How Portland Community College uses the HSRT in admissions
PCC Dental Hygiene uses a three-phase, points-based selection process. In Phase I, applicants earn points for prerequisites, GPA, and dental experience. The roughly 40 highest-scoring Phase I applicants are invited to Phase II to take the HSRT. The 20 highest scorers from Phase II are offered seats. There is no published minimum HSRT score — your score directly ranks you against the other Phase II invitees for the 20 available seats.
Competitive applicants typically have around a 3.6 GPA. Only ~40 applicants reach the HSRT and only the top 20 are admitted, so every HSRT point counts toward your final rank.
HSRT testing at Portland Community College
- Location: Completed online (Phase II invitees)
- Fee: Coordinated through PCC admissions (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.
- How to register: You do not register for the HSRT independently. If your Phase I application ranks in the top group (about 40 applicants), PCC invites you to Phase II and schedules the HSRT online in late May or early June. You must RSVP for Phase II to keep your spot.
Retake policy
Contact PCC Dental Hygiene admissions for the current retake policy. The HSRT is administered only to Phase II invitees in late May or early June.
Eligibility requirements
Residency: No in-district residency requirement published. Out-of-state applicants should verify eligibility with the program.
About the Portland Community College nursing program
PCC has run its CODA-accredited Dental Hygiene program since 1970 and admits just 20 students each fall. The HSRT is a Phase II gate reached only by the top ~40 Phase I applicants, making it one of the most selective allied-health uses of the exam in Oregon.
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 Portland Community College, the HSRT-AD consists of 35 questions with a ~50 minutes time limit.
Oregon 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 Portland Community College
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 Portland Community College)
- Reviewing every wrong answer by skill area, not just overall score
StudyBuddy is the only dedicated HSRT prep platform, 1,700+ practice questions across 10 skill assessments, 64 interactive lessons, and 10 timed practice exams, all built for the specific format and skill areas that Portland Community College tests.
Prep timeline for Portland Community College's Fall 2026 admission cycle
With the deadline on Applications January 1 – April 15; HSRT scheduled late May / early June, 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 Portland Community College
You do not register for the HSRT independently. If your Phase I application ranks in the top group (about 40 applicants), PCC invites you to Phase II and schedules the HSRT online in late May or early June. You must RSVP for Phase II to keep your spot.
