Standardized Tests Don’t Predict Success – So Why Are We Still Using Them to Make Admissions Decisions?

Standardized entrance exams like the TEAS and HESI A2 are a staple of pre-licensure nursing admissions. But here’s the problem: they weren’t built to predict who will succeed in nursing school.

These tests measure content knowledge at a moment in time – not emotional resilience, adaptability, or the ability to persist through adversity. High scores might reflect strong test-taking ability, but they don’t necessarily indicate who is equipped for the academic and emotional demands of nursing school.

And the opposite is also true: applicants with strong non-academic attributes may never make it past the testing threshold – despite being exactly the kind of students nursing needs.

When programs rely heavily on standardized tests, they overlook something crucial: the people behind the scores.

At Level Assessments, we’ve built a research-backed solution to help admissions committees look beyond surface-level metrics. Our assessments evaluate cognitive and beyond-cognitive traits linked to long-term success in nursing education.

Programs using Level Assessments gain:

• A more accurate and equitable admissions process
• Insight into applicant traits that standardized tests miss
• The ability to uncover strong candidates who might otherwise be overlooked
• Cohorts with higher retention and better overall outcomes

Standardized tests weren’t designed to do this. Level Assessments was.