How College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene uses the HSRT in admissions
College of the Mainland requires the HSRT-AD for admission to its Dental Hygiene program. Scores are evaluated as part of the selective admissions process. No minimum score is published, but higher scores improve your chances in the competitive applicant pool.
No published minimum, but this is a brand-new program (launched Fall 2024) with limited seats. Expect high competition as demand builds. Score as high as possible.
HSRT testing at College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene
- Location: COM Testing Center, 1200 N. Amburn Rd, Texas City TX 77591
- Fee: $47 per attempt (non-refundable)
- Format: 33 multiple-choice questions, 50 minutes time limit. Unanswered questions scored as incorrect. You can navigate forward and backward during the exam.
- How to register: Testing offered from the first Monday in March until the day before the application deadline. Schedule at com.edu/testing-center/hsrt.html. Physical photo ID required (no electronic or copied IDs accepted). Payment by credit or debit card.
Retake policy
Students may take the HSRT-AD twice per application period. Scores are valid for the current application period only — they do NOT carry over to future cycles. This is stricter than most HSRT schools.
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. At College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene, the HSRT-AD consists of 33 questions with a 50 minutes time limit.
Texas allied health programs use the HSRT because dental hygiene aas 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 College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene
Because there is no content to memorize, HSRT preparation looks different from TEAS or HESI prep. Effective preparation involves:
- Understanding the five 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 (50 minutes time limit at College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene)
- Reviewing every wrong answer by skill area, not just overall score
StudyBuddy is the only dedicated HSRT prep platform, 1,400+ practice questions across 10 skill assessments, 64 interactive lessons, and 10 timed practice exams, all built for the specific format and skill areas that College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene tests.
Prep timeline for College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene's Current application cycle
With the deadline on Check COM website for current cycle deadline, here are two recommended study plans:
4-week plan (recommended if you have time):
- Week 1: Analysis + Evaluation, learn to break down arguments and assess evidence
- Week 2: Inference + Induction, practice drawing conclusions from incomplete data
- Week 3: Deduction + Numeracy, work through logical reasoning and quantitative scenarios
- Week 4: Full practice exams + review weak areas. Take at least 3 timed exams.
2-week sprint (if your deadline is close):
- Week 1: Take the diagnostic. Focus all study time on your 2 weakest skill areas. Complete 100+ practice questions.
- Week 2: Take 3–4 full practice exams. Review every wrong answer. Retake your diagnostic to measure improvement.
Registration at College of the Mainland — Dental Hygiene
Testing offered from the first Monday in March until the day before the application deadline. Schedule at com.edu/testing-center/hsrt.html. Physical photo ID required (no electronic or copied IDs accepted). Payment by credit or debit card.
Contact: com.edu/testing-center/hsrt.html
