How South Central College uses the HSRT in admissions
South Central College requires a minimum HSRT score of 74. ASN: 74 minimum (verified June 2026). PN minimum: contact SCC directly — not confirmed on current admissions page..
Published minimums are floors, not targets. Competitive applicants typically score 5–10 points above the minimum. Aiming for 80 or above is advisable at South Central College.
About the South Central College nursing program
South Central College in North Mankato offers two nursing pathways with different HSRT requirements: the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) requires a minimum score of 74, while the Practical Nursing (PN) certificate requires a minimum of 70. Both are hard gates — fall below and your application is ineligible regardless of GPA or other factors. One requirement that catches applicants off guard: SCC only accepts HSRT scores earned at the South Central College campus. Scores from other testing institutions are not accepted. If you are traveling from outside Mankato, plan your testing trip carefully — you cannot take the exam closer to home and submit those results. The Allied Health and Nursing programs at SCC have a strong regional reputation, reflected in sustained student interest in the program across application cycles.
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. The exam is approximately 33–35 questions and is typically timed at 50 minutes.
Minnesota nursing programs adopted the HSRT after the MANE consortium dissolved, shifting toward holistic admissions models that emphasize critical thinking ability over content knowledge. Research in nursing education suggests that reasoning ability, more than prerequisite GPA, predicts clinical performance and NCLEX success.
How to prepare for the HSRT at South Central 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
- 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 South Central College tests.
Registration at South Central College
Registration for the HSRT is coordinated through South Central 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.
