How Northwest Technical College uses the HSRT in admissions
Northwest Technical College requires a minimum HSRT score of 70. Minimum 70% overall required for Traditional RN, Practical Nursing, and Cardiac Sonography (LPN Step-In applicants are exempt). Scores are valid for 2 years. Testing windows open and close by admission cycle — confirm current availability on the official NTC page before scheduling..
70% is the published minimum for all three programs. Aim for 75+ to be competitive in the applicant pool, especially for RN where seats are limited.
HSRT testing at Northwest Technical College
- Location: Northwest Technical College campus only (Bemidji, MN)
- Fee: $50 (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, with a 14-day waiting period between attempts. Calculators are not permitted. Scores remain valid for 2 years. Must test in person at the Bemidji campus; no remote option.
About Northwest Technical College's ADN / LPN / Cardiac Sonography program
Northwest Technical College in Bemidji requires the HSRT-AD for its Traditional RN, Practical Nursing, and Cardiac Sonography programs, all at a 70% overall minimum, and because admission is competitive a score above the floor matters when applicants outnumber seats. NTC does not offer an HSRT practice test of its own; its official preparation advice points students to generic critical-thinking assessments such as Watson-Glaser and aptitude-style tests, plus YouTube tutorials, none of which are written in the HSRT-AD format or scored the way the real exam is. That leaves a gap: the 35-question, 50-minute HSRT-AD has a specific structure and six skill areas, and practicing on off-format tests can build false confidence. StudyBuddy covers all six HSRT skill areas in the exact HSRT-AD format NTC administers, so your practice matches the test you actually sit.
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 Northwest Technical College, the HSRT consists of 35 questions with a 50 minutes time limit.
Minnesota allied health programs use the HSRT because adn / lpn / cardiac sonography 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 Northwest Technical 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 (50 minutes time limit at Northwest Technical College)
- 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 Northwest Technical College tests.
Registration at Northwest Technical College
Registration for the HSRT is coordinated through Northwest Technical 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.ntcmn.edu/myntc/academic-resources/test-proctoring/hsrt-exam/
