Selective Admission Examinations

Applicants to certain selective admission programs in the life sciences must take the National League for Nursing (NLN) pre-admission examination or the Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) to be considered for admission to their desired programs of study. Tests must have been administered within five years of the application deadlines for the specific programs of study to which applicants are seeking admission. Applicants registering to retake the exams must wait a minimum of six months from their previous exam date. Applicants who commit acts of academic dishonesty while taking selective admissions examinations will be charged with violating the college's Academic Honesty Policy.

Applicants to the Nursing program must take the NLN Pre-admission RN Examination to receive consideration for admission to that program. Applicants to the Practical Nursing programs must take the NLN Pre-admission PN Examination to receive consideration for admission to those programs. The NLN pre-admission examination assesses what applicants have learned to date. The test has three sections, all consisting of multiple-choice questions:

• Verbal skills/reading comprehension – Assesses word knowledge through sentence completion and reading comprehension and assesses the ability to draw conclusions, make inferences, and apply information to new situations.
• Mathematics – Assesses arithmetic (integers, fractions, decimals, and percentages) and basic algebraic and geometric skills.
• Science – Assesses knowledge of biology, human anatomy and physiology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and health.

Applicants to Nursing and Practical Nursing are encouraged to take the NLN pre-admission examination after they successfully complete coursework in anatomy and physiology (ALHS 1011 at the diploma level or BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, and BIOL 2114L at the associate degree level), English (ENGL 1010 at the diploma level or ENGL 1101 at the associate degree level), mathematics (MATH 1012 at the diploma level or MATH 1101, MATH 1103, MATH 1111, or MATH 1127 at the associate degree level), and other general core/education course requirements. Completing these courses prior to taking the NLN pre-admission examination better prepares students for the content covered on the examination and may aid them in improving their test scores. Students may not register for the NLN exam until any necessary learning support classes are complete.

To register for the NLN exam, students must complete the following steps:

• Obtain a NLN registration form on the college website.
• Select the desired testing date and confirm the required registration deadline.
• Complete the required registration form.
• Submit the non-refundable $60 payment to the cashier at the Athens Campus or via phone at (706) 355-5121.
• Submit copies of the completed registration form and proof of payment to the Testing Services Office located in H-749 on or before the published deadline.

Applicants must show photo identification to gain entrance to the testing session.

Additional information about the NLN pre-admission examination is available by phone at (706) 583-2728 or by email at testing@athenstech.edu. Resources to prepare for the NLN pre-admission examination are available on the Testing Services website and on the Library website.

Applicants to the Dental Hygiene, Health Information Management Technology, Phlebotomy Technician, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiography, Surgical Technology, and Veterinary Technology programs must take the ATI TEAS examination. This examination is a 209-minute, 170-item assessment consisting of questions in reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage.

To register for the ATI TEAS exam, students must complete the following steps:

• Obtain a ATI TEAS registration form on the college website.
• Select the desired testing date and confirm the required registration deadline.
• Complete the required registration form.
• Submit the non-refundable $60 payment to the cashier at the Athens Campus or via phone at (706) 355-5121.
• Submit copies of the completed registration form and proof of payment to the Testing Services Office located in Room H-749 on or before the published deadline.

Applicants must show photo identification to gain entrance to the testing session.

Resources to prepare for the NLN pre-admission examination are available on the Testing Services website and on the Library website.