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TEAS english and reading practice questions
English and Language Usage is 37 questions in 37 minutes, about one minute each, and Reading is 45 questions in 55 minutes. These questions cover grammar, vocabulary and reading.
Question 1 · TEAS Reading & Reasoning Practice
"Medication reconciliation is a critical step in reducing errors during patient transitions of care. It involves comparing a patient's current medication orders to all medications the patient has been taking. Discrepancies are identified and resolved by the health care team. This process prevents omissions, duplications, and dangerous drug interactions when patients move between care settings." Which sentence is the topic sentence of this paragraph?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: B. The topic sentence states the paragraph's main idea and typically appears first, as it does here: medication reconciliation reduces errors during transitions of care. The other sentences describe how the process works and what it prevents, making them supporting details rather than the sentence that introduces the paragraph's central point.
Checked against: OpenStax Medical-Surgical Nursing, 3.4; OpenStax Population Health for Nurses, 30.3
Question 2 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
A nurse is documenting a client's behavior in the medical record. Which entries reflect objective, professional wording with neutral denotation rather than a judgmental connotation? Select all that apply.
Select all that apply.
Show answer and rationale
Answer: C, E, F. Professional documentation should describe observable behavior using neutral, factual language, as in "declined," "verbalized refusal," and stating the exact number of requests, all of which are objective denotations without emotional judgment. "Noncompliant," "difficult and demanding," and "manipulative" carry negative connotations that reflect the writer's opinion rather than an objective description of behavior. Denotation is the literal, factual meaning of a word, while connotation adds emotional shading that can introduce bias into the medical record. Choosing neutral wording protects the client from stigmatizing language and keeps documentation legally and ethically sound.
Checked against: OpenStax Population Health for Nurses, 10.1; OpenStax Medical-Surgical Nursing, 28.7
Question 3 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
When breaking down an unfamiliar medical term, which word part typically carries the core meaning of the word?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: C. The root carries the essential or core meaning of a word, while the prefix (added to the beginning) and suffix (added to the end) modify that meaning, such as negating it, indicating location, or changing its part of speech. In the word "un-break-able," "break" is the root that conveys the central idea, "un-" adds the negative meaning, and "-able" indicates capability. A combining vowel is used to join word parts for pronunciation but does not itself carry meaning, so it is incorrect. Because the prefix and suffix modify rather than define the term, they are also incorrect choices.
Checked against: OpenStax Pharmacology for Nurses, 2.2; OpenStax Medical-Surgical Nursing, 16.1
Question 4 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
A nurse reads a progress note stating the client is "afebrile." What does this documentation indicate about the client's temperature?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: B. The prefix a- means "without" or "not," so "afebrile" literally means "without fever," indicating the client's temperature is within normal limits. A high fever would be described as febrile or hyperthermic, not afebrile, making that option incorrect. Nothing in the term "afebrile" implies instability or that reassessment is occurring; these are unsupported interpretations of the word. Recognizing negative prefixes such as a-, un-, in-, im-, dis-, and non- helps the nurse quickly and accurately interpret documentation.
Checked against: OpenStax Fundamentals of Nursing, 7.1
Question 5 · TEAS Reading & Reasoning Practice
"Nurses can reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by following several evidence-based practices. First, catheters should be inserted only when clinically indicated. Second, strict aseptic technique must be maintained during insertion. Third, the collection bag should always be kept below the level of the bladder. Finally, catheters should be removed as soon as they are no longer necessary." Which of the following are supporting details found in this passage? Select all that apply.
Select all that apply.
Show answer and rationale
Answer: A, B, D, F. Supporting details are the specific facts and practices in the text that back up the main idea of reducing CAUTIs; the passage explicitly lists insertion criteria, aseptic technique, bag positioning, and timely removal. The statement about CAUTIs being the most common infection nationwide and the statement about annual training modules are not mentioned anywhere in this passage, so they cannot be supporting details drawn from it.
Checked against: OpenStax Fundamentals of Nursing, 26.4; OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills, 13.2
Question 6 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
A prescriber orders a medication to be given "subcutaneously." Using knowledge of word parts, the nurse should administer the injection into which location?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: A. The prefix sub- means "under," so "subcutaneous" means "under the skin," directing the nurse to inject the medication into the fatty tissue beneath the dermis. "Within a vein" describes an intravenous route, since intra- means "within," not sub-. "Between two muscles" does not correspond to any standard route indicated by this term. "Across the abdominal wall" would relate to the prefix trans- (across), not sub-, so it is incorrect. Applying word-part knowledge helps the nurse select the correct anatomical site and avoid a medication administration error.
Checked against: OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills, 12.5
Question 7 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
A nurse reviews a chart entry describing a client as "malnourished with a low serum albumin level." Understanding the prefix mal- helps the nurse recognize that this finding reflects which condition?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: C. The prefix mal- means "bad" or "poor," so "malnourished" describes inadequate or poor nutritional status, consistent with a low serum albumin level. "Excessive nutrition" would relate to a prefix such as hyper-, not mal-, so it is incorrect. There is no indication in the word "malnourished" that reassessment (re-) is occurring. Improved nutrition would be indicated by a prefix such as bene- (good), the opposite of mal-, so recognizing this cue alerts the nurse to a client at nutritional risk who needs further assessment and intervention.
Checked against: OpenStax Nutrition for Nurses, 5.1
Question 8 · Medical Vocabulary & Word Parts for Nurses
The nurse receives hand-off report on four clients. Based on the meaning of the medical terms used, which client should the nurse assess first?
Show answer and rationale
Answer: D. The prefix hyper- means "excessive," so hyperthermia indicates a dangerously elevated body temperature; combined with confusion and diaphoresis, this client shows signs of a possible heat-related emergency requiring immediate attention. The afebrile (without fever), ambulating client is stable and the lowest priority. The client whose hypotension has already resolved is not in acute distress. "Malaise," meaning general discomfort, is a vague, nonspecific complaint far less urgent than a critically high temperature with altered mental status, so prioritization should focus on the client whose terminology and symptoms reflect the greatest physiological instability.
Checked against: OpenStax Fundamentals of Nursing, 7.1
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| Section | Questions | Unscored pretest | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 45 | 6 | 55 min |
| Mathematics | 38 | 4 | 57 min |
| Science | 50 | 6 | 60 min |
| English and Language Usage | 37 | 4 | 37 min |
| Total | 170 | 20 | 209 min |
Source: ATI TEAS exam details, checked Oct 2026.
About these questions
Every question on this page was approved by a licensed RN, and its answer was checked against open nursing references (mostly OpenStax nursing textbooks) before publishing. They are TEAS-style practice, not real TEAS items. NurseLingo is not affiliated with ATI. Spot a problem? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
How to study English for TEAS?
Review grammar rules (subject-verb agreement, punctuation, sentence structure), spelling and vocabulary in context. The English section is 37 questions in 37 minutes, about one minute each, so practice answering quickly.