HESI A2 Practice Test

HESI A2 Exam Overview

HESI stands for Health Education Systems Incorporated. HESI is the company that administers the HESI Admissions Assessment (HESI A2) exam.

Here are the fast facts for the exam:

• Number of Sections: 8
• Sections: Math, Grammar, Vocab, Reading, A&P, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
• Number of Questions Per Section: 25-50
• Total Time Limit Per Section (Mins): 25-60

Used by Nursing Programs / Schools

The HESI A2 exam is a common requirement for students looking to gain admission to nursing school. Nursing programs use the HESI A2 as a means to evaluate which students will be admitted to their program.

What makes the HESI A2 unique is that each nursing school can set their own standards. 2 of the biggest things that vary from school to school are:

• Specific Sections Administered: Many schools require you to take the math, grammar, vocab, and reading sections. Some schools may require you to take A&P, biology, etc…
• Passing Score: Many schools have a minimum passing score of 75%, but some nursing programs may have a higher score.

Note: Not all sections of the HESI A2 are required. Each nursing program will have their own requirements for which sections you will need to take.

Source

HESI Math

• Number of Questions: 55
• Time Limit: 50 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Basic Addition and Subtraction
  • Basic Multiplication (Whole Numbers)
  • Basic Division (Whole Numbers)
  • Decimals
  • Fractions
  • Changing Fractions to Decimals
  • Changing Decimals to Fractions
  • Ratios and Proportions
  • Percentages
  • Mean, Median, and Mode
  • Algebra

HESI Grammar

• Number of Questions: 55
• Time Limit: 50 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Eight Parts of Speech
  • Clauses, Direct Objects, and Indirect Objects
  • Phrases, Sentences, and Subjects
  • Predicates
  • Common Grammar Mistakes
  • Troublesome Words

HESI Reading

• Number of Questions: 55
• Time Limit: 50 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Identifying the Main Idea
  • Identifying Supporting Details
  • Finding the Meaning of Words in Context
  • Purpose and Tone
  • Fact vs. Opinion
  • Logical Inferences
  • Summarizing

HESI Vocab

• Number of Questions: 55
• Time Limit: 50 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Understanding of various healthcare related terms

HESI Anatomy and Physiology

• Number of Questions: 30
• Time Limit: 25 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • General Terminology
  • Histology
  • Integumentary System
  • Skeletal System
  • Muscular System
  • Nervous System
  • Endocrine System
  • Cardiovascular System
  • Respiratory System
  • Digestive System
  • Urinary System
  • Reproductive System

HESI Biology

• Number of Questions: 30
• Time Limit: 25 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Biology Basics
  • Water
  • Homeostasis
  • The Cell
  • Metabolic Pathways
  • The Cell Cycle
  • Cellular Reproduction
  • Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA
  • Protein Synthesis
  • Genetics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • The Immune System

HESI Chemistry

• Number of Questions: 30
• Time Limit: 25 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Scientific Notation, Metric System, and Temperature Scales
  • Atomic Structure and Periodic Table
  • Chemical Equation
  • Equilibrium and Reversibility
  • Reaction Rates
  • Solutions and Solution Concentrations
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Stoichiometry
  • Oxidation and Reduction
  • Acids and Bases
  • Nuclear Chemistry
  • Biochemistry

HESI Physics

• Number of Questions: 25
• Time Limit: 25 Minutes
• Topics Tested:
  • Velocity and Acceleration
  • Projectile Motion
  • Newton’s Laws
  • Friction
  • Work, Power, and Efficiency
  • Rotation
  • Uniform Circular Motion
  • Potential and Kinetic Energy
  • Linear Momentum and Impulse
  • Universal Gravitation
  • Thermodynamics
  • Light and Sound Waves
  • Optics
  • Electricity and Magnetism

HESI A2 Question Formats

You can expect to see some different types of questions when it comes to format when taking the HESI A2 exam. Here are some common question types:

• Multiple-Choice: This is your classic question type. You will be given a question with 4 different answer choices. Most of the exam is multiple-choice.
• Select All That Apply: This is multiple-choice style, but you can select multiple answers that are correct.
• Arrange the Order: You will be given a list of things and asked to arrange the order in which they happened or should be ordered.
• Fill-In-The-Blank: This type of question will have you fill in the blank. These types of questions typically appear on the math portion of the exam.

While there are some different types of questions by format, most questions will be multiple-choice.

HESI Study Strategies

Studying for the HESI Admissions Assessment exam can be stressful. We have listed some study strategies below to help you succeed.

Study Tools

Students can prepare for the HESI A2 by using a couple of different study tools:

• Study Guides: Study guides are one of the best ways to prepare for the HESI A2 exam. Study guides provide a ton of information on all topics. The best study guides are the ones that only cover the information you truly need to know.
• Flashcards: Flashcards are a great resource to use for this exam, specifically the A&P and vocab sections. Those two sections include terms you need to memorize, which flashcards are great for.
• Practice Exams: Practice exams are a great way to familiarize yourself with the exam AND learn at the same time. You can learn from the answer explanations while also familiarizing yourself with the exam.

We offer all of these study tools in our complete HESI prep courses.

Benefits of Practice Exams

Some of the main benefits of using HESI practice exams are:

• Get a Baseline: Practice tests will help you gauge where you are at with your studying. We recommend taking our free HESI A2 practice test above to get a baseline.
• Answer Explanations: Another benefit of practice exams is the answer explanations. You can utilize the answer explanations to understand why an answer was right or wrong. This allows you to learn while practicing.
• Timing: Practice exams will help you nail down your timing. Timing can be one of the more challenging aspects of the exam. By taking practice exams, you can get a feel for how fast you need to work through each section.

Tips and Tricks for HESI Practice

Practicing for the HESI can be very overwhelming, especially if you need to take multiple sections of the exam. We have listed some tips and tricks to help you when practicing:

• Take a Diagnostic Exam: Taking a diagnostic exam will help you get a baseline for where you stand. You can narrow down which subjects you struggle with and can focus on those subjects when studying.
• Review Answer Explanations: Make sure to review answer explanations for each question you got wrong. You need to understand why the question was answered incorrectly and how to properly answer it. Bonus points if you review explanations for questions you got correct.
• Simulate Test Environment: Before you go to take the real exam, make sure you take a simulated exam in a simulated environment. This means sitting down and take each section in 1 sitting. Make sure your simulated exam has time limits on it. This will test both your knowledge and testing stamina.

Frequently Asked Questions