Can you retake the TEAS 7 or HESI A2? ATI and Elsevier don't set one national limit, your nursing program does. Here's how retakes and waiting periods work.
You took the entrance exam, the score wasn't where it needed to be, and now you're staring at one question: can I take it again, and will it count against me? The good news is that both the TEAS and the HESI A2 are retakable. The catch is that the rules don't come from the test-makers. They come from your nursing program, and they vary more than almost any other part of the admissions process.
The one rule that overrides everything: ask your program
Neither ATI (TEAS) nor Elsevier (HESI A2) enforces a single national cap on attempts. Instead, each nursing program sets its own retake policy; how many attempts it allows, how long you must wait between them, and which score it uses for your application. Two schools that accept the same exam can have completely different rules.
Confirm before you re-register
Do not pay for a retake until you've read your specific program's policy. A retake that violates your school's waiting period or attempt limit can be wasted money, or worse, count against your application.
What programs typically regulate
Policies differ, but they almost always address these four levers:
| Lever | What it means | Common pattern (verify yours) |
|---|---|---|
| Attempt limit | How many times you may test per cycle | Often 1–3 attempts per application cycle |
| Waiting period | Minimum gap between attempts | Frequently ~30 days |
| Which score counts | Highest, most recent, or averaged | Varies widely by school |
| Cycle reset | When attempt counts reset | Often per admissions cycle / per year |
~30 days
is a common minimum wait between attempts, but your program sets the real number
How the test-makers handle retakes
While your program sets the limits, the mechanics are straightforward:
- You re-register and pay the exam fee again for each attempt (through ATI for the TEAS, or via your program/Elsevier for the HESI A2).
- You sit a new form; you won't get the identical test you took before, though the content blueprint is unchanged.
- Your score reports are generated each time; how (and whether) multiple scores are shared with a program depends on the program's policy.
Don't waste the waiting period
A retake only helps if you do something different in between. Treat the gap as targeted prep, not a holding pattern:
- Read your score report by section. Both exams break your score down, that's your map to the weakest areas.
- Spend your time where the points are. For both exams, science (especially anatomy and physiology) is usually the highest-leverage area.
- Practice under timed, exam-format conditions, not just passive review, so pacing stops costing you points.
- Confirm the deadline math, make sure your retake date plus score-processing time still lands before your application deadline.
If the HESI A2 is your exam, line your prep up to the sections your school assigns using the HESI A2 resources; for the TEAS, drill the fixed four-section format with TEAS 7 practice, and revisit what score you're actually aiming for before you re-test.
A retake isn't a mark of failure, for most applicants it's a normal step. Just make it a strategic step: know your program's rules, target your weak sections, and walk into the second attempt with a plan the first one didn't have.
