How Central Lakes College uses the HSRT in admissions
Central Lakes College requires a minimum HSRT score of 65. RN: 70% minimum. LPN/PN: 65% minimum. Advanced Standing (LPN to RN Bridge): HSRT NOT required — requires MN LPN license instead. Rolling admission while seats are available..
CLC uses rolling admission — earlier applicants with qualifying scores get seats first. Do not wait. RN applicants should aim for 75+; PN applicants for 70+.
HSRT testing at Central Lakes College
- Location: Central Lakes College — Brainerd Campus only. In-person; no remote option.
- Fee: $49 (non-refundable)
- Format: 35 multiple-choice questions, 50 minutes time limit. Unanswered questions scored as incorrect. You can navigate forward and backward during the exam.
Retake policy
Up to 2 attempts per application cycle. Must wait 14 days between attempts. Scores expire 2 years from test date. For accommodations, contact accessibilityservices@clcmn.edu or 218-855-8056 at least 7 days before test date.
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). Central Lakes College lists its HSRT as 35 questions with a 50 minutes time limit. 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 Central Lakes College admissions which form and time limit you will sit.
Minnesota nursing programs adopted the HSRT after the MANE consortium dissolved, shifting toward holistic admissions models that emphasize critical thinking ability over content knowledge. Research in nursing education suggests that reasoning ability, more than prerequisite GPA, predicts clinical performance and NCLEX success.
How to prepare for the HSRT at Central Lakes 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 (50 minutes time limit at Central Lakes College)
- 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 Central Lakes 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 Central Lakes College
Registration for the HSRT is coordinated through Central Lakes 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.
