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 organized around the skills the HSRT-AD reports. That leaves a gap: the 35-question, 50-minute HSRT-AD reports six skill areas, and practicing on unrelated tests can build false confidence. StudyBuddy is designed to build the reasoning skills publicly described for the HSRT, including all six skills the HSRT-AD reports, using original practice questions that do not reproduce the proprietary exam. Its timed mock exams use the Standard HSRT format (38 questions in 55 minutes), which is about the same pace per question as the HSRT-AD.
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). Northwest Technical 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 Northwest Technical College admissions which form and time limit you will sit.
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 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 Northwest Technical 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 Northwest Technical 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 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/
