A New Case for Standardized Nursing Admissions
How Research-Backed Assessment Data Can Move Your Program From Screening to Strategy
As the demand for new nurses continues to grow, many academic programs are struggling to keep pace with the high student interest the shortage generates.
The 2025-2026 enrollment survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that 76,321 qualified applications were not accepted by baccalaureate nursing programs in 2025.1 The story is similar at the other entry points to nursing, with hundreds of hopeful students waitlisted or turned away by PN/VN and ADN programs.
The reasons behind these rejections are varied and complex, but they coalesce to direct a rather hot spotlight on admissions decisions. Programs feel greater pressure to ensure that the students they admit will remain in the program.
So how can programs better identify the applicants who are more likely to succeed? New data can help shape the strategies to answer this question.
A Large-Scale Analysis of Preadmission Assessment
A study2 published in the Journal of Nursing Measurement in April 2026 examined whether a widely used nursing preadmission assessment — the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS®) developed by ATI — accurately measures student knowledge and potential for academic success and whether it does so fairly across PN, ADN and BSN programs.
Researchers evaluated the internal structure and fairness of TEAS using confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance testing. Confirmatory factor analysis evaluates whether an assessment measures what it claims to measure, and measurement invariance testing evaluates whether it does so consistently across different groups.
Rather than focusing solely on the prediction of outcomes, the researchers examined the internal structure of the assessment. Using two independent samples of more than 5,000 test‑takers each, the study sought to determine:
- Does the TEAS measure both overall academic readiness and distinct content areas as intended?
- Does the TEAS measure those constructs consistently across PN, ADN, and BSN pathways?
This distinction is important. Tools used in high‑stakes decisions must demonstrate not only usefulness, but structural validity and equity across populations.
Key Finding 1: Academic Readiness Is Both General and Domain-Specific
The analysis demonstrated support for a bifactor model of academic readiness. In practice, this means that TEAS captures:
- 1 general academic preparedness factor, representing overall readiness for nursing coursework
- 4 distinct but meaningful content areas: reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage.
This structure has two important implications for admissions:
- Total scores are appropriate for summative decisions such as admissions.
- Subscores provide diagnostic information that can support advising, prerequisite planning, and early academic support.
“This research shows that the TEAS exam structure is a valid and reliable tool for use as a standardized admission assessment,” said study coauthor Beth Cusatis Phillips, PhD, RN, CNE. “In addition, it determined that subscores of reading, science, math, and English and language usage are appropriate measures for both admission and diagnostic purposes.”
In other words, admissions scores are most informative when they are interpreted as part of a broader picture, not in isolation.
Key Finding 2: Standardized Assessment Demonstrates Fairness Across Program Types
A second major finding addresses a longstanding question among educators: whether standardized admissions assessments advantage one program pathway over another.
The study found measurement invariance across PN, ADN, and BSN applicants. This means TEAS measures the same underlying skills in the same way, regardless of program type. Observed score differences reflect real differences in academic preparation, not bias built into the test.
This finding matters as programs navigate challenges such as grade inflation, variability in prerequisite rigor, and uneven access to prior academic preparation. When transcripts alone may not tell the full story, standardized assessments can provide a consistent academic baseline — if they function equitably.
“When an assessment functions consistently across program types, it allows faculty to interpret scores with confidence,” said Dr. Phillips, who is a strategic nursing advisor and the senior manager of content strategy for ATI and Ascend Learning. “Differences in performance reflect preparation, not bias, and this supports more equitable decision-making.”
Implications for Admissions and Student Success
The new analysis reinforces that TEAS measures both overall academic readiness and distinct foundational skills, making it a reliable tool for equitable, data-driven decision-making across PN, ADN and BSN pathways.
In addition, the research demonstrates that the value of TEAS is not limited to candidate screening. It also can guide student success strategies after admission. Subscale scores can inform advising decisions, targeted remediation, prerequisite planning, and course sequencing.
At the program level, aggregate subscore data can surface patterns that signal a need for curriculum refinements, added support for English language learners, or earlier academic interventions. These uses support student-centered decision-making while maintaining ethical testing practices outlined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.3
“Subscores give faculty an early opportunity to intervene before students struggle in high-stakes courses,” Dr. Phillips said. “This shifts TEAS from a gatekeeping tool to a student success tool.”
From Selection to Student Success
The question facing nursing programs is no longer simply who to admit, but how to ensure selected students are prepared to persist and succeed.
This research affirms that across PN, ADN, and BSN pathways, the ATI TEAS measures academic readiness in a meaningful and fair way. Total scores provide a reliable foundation for admissions decisions, and subscores offer deeper insight into where students may need support.
Used together, these data points allow programs to move beyond screening and toward strategy. Admissions criteria can be better aligned with program expectations, and early interventions can be more precisely targeted.
For programs navigating constrained capacity and rising demand, TEAS offers more than a standardized measure. It provides a consistent, research-backed starting point for building stronger cohorts and stronger outcomes.
“Ensuring that the right students get admitted is essential to the success of programs and students,” Dr. Phillips said. “Using TEAS as part of the admission process helps ensure that your students start strong and finish strong.”
References
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Schools of Nursing See Enrollment Increases Across Most Program Levels, Signaling Strong Interest in Nursing Careers. May 7, 2026. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/all-news/article/schools-of-nursing-see-enrollment-increases-across-most-program-levels-signaling-strong-interest-in-nursing-careers-1480
- Zhong X, Yoo H, Turner S, Zeiher W, Phillips B. Psychometric evaluation of a standardized nursing preadmission assessment: Evidence from bifactor modeling and measurement invariance testing. Journal of Nursing Measurement. 2026. DOI: 10.1891/JNM-2025-0145
- American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education. Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. https://www.testingstandards.net/open-access-files.html