HESI Practice and Test Information – Health Education Systems (HESI A2) Test

This sub-section provides reading scenarios in order to measure reading comprehension, identifying the main idea, finding the meaning of words in context, passage comprehension, making logical inferences, etc. There are a lot of thematic questions involved in the reading comprehension section of the HESI Exam. You’ll read a passage and the exam will ask you (in a variety of ways) if you understand what you have read. There will usually be around eight questions per passage.

The reading section has 47 questions that must be answered in 60 minutes. Below is a more detailed list of the types of reading questions that generally appear on the test.

• Drawing logical conclusions
• Identifying main ideas
• Meaning in context
• Distinguish fact from opinions
• Making inferences
• Identifying tone and purpose
• Summarizing

Reading Comprehension Practice – 20 questions
Reading Comprehension Practice II – 8 questions

How to Answer Reading Comprehension

The English Language section has 55 test items (50 scored and 5 pilot/unscored). It’s broken down into three sub-sections: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, and Grammar.

Grammar

This sub-section contains basic grammar, including parts of speech, important terms and their uses, commonly occurring grammatical errors, etc. The test focuses a lot on questions like “Fill in the blank of the following sentence to make it most grammatically correct.” There are also questions that list multiple sentences and ask “Which of the following is incorrect?” This means that you need to know basic vocabulary and grammar rules; however, you should be able to use context clues to answer most questions accurately.

Topics likely to appear on the test.

• Subject-verb agreement
• Verb tense
• Proper usage of pronouns
• Punctuation
• English usage

English Usage – 15 questions
English Grammar – 20 questions
Punctuation – 12 questions

Vocabulary Practice
How to Prepare for a Vocabulary Test

The Math section has 55 test items (50 scored and 5 pilot/unscored) and has only one section: Basic Math Skills.

Basic Math Skills

This sub-section focuses on math skills needed for health care fields, including basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures, general math facts, etc. Fortunately, you will be able to use a computer calculator on the HESI A2 test. You should know conversions, fractions, decimals, and word problems.

Fractions: You will need to understand fractions. This includes how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers. If you can reduce fractions and find the common denominator, you will be fine with the HESI exam fraction questions.  Fractions Practice 

Word Problems: There are several word problem questions that use basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as mathematical reasoning.  Word Problem Practice   How to Solve Word Problems

Proportion: Find the value of X from a proportion and be able to make a proportion to find a percent. (Example: 47% of the class is female and the total number of students is 54. How many students are male?)

Conversions: Metric conversion such as liters to milliliters, ounces to cups, gallons to cups, kilograms to pounds, milliliters to ounces, etc.  Metric Conversion Tutorial and Practice

Roman Numerals: Brush up on roman numerals (basic). There will be a few questions asking you to identify a roman numeral as a number. Below is a handy roman numerals table to learn from.

Exponents – 8 questions
Basic Math – 10 questions
Basic Math 2 – 10 questions
Word Problems Tutorial and practice
Percent – 18 questions
Metric Conversion – 8 questions
Fractions, Percent and Decimals – 14 questions

HESI Math Workbook (Paperback)

The Science section has 30 test items (25 scored and 5 pilot/unscored). It’s broken down into three sub-sections: Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and Physics. The Physics component is currently being tested and is not given at all institutions. Be sure to check with your school for the exact content of the test you will be taking..

Biology

• Cellular processes
• Classification and Taxonomy
• Photosynthesis
• Genetics

Scientific reasoning and scientific method

Chemistry

• Atoms and molecules
• Protons and electrons
• States of matter
• Redox reactions
• Chemical reactions
• Acid and base
• Molarity
• The  Periodic table

Physics (optional)

• Potential, mechanical and kinetic energy
• Speed, acceleration and momentum
• Electricity – currents voltage and resistance
• Ohm’s law
• Newton’s laws
• Linear and rotational motion

Basic Science
Biology
Chemistry
Scientific Reasoning and Method

Basic Physics
Molarity
Speed, Momentum and Acceleration
Momentum

How to Study Science

The most difficult section of the HESI Exam is A&P. This sub-section provides coverage of general terminology and anatomical structures and systems.

• Basic heart anatomy: Atriums and layers of the heart.
• Circulatory system: Major arteries and veins.
• Endocrine system: What glands secrete what hormones. What specific hormones do. How specific glands are regulated.
• Joints: Know the basic joints of the body.
• Muscles: There are a few basic muscle anatomy questions that may ask where a specific muscle is located.
• Skeletal system: Know what bone is where and the four basic types of bones. Know what specific types of bone marrow do.
• Nervous system: Know the sections of the brain and the cranial nerves. Understand the ear and eye anatomy. Know each organ in the nervous system and what they do.
• Cell organelles: Know the organelles of the cell and what they do.

Anatomy and Physiology – 5 questions
Anatomy and Physiology II – 30 questions

How to Study Anatomy and Physiology