How Portland Community College uses the HSRT in admissions
PCC uses a three-phase admissions process. Phase I ranks applicants by points (prerequisites, GPA, healthcare experience, certifications). Only the top-scoring Phase I applicants are invited to Phase II, where the HSRT score is evaluated alongside essay responses, a resume, and a letter of interest. Top Phase II scorers are offered seats. There is no published minimum HSRT score — but you are competing against the strongest applicants who already passed Phase I.
Only top Phase I scorers advance to Phase II. Of those, the top HSRT + essay + resume scorers earn the 40 available seats. You are competing against the strongest applicants in the pool — aim for the highest HSRT score possible.
HSRT testing at Portland Community College
- Location: PCC Sylvania Campus (in-person)
- Fee: Included in NCAS application ($65 application fee) (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 you are invited to Phase II, PCC will provide HSRT testing details and schedule. The exam takes approximately 50 minutes. Phase II invitations go out after the Phase I scoring period (March–April).
Retake policy
Contact PCC admissions for the current retake policy. The HSRT is administered only to Phase II invitees during a specific testing window.
Eligibility requirements
Residency: No in-district residency requirement published. PCC is an OCNE (Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education) member school. Out-of-state applicants should verify eligibility.
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). Portland Community 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 Portland Community College admissions which form and time limit you will sit.
Oregon nursing programs use the HSRT to emphasize clinical reasoning ability over content memorization. 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 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 Portland Community 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 Portland Community College uses the HSRT-AD, the same course applies, and the pace per question is about the same (about 86 to 87 seconds).
Prep timeline for Portland Community College's Fall 2026 application deadline (Phase I closed)
With the deadline on February 16, 2026 (Phase II invitations: March–April 2026), here are two recommended study plans:
4-week plan (recommended if you have time):
- Week 1: Analysis, Interpretation + Evaluation, learn to break down arguments, read what claims mean, and assess evidence
- Week 2: Inference, Explanation + Induction, practice drawing and justifying 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 you are invited to Phase II, PCC will provide HSRT testing details and schedule. The exam takes approximately 50 minutes. Phase II invitations go out after the Phase I scoring period (March–April).
Contact: pcc.edu/programs/nursing/wp-content/uploads/sites/100/2020/06/advising-guide.pdf
