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Melissa Wynne
What Is The HESI A2 Exam
HESI Admissions Assessment Exam or HESI A2, is an exam that is often selected by nursing schools and programs during the application process, and is required for admission.Â
The test is taken by prospective students in order to assess the skills and abilities of the applicants in area such as English, math, and science.Â
There are other similar, yet different tests, that may be required by your nursing program of choice like the TEAS exam. Be sure to contact your school for exact exam requirements.
Ideally, the reasoning behind taking these entrance exams is to determine how a student is likely to perform in nursing school, based on how well they perform on the test.Â
Studies have shown that the entrance exam results are linked to how well a student will perform during their first year in nursing school, as well as measure their outcome for success and completion of the nursing program.Â
These tests also act as preparation for the Registered Nurse licensure exam, the NCLEX, after graduation. The HESI specifically aims to prepare students for taking the NCLEX exam.
The HESI exam is slightly different in structure compared to other nursing exams. Prior to beginning your application process, contact your nursing school of choice to identify which test is needed.Â
If HESI is the exam of choice, make sure you find out which subjects you need to be tested on. This will be essentially when studying and preparing for the exam.Â
There are a total of 10 versions of the test that can be taken. Also, since every school utilizes the HESI differently, score requirements will also vary.
H2 How Many Questions Are On The HESI A2 Exam
Depending on how many sections are required by your schools program, the HESI A2 can have upwards to 339 questions. For a deeper dive you can learn more in this article about how long the HESI A2 exam is.
- Anatomy and Physiology: 30 Questions
- Biology: 30 Questions
- Chemistry: 30 Questions
- Grammar: 55 Questions
- Math: 55 Questions
- Reading: 55 Questions
- Vocabulary & General Knowledge: 55 Questions
- Learning Styles: 14 Questions
- Personality Style: 15 Questions
Here is what’s covered in each section of the HESI Entrance Exam:
- Anatomy and Physiology – Tests your knowledge of essential terms, key anatomical structures, and body systems, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine, reproductive, nervous, muscular, skeletal, lymphatic, and urinary systems.
- Biology—This section focuses on foundational biology concepts, including the role of water, types of biological molecules (macromolecules), metabolism, cell structure and function, cellular respiration, cellular reproduction, and photosynthesis.
- Chemistry – This section will assess understanding of the states and properties of matter, chemical reactions and equations, elements on the periodic table, atomic structure, nuclear reactions, and bonding between atoms.
- Grammar – This section evaluates basic grammar skills, such as parts of speech and sentence types and structure. Learn more about each topic in this section in this HESI A2 grammar review.
- Math – This section tests essential math skills for healthcare, such as basic operations, working with fractions and decimals, ratios, proportions, measurement conversions, and word problems. Students will only be able to use a four-function calculator. This HESI A2 math review outlines every topic on this section of the HESI test.Â
- Reading – This section tests the ability to identify main ideas, understand word meanings in context, interpret passages, and make inferences. The reading section is the most understudied section, and many students score lower than they would like on this section. Practicing your reading comprehension skills helps you not just in this section but on all of your required sections. Check out this HESI A2 reading review to learn about each topic in this section.Â
- Vocabulary and General Knowledge – This section covers commonly used terms in healthcare and tests the knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes. See every topic and subtopic in this HESI A2 vocabulary review.Â
Learning Style and Personality Profile – These are optional assessments the program may require that identify a student’s preferred learning style and highlight personality traits that can impact learning methods.
Is The HESI Exam Hard
The HESI exam is difficult if you aren’t as familiar as you should be with the foundations you need to get into your program of choice. Knowing the ins and outs of A&P and even the metric system is crucial for success in the healthcare field.Â
The HESI is in place to ensure you are the right fit for a program that will ultimately be much more difficult than the HESI exam.
The HESI exam is a difficult test by any student’s standards. However to say exactly how hard is the HESI exam and the level of difficulty for any one student has many variables so answering the question of how hard is the HESI exam is very subjective.Â
The biggest factor is how well you know the material when you begin studying. If you have been out of school for 20 years then approaching these topics again can be more difficult.Â
Answering the question is the HESI exam hard might depend on things like if English is your second language then you might find the grammar and reading sections to be more difficult than a native speaker would.Â
These 6 study tips for passing the HESI exam from American Career College will help you overcome any challenges you may have if you are finding the HESI A2 exam to be hard.Â
When it comes to science, students who have taken A&P 1 and 2 college courses have a major head start than those who have not.
