HSRT Texas Allied Health Programs

Five confirmed Texas allied health programs require the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) for admission. In Texas, the HSRT is used primarily for respiratory care, dental hygiene, and occupational therapy programs, not nursing. Most Texas programs have not published specific minimum scores; competitive selection is based on the full applicant pool. Contact your program directly to confirm current requirements.

Last verified: March 2026

Lone Star College

Houston metro, TX

Programs: Respiratory Care (AAS), Dental Hygiene (AAS)

Min. score: Not published

Admissions: Contact the specific program (Respiratory Care or Dental Hygiene) at your campus for current HSRT requirement.

Lone Star is one of the largest community college systems in Texas, confirm which campus and program applies.

Program website ↗Respiratory Care prep →Dental Hygiene prep →

Houston Community College (HCC Coleman)

Houston, TX

Programs: Respiratory Therapy (AAS), Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS)

Min. score: Not published

Admissions: Contact Coleman Health Sciences campus admissions for current HSRT criteria.

Program website ↗Respiratory Therapy prep →OTA prep →

College of the Mainland

Texas City, TX

Programs: Dental Hygiene (AAS)

Min. score: Not published

Admissions: HSRT used as part of competitive selection. Contact program directly.

Program website ↗

Palo Alto College

San Antonio, TX

Programs: Dental Hygiene (AAS)

Min. score: Competitive, top applicants selected

Admissions: Applicant pool narrows from top 45 to top 30 based on combined criteria including HSRT score.

No absolute published minimum, competitiveness within the applicant pool is what matters.

Program website ↗Dental Hygiene prep →

Texas Southern University

Houston, TX

Programs: Respiratory Therapy (BS)

Min. score: Not published

Admissions: Contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Four-year BS program, one of few bachelor-level programs using HSRT.

Program website ↗

Texas HSRT questions

Why do Texas allied health programs use the HSRT?
Texas respiratory care and dental hygiene programs began adopting the HSRT as a way to assess reasoning ability, a skill directly relevant to clinical practice, rather than relying solely on GPA and prerequisite grades. The HSRT was developed specifically for health sciences programs and is seen as a better predictor of clinical decision-making than content-knowledge exams.
Is the HSRT used for nursing in Texas?
In Texas, the HSRT is used predominantly for allied health programs (respiratory care, dental hygiene, occupational therapy) rather than nursing. Most Texas nursing programs continue to use the TEAS or HESI. Verify directly with your specific nursing program.
Where do I take the HSRT in Texas?
The HSRT is administered online through Insight Assessment's testing platform. Your program will provide a link and access code. In most cases, you can take it from home, though some programs may require supervised testing. Contact your program's admissions office.
What HSRT score do Texas programs require?
Most Texas programs have not published specific minimum scores. Palo Alto College selects the top applicants competitively. For programs without published minimums, contact admissions directly and ask what HSRT scores competitive applicants typically have.

Applying to a Texas allied health program?

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