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Melissa Wynne
How To Score High On The HESI A2 Exam
The HESI A2 exam is one of the most frequently used admissions tests for nursing schools and allied health programs. The test is used by schools to determine the level of preparedness of each applicant by measuring your academic skills in a variety of subjects.Â
Achieving a high score on the test is really important in order to have a competitive application, this is especially true for schools that are very competitive. A high score will improve your chances of being accepted into your school’s program.Â
If you’re just getting started to prepare for the HESI A2 or you’ve been studying and want to make your study time more efficient and effective, these tips will help guide you so you are fully prepared for the test, pass and get accepted to your schools program.Â
These are our 6 tips for how to score high on the HESI A2 exam. Each tip covers proven strategies that have been used by thousands of students who were accepted to their schools program as a top candidate.Â
If you follow these study tips, you’ll learn how to best study for each section of the test, manage your study time to be efficient, and develop the confidence you need to go into test day.Â
6 Tips For How To Score High On The HESI A2 Exam
- Learn Your School’s Requirements
- Download a Free HESI A2 Prep App
- Leverage Video Resources
- Search for Free Online Practice Tests
- Invest in HESI A2 Online Courses
- Learn from Incorrect Answers
1. Learn Your School’s HESI A2 Requirements
The HESI A2 is a little different from other entrance exams because most schools do not require you to take every section of the test.Â
For this reason the first thing you should do before you begin studying is to check with your school to see what subjects they require.Â
For example almost all schools require math however most schools do not require the physics section of the test.Â
Here is an example of the HESI A2 requirements for Truett McConnel University to give you an idea of what you should be looking for from your school.Â
You’ll also want to check on the required or minimum scores for your school. Some schools may only require a certain overall score while other schools may also require or prioritize certain section scores like reading comprehension.
In addition to required scores and subject sections you should also become familiar with any deadlines for your application and any other policies your school has.Â
Things like test retakes for how many times you can retake the test and if you need to wait a certain period before retaking it.Â
You can also check on things like policies around how long the scores are good for in case you took the test awhile ago and want to use those scores.Â
Knowing both the required scores and any specific individual section scores you need will help guide your studying.Â
You will not only know what sections you do and don’t need to study for but it also helps guide you on what sections may be more important to focus on.
2. Download a Free HESI A2 Prep App
One of the most convenient ways to study is with a free HESI A2 prep mobile app. The great thing about the app is you give yourself every possible opportunity to squeeze in study time whether it be on lunch breaks, commutes or downtime at work or between classes.Â
Smart Edition Nursing’s HESI A2 mobile app offers timed practice tests, lessons for every topic, video lessons, flashcards, question banks and video explanations for every practice question.
3. Leverage Video Resources
At Smart Edition Nursing we have found almost all of our students have a stronger preference for visual learning and in particular they find video resources to be the most efficient way to study.Â
Video lessons are a great way to break down some of the more complex topics like anatomy and physiology or math problems where watching an instructor work out the solution is more beneficial than reading a math solution.Â
Youtube is a fantastic resource for HESI A2 educational videos from experienced instructors who specialize specifically in the HESI A2 exam. You can get started on the Smart Edition Nursing youtube channel with videos that cover specific test sections and practice test walk through where our tutors work out the answers to every question.Â
Another great option is TikTok, more and more accounts are creating great videos for the HESI A2. Check out this example from the Smart Edition TikTok account.Â
@smart_edition_academy A huge part of the HESI A2 math section is word problems and conversions. Being able to convert between measurements and set up a conversion probably extracted from a word problem. #prenursingstudent #nursingschooljourney #prenursingmajor #prenursingschool #hesia2 #hesia2exam #hesia2math #hesia2entrance ♬ original sound - Smart Edition Nursing
To see a perfect example of how video resources are helpful for math check out this video with Ashlee from Smart Edition Nursing where she goes through a full HESI A2 practice test
4. Search for Free HESI A2 Online Practice Test
HESI A2 practice tests are the best place to begin when you set out to study for the HESI A2.
Taking a practice test will help you create a benchmark score so you can know how you would score if you had to take the test today. Â
As you continue to study you can use your benchmark score to measure your improvement as you continue to take additional practice tests.Â
The Smart Edition Nursing free HESI A2 practice test provides you with a score report upon completion of each section that breaks down each question by the subtopic it relates to within that subject.
This score report helps you identify which topics are your strengths and weaknesses, from this you can easily focus your studying on your weakest topics.Â
The HESI A2 is also a timed test so it’s very helpful to get practice in a timed environment that simulates the real test.
Completing the whole test in the time allotted can be difficult, especially towards the end of the test so you need to build your stamina with these timed practice tests.
5. Invest in HESI A2 Online Courses
Smart Edition offers both a HESI A2 study guide book and a HESI A2 online course.
What we have seen over the years is that most students have a preference for the online course because it just offers so much more than what a print book study guide can offer.
An online course will dramatically improve your chances of getting the scores you need to get accepted to your program.Â
Our HESI A2 prep course has all the materials and resources you need for each section of the test.
The course includes 50 lesson modules for every topic on the test, 100 video lessons, 5 timed practice tests, flashcards, question banks with over 1,500 practice questions organized by topic, and video explanations for every practice question.Â
One of the biggest benefits to an online course is that everything is organized for you in one place, and it’s organized in a way that covers every single topic on the test.
Where we see students go wrong is spending too much time trying to figure out what is and is not on the test and either missing topics or studying topics that are not on the test.Â
Then you have the challenge of finding resources to study with which may or may not be credible or created by subject matter experts.
So in short an online course saves you a ton of time, organizes everything for you, and you have the peace of mind knowing what you study is high quality material and will be topics that you will see on the test.
6. Learn from Incorrect Answers
One of the best ways to learn the material on the HESI A2 test is by learning from your incorrect answers on practice tests and practice questions.
Your incorrect answers automatically help you identify the topics you need to study more. The answer explanations help you understand what you did wrong or what you misunderstood about the question.Â
You want to make sure that whatever resources you’re using for practice tests and practice questions have detailed answer explanations. From our experience this is not always the case with a lot of test prep options.Â
This article titled “Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn” from Scientific American highlights research by Nate Kornell, Matthew Hays and Robert Bjork at U.C.L.A. that recently appeared in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition showing that learning becomes better if conditions are created so that students make errors.
The Smart Edition HESI A2 free practice test and HESI A2 prep course not only include detailed answer explanations but they also include video explanations for every practice question.
This makes a huge difference when it comes to actually learning from the practice questions you answered incorrectly.Â
A lot of students skip this step, but it’s crucial for helping to identify what topics you need to study further and to actually learn from the answer explanations.
Conclusion
How that we answered the question of how to score high on the HESI A2 exam, getting a great score is totally within your reach.
You just need to put in the study time and have the right preparation and study strategies.
Making sure you understand your schools requirements, the exam format, and focusing on the key subject areas that you need to improve on will make all the difference in your score.Â
Additionally, enrolling in a comprehensive HESI A2 online course can provide you with structured learning, expert guidance, and valuable practice materials tailored to help you crush the test.
Don’t leave your success to chance! Invest in your future by signing up for our HESI A2 online course today.
If want a head start on the exact topics for each section of the test start with this review of the HESI A2 math section.Â
