Which Texas Programs Require the HSRT?
Most Texas nursing and allied health programs use the ATI TEAS or HESI A2. A growing group — primarily respiratory care, dental hygiene, and occupational therapy programs — use the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) instead. As of 2026, five Texas institutions are confirmed to require the HSRT for health sciences admissions.
The HSRT is not a science test. It measures critical thinking ability across five domains: analysis, inference, evaluation, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning. If your program requires it, your TEAS study materials will not help.
Lone Star College — Respiratory Care and Dental Hygiene
Lone Star College's Kingwood campus requires the HSRT for two programs: Respiratory Care AAS and Dental Hygiene AAS. The rules are different for each.
For Dental Hygiene, the HSRT testing window is limited (typically January through February). You may only take the HSRT once per application period — taking it at multiple LSC campuses within the same period invalidates your application entirely. In 2025, the average HSRT score among applicants invited to interview was 23 out of 33. The top 32 applicants are selected for interviews based on prerequisite grades, course completion, HSRT score, and interview performance.
For Respiratory Care, testing is available year-round, and students may test once per year. The HSRT is used as one component of competitive ranking alongside prerequisite grades. No published minimum exists — your score is compared against the full applicant pool.
Cost: $15 per attempt at LSC testing centers. Schedule via RegisterBlast.
Houston Community College (HCC Coleman) — Respiratory Therapy and OTA
HCC Coleman uses the HSRT for two programs, each with a distinct weighting formula.
For Respiratory Therapy, the HSRT accounts for 30% of your application rubric points. No minimum score is required — rubric points are awarded based on your score range, and the other 70% comes from academic criteria. You may submit up to two HSRT scores with your application, and scores are valid for three years. Testing is at HCC Coleman's testing center (Monday through Thursday at 10 AM) for $25 per attempt.
For Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), the HSRT counts for 25% of rubric points, with an additional 20% from a virtual interview and 5% from an essay. You can also submit the HESI critical thinking exam in lieu of the HSRT for the OTA program. The same testing logistics apply.
At HCC Coleman, high HSRT scores directly translate to more rubric points. Preparing thoroughly pays off in a measurable, formula-based way.
College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene
College of the Mainland in Texas City requires the HSRT-AD for its Dental Hygiene AAS program. This is a newer program (launched Fall 2024) and the competitive dynamics are still establishing — but limited seats and growing demand mean preparation matters.
Testing runs from the first Monday in March through the day before the application deadline. You may test twice per application period, but scores do not carry over to future cycles (stricter than most schools). Cost is $47 per attempt at the COM Testing Center. Physical photo ID required — electronic copies are not accepted.
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Palo Alto College (Alamo Colleges District) — Dental Hygiene
Palo Alto College's Dental Hygiene program uses a two-stage selection process. First, applicants are ranked by Science GPA and observation hours. The top 45 are then invited to take the HSRT. The top 30 HSRT scorers receive admission offers. If there is a tie, the HSRT "Evaluation" sub-score is the tiebreaker.
You cannot self-register for the HSRT at Palo Alto — only the top 45 Phase I applicants receive an access code. Application is through ADEA DHCAS. All Science courses must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and be less than five years old. Minimum 20 observation hours across three different dental settings are required before you are eligible.
Cost is $20, with remote proctoring available. The DHCAS cycle opens in late January each year.
Texas Southern University — Respiratory Therapy
Texas Southern University is the only four-year university in Texas confirmed to require the HSRT. Its Respiratory Therapy BS program through the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences uses the HSRT as part of selective admissions. No minimum score is published.
TSU is an HBCU and one of the few universities — as opposed to community colleges — that uses the HSRT for health sciences admissions. Contact the department directly for current testing logistics, fees, and what scores recent admitted cohorts have had.
How Texas Programs Use the HSRT Differently
Texas HSRT programs fall into three categories. Some use the HSRT as a competitive ranking factor with no published minimum, where every point affects your position in the applicant pool. Others award specific rubric points based on score ranges, making the formula transparent. A few use the HSRT as a Phase II filter after Phase I academic screening. Knowing which model your program uses changes your preparation strategy — if you are competing on a formula, know the point thresholds. If you are competing against an unknown pool, aim for the highest score possible.
How to Prepare for the HSRT for Texas Programs
The HSRT requires a different approach than any content-based exam. No anatomy, no chemistry, no math formulas. You are practicing reasoning skills: identifying arguments, evaluating evidence, drawing valid inferences, and applying logical rules to novel scenarios.
Most Texas HSRT programs administer the 33-question untimed version (except HCC Coleman, which uses the 35-question, 50-minute HSRT-AD). Even on untimed versions, deliberate practice with timed mock exams prepares you to work efficiently without rushing.
Four weeks of structured preparation is realistic for most students. Take a baseline practice test first to identify your weakest skill area — that is where to spend the most time.