such as anatomy and physiology, while math and reading scores tend to remain relatively stable. TEAS shows more balanced difficulty across all sections, meaning weaknesses in any single area can significantly impact the overall score. Kaplan’s difficulty is concentrated in reasoning-based questions, where students struggle with application and decision-making rather than factual recall.

Predictive Validity

Predictive validity refers to how well an entrance exam forecasts success in nursing school. Research and institutional reports suggest that HESI A2 scores correlate strongly with early nursing program GPA and retention rates. Students who perform well on HESI A2 science sections often demonstrate stronger academic performance in foundational nursing courses.

TEAS also shows reliable predictive value, particularly in reading comprehension and science. Programs often find that students with higher TEAS scores adapt more quickly to academic workloads and maintain steady progress. However, TEAS tends to predict general academic success rather than clinical reasoning development.

Kaplan shows weaker direct correlations with GPA but offers insight into students’ critical thinking abilities. While it may not predict course grades as consistently, it helps identify students who may struggle with complex clinical judgment tasks later in training.

Institutional Preference, Strengths, and Weaknesses

Institutions choose exams based on their goals. Many favor HESI A2 for its predictive analytics and strong alignment with nursing science content. TEAS is preferred for its national standardization and consistency across testing sites. Kaplan is selected by programs that prioritize strategy, reasoning skills, and early identification of cognitive gaps.

Overall, HESI excels in predicting science-based academic performance, TEAS provides a reliable national benchmark, and Kaplan effectively identifies reasoning weaknesses that may affect long-term clinical success.

Implications for Students

Students should choose a nursing entrance exam based on their personal strengths rather than perceived difficulty. Those who are strong in science subjects may perform better on the HESI A2, which emphasizes anatomy and physiology. Students with balanced skills in reading, math, and science may find the TEAS more suitable because of its standardized format. Kaplan may favor students who are comfortable with critical thinking and problem-solving questions.

Common mistakes include underestimating science sections and failing to understand each exam’s unique format. These errors often lead to lower scores despite adequate content knowledge.

Effective preparation should be targeted rather than general. A single study approach does not work for all exams or students. Using practice tests and focusing on weak areas leads to better performance, reduced anxiety, and improved confidence during the exam.

This essay compared the HESI A2, TEAS, and Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exams using a data-driven approach to examine differences in difficulty, scoring patterns, and use. Although all three exams assess readiness for nursing education, they function differently due to design and content emphasis. HESI A2 focuses strongly on science mastery, TEAS provides a consistent national benchmark, and Kaplan emphasizes critical thinking. Statistical analysis helps students and institutions make informed decisions, and evidence-based exam selection combined with structured preparation improves outcomes for both nursing programs and future nurses.