TEAS practice test

TEAS Language and Vocabulary Practice Test

Tone, concision, transitions, word meaning in context and medical word parts. Here are 10 TEAS language and vocabulary questions, each with the answer and the reason.

Updated 2026-11-14 by the Tigertest team. Matched to the ATI TEAS 7 blueprint and timing. Includes select-all-that-apply, fill-in and ordered-response items like the real exam; image hot spots are not modelled. Not affiliated with ATI.

1. 1.

   A student is emailing a professor to request more time on an assignment. Which sentence is most appropriate?

   • A.

     Hey, can I get a few more days on this?

   • B.

     I need more time, so please just extend it.

   • C.

     Sorry, but the deadline totally doesn't work for me.

   • D.

     I am writing to request a brief extension on the assignment.

   Answer: D.

   An email to a professor calls for a polite, formal tone with a clear request. Slang such as "Hey" and "totally," or a demanding phrase like "just extend it," is too casual for this audience.

2. 2.

   Which of the following sentences is written in the most formal style for a research report?

   • A.

     The results indicate a significant decrease in infection rates.

   • B.

     The results show infections went way down.

   • C.

     We were super happy to see fewer infections.

   • D.

     Basically, infections dropped a ton after the change.

   Answer: A.

   Formal academic writing uses precise, objective vocabulary such as "indicate" and "significant decrease." The other options rely on slang like "way down" and "a ton" or on personal feelings.

3. 3.

   Which revision of "When Maria met Jen at the clinic, she gave her the forms" is clearest?

   • A.

     When Maria met Jen, she gave the forms to her.

   • B.

     At the clinic, she gave her the forms when Maria met Jen.

   • C.

     When Maria met Jen at the clinic, she handed her the forms.

   • D.

     When Maria met Jen at the clinic, Maria gave Jen the forms.

   Answer: D.

   The pronouns "she" and "her" could each refer to either woman, so naming them removes the ambiguity. Rearranging the sentence without replacing the pronouns leaves the reader unsure who gave the forms.

4. 4.

   Which transition best fills the blank in "Regular exercise improves heart health; ___, it can lower stress levels"?

   • A.

     however

   • B.

     moreover

   • C.

     instead

   • D.

     otherwise

   Answer: B.

   The second clause adds another benefit of exercise, so an addition transition like "moreover" fits. "However" would wrongly signal that the second idea contrasts with the first.

5. 5.

   Which revision changes "The samples were labeled by the technician" to the active voice?

   • A.

     The samples were being labeled by the technician.

   • B.

     The samples had been labeled by the technician.

   • C.

     Labeled by the technician were the samples.

   • D.

     The technician labeled the samples.

   Answer: D.

   In active voice, the doer of the action, "the technician," is the subject. The other options only change the tense or word order while keeping the passive construction.

6. 6.

   Which option best combines "The clinic is small. It serves over 500 patients each month"?

   • A.

     The clinic is small, it serves over 500 patients monthly.

   • B.

     Because the clinic is small, it serves over 500 patients monthly.

   • C.

     Although the clinic is small, it serves over 500 patients monthly.

   • D.

     The clinic is small, so it serves over 500 patients monthly.

   Answer: C.

   "Although" shows the contrast between a small clinic and a large number of patients. "Because" and "so" wrongly claim that being small causes the high volume, and joining the clauses with only a comma creates a comma splice.

7. 7.

   In the sentence "Her symptoms were intermittent, appearing for a few hours and then vanishing for days," what does "intermittent" mean?

   • A.

     constant and severe

   • B.

     slowly worsening

   • C.

     occurring on and off

   • D.

     sudden and long-lasting

   Answer: C.

   The sentence describes symptoms that appear and then vanish, which means they come and go. "Constant" is the opposite, since constant symptoms would never disappear.

8. 8.

   The suffix "-itis" in words such as tonsillitis and arthritis indicates which of the following?

   • A.

     inflammation

   • B.

     surgical removal

   • C.

     the study of

   • D.

     abnormal enlargement

   Answer: A.

   The suffix "-itis" means inflammation, so arthritis is inflammation of the joints. Surgical removal is indicated by "-ectomy," and enlargement by "-megaly."

9. 9.

   The word "neurology" combines a root and a suffix. What does "neurology" mean?

   • A.

     inflammation of the nerves

   • B.

     the study of the skin

   • C.

     the study of nerves

   • D.

     surgery on the nerves

   Answer: C.

   "Neur" refers to nerves and "-ology" means the study of, so neurology is the study of nerves and the nervous system. Inflammation of the nerves would be neuritis, and the study of the skin is dermatology.

10. 10.

    Which word has the most negative connotation for describing a person who is confident?

    • A.

      self-assured

    • B.

      poised

    • C.

      assertive

    • D.

      arrogant

    Answer: D.

    "Arrogant" implies an inflated sense of self-importance, which is a negative judgment. "Self-assured," "poised," and "assertive" describe confidence in neutral or positive terms.