Read the passage: "Handwashing remains the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection in hospitals. Yet studies show compliance drops sharply during busy shifts, even though proper technique takes less than a minute. Hospitals that post reminders at sinks and track compliance see infection rates fall." Which sentence best states the main idea?
About this test
This free TEAS reading practice test gives you 12 questions in the style of the TEAS 7 Reading section, most of them built on a short passage. They ask about the main idea, a supporting detail, an inference, the author's purpose, tone or a word in context, mixing multiple choice, select all that apply and fill in the blank. Answer all 12, then check your score and read every explanation. Below the test you will find the passage types the real section uses.
All 12 questions at a glance
Prefer to read before you play? Every question in the sampler is listed below. Answers and explanations stay collapsed until you open them.
1.Read the passage: "Handwashing remains the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection in hospitals. Yet studies show compliance drops sharply during busy shifts, even though proper technique takes less than a minute. Hospitals that post reminders at sinks and track compliance see infection rates fall." Which sentence best states the main idea?
- A. Proper handwashing takes less than a minute
- B. Handwashing prevents infection, but getting staff to do it consistently is the real challenge
- C. Hospitals should hire more staff for busy shifts
- D. Infection rates are rising in most hospitals
Answer: B. Handwashing prevents infection, but getting staff to do it consistently is the real challenge
The passage moves from the value of handwashing to the compliance problem and what helps. Choice B captures that whole arc. Choice A is a supporting detail, and choices C and D are not stated at all.
2.Read the passage: "The clinic's flu vaccine supply arrived three weeks late this year. By the time doses were available, many regular patients had already been vaccinated at retail pharmacies." What can you infer from this passage?
- A. The clinic ordered too few doses
- B. Retail pharmacies received their vaccines earlier than the clinic
- C. Most patients skipped the flu vaccine this year
- D. The clinic will stop offering flu vaccines
Answer: B. Retail pharmacies received their vaccines earlier than the clinic
If patients got vaccinated at pharmacies before the clinic's late supply arrived, the pharmacies must have had doses earlier. The other choices go beyond what the passage supports.
3.Read the passage: "Every student deserves a quiet place to study. School libraries should stay open until 9 pm on weeknights, and district leaders should fund the extra staff hours without delay." What is the author's primary purpose?
- A. To inform readers about library opening hours
- B. To entertain readers with a story about studying
- C. To persuade readers that library hours should be extended
- D. To describe how school budgets are set
Answer: C. To persuade readers that library hours should be extended
Words like should and without delay signal an argument for action, which makes this persuasive writing rather than neutral information.
4.Complete the sentence.
A statement that can be checked and proved true or false is a _____, while a statement of personal belief or judgment is an _____.
Options for blank 1: fact, topic, summary, theme
Options for blank 2: inference, opinion, argument, example
Answer: fact, opinion
Facts are verifiable; opinions express judgment. The TEAS often asks you to separate the two inside a single passage, so watch for judgment words like best, should or worthwhile.
5.Read the sentence: "The new intake process was so convoluted that even experienced staff needed a flowchart to follow it." Based on context, what does convoluted mean?
- A. Brief
- B. Complicated
- C. Popular
- D. Optional
Answer: B. Complicated
The clue is that even experienced staff needed a flowchart, which signals something hard to follow. Convoluted means complicated or intricate.
6.Read the passage: "The night shift runs from 11 pm to 7 am. It is the best shift for people who like quiet work. Nurses on nights complete rounds every two hours. Everyone should try nights at least once." Which of the following statements from the passage are opinions?
Select all that apply.
- A. The night shift runs from 11 pm to 7 am
- B. It is the best shift for people who like quiet work
- C. Nurses on nights complete rounds every two hours
- D. Everyone should try nights at least once
Answer: B. It is the best shift for people who like quiet work, D. Everyone should try nights at least once
Best and should signal judgment, so those two are opinions. The shift times and the rounding schedule are verifiable facts.
7.You are using a textbook and need the page number where the term osmosis is discussed. Which part of the book should you check?
- A. The table of contents
- B. The glossary
- C. The index
- D. The preface
Answer: C. The index
The index lists specific terms alphabetically with page numbers. The glossary defines terms but does not point to the discussion pages, and the table of contents only lists chapters.
8.Read the passage: "Regular sleep improves memory. In one study, students who slept eight hours recalled 20 percent more terms than students who slept five. Attention and mood also improve with consistent rest." Which sentence is a supporting detail rather than the main idea?
- A. Regular sleep improves memory
- B. In one study, students who slept eight hours recalled 20 percent more terms than students who slept five
- C. Sleep matters for students
- D. Rest affects the brain
Answer: B. In one study, students who slept eight hours recalled 20 percent more terms than students who slept five
The study result is specific evidence backing the broader claim that sleep improves memory. Details answer how do we know; main ideas state the point.
9.Complete the sentence.
The author's _____ is the reason a text was written: usually to inform, to persuade or to entertain.
Options for blank 1: tone, purpose, theme, bias
Answer: purpose
Purpose is the author's goal. Tone is the author's attitude, and theme is the underlying message of a literary work. The TEAS tests all three, so keep the terms straight.