At any rate, if you have good HESI test prep resources like the Smart Edition Academy HESI A2 prep course course and you can put in the time to study and give yourself enough time to study, you will do great on the HESI test.
Can I Retake The HESI A2 Exam?
Yes. However every program has different restrictions on how many times you can take it and how long you need to wait in between taking it.Â
Some schools allow up to 3 retakes while others only allow for one test attempt and some schools will make you wait 30-45 days before you can retest.Â
The best thing you can do is to check with the program you are applying to and see what their requirements and restrictions are and plan accordingly.
How Long Does It Take To Get My HESI A2 Test Results?
Scores are provided immediately upon completion of each section and your cumulative score will be given when you complete all required sections of the exam. You can log into your Elsevier account at any time after taking the test to see your results again.
How Long Are My HESI A2 Exam Scores Good For?
After taking the test you can use your scores for 24 months to submit with your application to your program or school.Â
While scores are generally accepted 24 months after taking your test in some cases a school may have their own policy that is different so it’s best to double check with your school to be clear on their policy.
Can I Share My HESI A2 Test Score With More Than One School?
Once you receive your score you can share the score with any program you are applying to and that includes multiple schools if you want. During the exam registration process you can select the schools that you want to send your scores to.
In some cases depending on which schools or how many schools you want to send your HESI A2 scores to there may be a fee associated with that process.
Can I Go Back To A Question On The HESI A2 Test?
Yes, you can go back to a question on the HESI A2 and you can also flag a question to return to it. However you can only do this for the section you are in. Once you have completed a section you can not go back and change your answer.
You can get a feel for the real HESI exam by taking a practice test that simulates the real exam, you’ll find a realistic practice test that mimics the real test with this free HESI practice test.Â
What Order Will The Subsections Of The HESI A2 Test Be In?
In the start of your test, there will be a list of each section that you are required to take for your school. You can start with any section and take them in any order you want. We recommend having a plan and knowing how you want to move through the sections of the exam.Â
HESI A2 Test Dates
The HESI test is offered throughout the year and can be taken both in person at a testing center or you can take the HESI exam from home.
The exact time and dates available will depend on the testing centers which are usually located at the school you are applying to, so check with your school to see what days and times they offer.Â
Just be careful and take extra time to make sure you are prepared for taking the test at home. Many students report technical difficulties and other issues that have made taking the test from home challenging.
How Do I Register For The HESI A2 Exam?
- Go to the EVOLVE main website and choose I’m a StudentÂ
- Choose Register for Distance Testing → Register → Redeem/Checkout
- You will then make an Evolve account, read registered user agreement, Choose Yes, I accept, SUBMIT
- Once you have registered, you will be able to access My Content under the HESI Assessment Student Access link
- Select Payments: Here you will be able to choose test date and location
- Follow the prompts and Proceed to Checkout
After Registering Take A Free HESI A2 Practice Test
After you have registered for the test you shuold take a practice test, start with this free HESI A2 practice test. You can also download the test as a free HESI A2 practice test PDF and you can also take it online or download the Smart Edition mobile app.Â
Your practice test scores will be your benchmark score you can use to measure your improvement as you continue to study for the HESI A2 exam.Â
After completing a section of the test you will receive a score report that breaks down each question by the topic it relates to making it easy for you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
From there you can focus your studying on your weakest topics with a good study resources like this HESI A2 prep course.Â
How Much Does The HESI A2 Exam Cost
The price can range from $50-80 or more and it really depends on the program you are applying to so it’s best to check with them first.Â
Official fees should be confirmed with the official exam authorities.
There are several fees that go into the total fee:
- Registration fee
- Score deployment fee (having scores sent to School/program of choice)
- Test center fee (if applicable). May vary with the testing center and/or program.
The fee is non-refundable so make sure you need to take the test for your program and be familiar with any other requirements your school may have.Â
Where Do I Take The HESI A2 Exam?
Most tests are given at your school’s testing center on campus, however some schools do allow you to take the test remotely using Proctor U at your home. The school or program you are applying to will be able to give you more details on how and where they administer the test.
Conclusion
Now that you have a better idea of what the HESI A2 exam is you can begin your studying with this free HESI A2 practice test.Â
If you can put in the time and effort to study with a good HESI A2 prep course or HESI A2 study guide you will be able to improve your practice test scores quickly.Â
You’ll also want to check out this article for how to score high on the HESI A2 exam to get an idea of the things you should be focusing on as you prepare for the test.Â
