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 covers all six HSRT skill areas in the actual HSRT-AD format, so PTA applicants can prepare for the reasoning the test measures rather than guessing at it. 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. It measures five critical thinking skills: analysis, inference, evaluation, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning. The exam is approximately 33–35 questions and is typically timed at 50 minutes.
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 six skill areas tested on the HSRT
- Taking a baseline diagnostic to identify your weakest subscale
- Practicing argument analysis, inference, and logical reasoning with HSRT-format questions
- Completing full-length practice exams under realistic conditions
- Reviewing every wrong answer by skill area, not just overall score
StudyBuddy is the only dedicated HSRT prep platform, 1,000+ practice questions across 10 skill assessments, 64 interactive lessons, and 10 timed practice exams, all built for the specific format and skill areas that Arapahoe Community College tests.
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