10.Read the schedule: "Anatomy lab: Mondays 2 pm. Open study room: weekdays 8 am to 8 pm. Tutoring: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4 pm to 6 pm." A student is free only after 5 pm on weekdays. Which resource can they use?
- A. Anatomy lab
- B. Tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 6 pm
- C. Neither tutoring nor the study room
- D. The study room on weekends
Answer: B. Tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 6 pm
Tutoring runs until 6 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so a student free after 5 pm can still catch the last hour. The anatomy lab meets at 2 pm, and the schedule says the study room is open on weekdays, not weekends, so the other choices contradict the schedule.
11.Read the passage: "Community gardens improve neighborhoods. Plots give residents access to fresh vegetables. Gardeners report knowing more of their neighbors by name. One city found that blocks with gardens had less litter." Which details from the passage support the claim in the first sentence?
Select all that apply.
- A. Plots give residents access to fresh vegetables
- B. Gardeners report knowing more of their neighbors by name
- C. One city found that blocks with gardens had less litter
- D. Community gardens improve neighborhoods
Answer: A. Plots give residents access to fresh vegetables, B. Gardeners report knowing more of their neighbors by name, C. One city found that blocks with gardens had less litter
The first three choices are specific pieces of evidence. The last one is the claim itself, so it cannot be its own support.
12.Read the passage: "Another meeting that could have been an email. Two hours, forty slides, and the only decision made was to schedule a follow-up meeting." Which word best describes the author's tone?
- A. Enthusiastic
- B. Sarcastic
- C. Neutral
- D. Hopeful
Answer: B. Sarcastic
The opening line and the pointed detail about the only decision being another meeting signal sarcasm: the author is mocking the meeting, not reporting on it neutrally.
What's on the TEAS 7 Reading section
The Reading section of the ATI TEAS 7 gives you 45 questions and 55 minutes. 39 questions are scored and 6 are unscored pretest questions mixed in without labels, so give every passage full attention.
The scored questions cover three content areas. Key ideas and details is worth 15 questions: main ideas, supporting details, summaries and following directions. Craft and structure is worth 9: word choice, tone, point of view, text structure and fact versus opinion. Integration of knowledge and ideas is worth 15: drawing conclusions, evaluating arguments and pulling information together from passages, charts and graphics.
The passages themselves are short and practical: paragraphs, memos, labels, schedules and simple graphics rather than long literary texts. The skill being tested is careful reading under time pressure, a little over a minute per question.
Types of TEAS reading passages, and how to use this sampler
TEAS reading passages come in a handful of types, and each one invites its own kind of question.
Informational passages explain a topic, often health or science. Expect main idea, supporting detail and summary questions.
Persuasive passages argue for something, like a policy or a habit. Expect author's purpose, fact versus opinion and evaluating the argument.
Narrative passages tell a short story or describe an experience. Expect sequence, inference, tone and point of view.
Directions and procedures list steps, for example how to fill out a form or prepare a sample. Expect questions about following the steps in order and what happens at a given step.
Graphics such as maps, charts, labels, schedules and floor plans give information in visual form. Expect questions that ask you to read a value or combine the graphic with a short text.
The passages in this sampler are text only: informational, persuasive and narrative pieces, plus a short schedule written out as text. They do not include maps or charts, so practice those from your prep book.
Every question is self-contained: read the passage, answer, move on. Resist the urge to answer from your own knowledge. TEAS reading questions are always answerable from the passage alone, and the wrong choices are usually statements that are true in general but not supported by the text in front of you. After you finish, read the explanations for both your right and wrong answers. If inference questions tripped you up, ask what the passage implies but does not say. If you missed a fact versus opinion question, look for judgment words like best or should. The science, math and English samplers linked below cover the other three sections.
How StudyPDF builds full practice tests from your prep book
Reading skill grows with practice volume, and the most relevant practice comes from materials at the level you will actually face. Upload your TEAS prep book, textbook chapters or class notes to StudyPDF, open New material and pick Practice exam or Quiz. You choose the chapters, the difficulty and how many questions you want. Every question cites the page it came from, so checking your reasoning takes seconds, and your answers show which skills keep costing you points. Starting is free.
Written by the StudyPDF team. Last updated August 19, 2026.
Good to know
Is this TEAS reading practice test free, and are the passages real?
It is free: all 12 questions, the score screen and every explanation, with no paywall on this page. The passages are not real exam content. The StudyPDF team wrote every passage and question in the style of the TEAS 7 Reading section, and StudyPDF is not affiliated with ATI.
What types of passages are on the TEAS reading section?
Short informational, persuasive and narrative passages, directions or procedures with numbered steps, and graphics such as maps, charts, labels and schedules. Most passages are a paragraph or two long, and some questions ask you to combine two short sources.
How long should I spend per question?
The real section gives you 55 minutes for 45 questions, a little over a minute each. Try to keep a similar pace here: read the passage once carefully, answer, and move on.
Can I practice with my own study materials?
Yes. Upload your TEAS prep book or any reading material to StudyPDF, open New material and pick Practice exam or Quiz. The questions come from your exact pages, and each one cites the page it came from.
Need more than a sampler?
Upload your own prep book, slides or notes and Bo builds full-length practice tests from your exact materials, tracks which concepts you keep missing and targets your weak spots. Free to start.