How Arapahoe Community College uses the HSRT in admissions
Arapahoe Community College uses the HSRT as a second-stage screen for its Physical Therapist Assistant program at the Littleton Campus. When applications outnumber available seats, applicants with the highest academic points are invited to take the HSRT, and the overall score (out of 100) factors into final ranking. Becoming an ACC student before applying lowers the cost of both the ACCUPLACER and the HSRT.
No published minimum, but because the HSRT is only used when applications outnumber seats, a high overall score directly improves your rank in a competitive year.
HSRT testing at Arapahoe Community College
- Location: Arapahoe Community College Testing Center, by appointment (Littleton, CO).
- Fee: $40 proctor fee (non-refundable)
Retake policy
Contact the ACC PTA program (School of Health and Public Services) for the current HSRT retake policy.
About Arapahoe Community College's Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program
Arapahoe Community College runs its PTA program as a Fall cohort at the Littleton Campus (applications open April 1 and close in late May), with odd-year Spring cohorts at the Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock. The HSRT is used as a second-stage screen when applications exceed seats, so a strong overall score matters most in competitive years. StudyBuddy is designed to build the reasoning skills publicly described for the HSRT using original practice questions, so PTA applicants can prepare for the reasoning the test measures rather than guessing at it. Confirm with ACC which HSRT form and time limit you will sit. Confirmed on the official ACC PTA program page.
About the HSRT exam
The Health Sciences Reasoning Test is developed by Insight Assessment. Unlike the TEAS or HESI, it does not test science, math, or vocabulary. The Standard HSRT reports an overall score plus eight critical thinking skills: analysis, interpretation, inference, evaluation, explanation, induction, deduction, and numeracy. The HSRT-AD form reports six of those skills (it does not report interpretation or explanation separately). Programs choose which HSRT form they administer. The Standard HSRT is 38 questions in 55 minutes, and the HSRT-AD is 35 questions in 50 minutes. Confirm with Arapahoe Community College admissions which form and time limit you will sit.
Colorado allied health programs use the HSRT because physical therapist assistant (pta) requires strong clinical decision-making ability. The HSRT is designed to assess whether applicants can reason through novel problems, the core skill of clinical practice.
How to prepare for the HSRT at Arapahoe Community College
Because there is no content to memorize, HSRT preparation looks different from TEAS or HESI prep. Effective preparation involves:
- Understanding the skill areas the HSRT reports (eight on the Standard HSRT, six on the HSRT-AD)
- Taking a baseline diagnostic to identify your weakest subscale
- Practicing argument analysis, inference, and logical reasoning with original HSRT-style practice questions
- Completing full-length practice exams under realistic conditions
- Reviewing every wrong answer by skill area, not just overall score
StudyBuddy is a dedicated HSRT prep platform: 1,331 questions across eight skill modules (one per reported skill) and a mixed-reasoning module, 70 interactive lessons, and 10 timed mock exams in the Standard HSRT format (38 questions, 55 minutes). It is designed to build the reasoning skills publicly described for the HSRT. Our questions are original practice material and do not reproduce the proprietary exam. If Arapahoe Community College uses the HSRT-AD, the same course applies, and the pace per question is about the same (about 86 to 87 seconds).
Registration at Arapahoe Community College
Registration for the HSRT is coordinated through Arapahoe Community College's admissions office. You will receive a direct link and access code to the Insight Assessment online testing platform. Do not attempt to register independently, the test requires a program-issued access code.
Contact: www.arapahoe.edu/academics-programs/programs/physical-therapist-assistant
