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Both are nursing-school entrance exams. Both test reading, maths, science and English. But they are built by different companies — ATI makes the TEAS, Elsevier makes the HESI — and schools pick one. You do not usually get to choose.
The short version
- TEAS 7 — fixed structure. Four sections, 170 questions, 209 minutes, always the same.
- HESI A2 — modular. Your school picks from eight-plus sections, so the length varies.
Where they genuinely differ
Science. The TEAS has one 50-question Science section, roughly half of it anatomy and physiology. The HESI splits science into separate A&P, Biology and Chemistry modules — so depending on your school, you might face far more chemistry than a TEAS candidate ever sees, or none at all.
Vocabulary. The HESI gives it a dedicated ~50-question section. On the TEAS it is folded into English & Language Usage. If you are sitting the HESI, a vocabulary list is worth real time; on the TEAS it is a minor component.
Maths. TEAS maths is more abstract — algebra, measurement, data interpretation. HESI maths is more applied, with conversions and dosage-shaped problems. Both give you a basic calculator.
Timing pressure. The TEAS is the tighter clock, particularly English & Language Usage at roughly 60 seconds per question.
Which schools use which
There is no clean geographic or level split — plenty of BSN programmes use the TEAS and plenty use the HESI, and some accept either. A minority require both, or use one for pre-nursing admission and the other later. The only reliable source is your specific programme's admissions page.
If you have to sit both
Study the overlap once, then the differences separately. The shared ground is substantial:
- Reading comprehension strategy transfers almost completely.
- Core maths — fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, conversions — is the same skill set.
- Anatomy and physiology overlaps heavily; the HESI simply goes deeper.
- Grammar rules are the same rules, tested at different depth.
Then add HESI-specific vocabulary and chemistry, and TEAS-specific scientific reasoning. Sitting both is maybe 30% more work than sitting one — not double.
That overlap is exactly why CinnaEntry carries both exams behind one purchase rather than selling them separately.