What Is the HESI A2 Exam?
The HESI A2 (Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment) is a standardized entrance exam used by hundreds of U.S. nursing and allied-health programs to evaluate applicants' academic readiness. Published by Elsevier, the HESI A2 measures foundational knowledge across multiple academic areas — the exact combination of sections depends on your school, but the full exam can include up to eight scored subjects.
Unlike the ATI TEAS, which has a fixed four-section format, the HESI A2 is modular — each nursing program selects which sections its applicants must take. This means your testing experience will vary depending on the school you're applying to. Always check your program's admissions page to confirm which sections are required before you begin studying.
The HESI A2 also includes an unscored Learning Style and Personality Profile component that some programs require but none use for admission decisions. Your scored results are reported on a 0–100 scale for each section, with a composite (average) score across all required sections.
HESI A2 Exam Sections
The HESI A2 can include up to eight scored academic sections. Here's what each one covers:
- Mathematics (55 questions) — fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, percentages, unit conversions, and basic algebra. No calculator is provided; you'll need to work through calculations by hand.
- Reading Comprehension (55 questions) — identifying main ideas, making inferences, using context clues, understanding author's purpose, and analyzing passage structure.
- Grammar (55 questions) — parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and commonly confused words.
- Vocabulary & General Knowledge (55 questions) — medical terminology, word roots, prefixes, suffixes, and vocabulary used in healthcare contexts.
- Biology (30 questions) — cell biology, genetics, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, metabolism, and biological classification.
- Chemistry (30 questions) — atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, reactions, solutions, acids and bases, and biochemistry basics.
- Anatomy & Physiology (30 questions) — body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive), organ functions, and homeostasis.
- Physics (30 questions) — Newton's laws of motion, energy, work, waves, sound, light, electricity, and basic mechanics. Required by fewer programs but included in some BSN and health sciences tracks.
Most nursing programs require four to six of these sections — typically Math, Reading, Grammar, and Vocabulary as a baseline, plus one or more science sections. Programs that require all eight sections are less common but do exist, particularly at competitive BSN programs.
HESI A2 Scoring
Each HESI A2 section is scored independently on a 0–100 scale. Your composite score is the average of all your section scores. Most competitive nursing programs require:
- Composite score of 75–80% or higher for admission consideration
- Individual section minimums of 75% in each required section
- Highly competitive programs may set the bar at 85% or 90%+
Unlike the TEAS, which uses categorical proficiency levels (Below Proficient, Proficient, Advanced, Exemplary), the HESI A2 uses straightforward percentage scores. This makes it easy to identify exactly which sections need improvement — a 68% in Chemistry tells you exactly where to focus.
How to Prepare for the HESI A2
Students who score well on the HESI A2 tend to follow a structured approach rather than reviewing everything equally:
- Confirm your required sections. Before studying anything, check your program's admissions page to find out exactly which HESI A2 sections you need. There's no reason to study Physics if your school doesn't require it.
- Take a diagnostic. Start with a full-length practice test under timed conditions. Your section scores will show exactly where to focus your study time — don't guess.
- Prioritize your weakest sections. Spend the majority of your study time on the two or three sections where your diagnostic score was lowest. Improving a 65% to an 80% has more impact on your composite than improving a 90% to a 95%.
- Read every explanation. For each practice question — whether you answered correctly or not — read the full rationale. Understanding why the correct answer is right builds the reasoning skills that transfer to questions you haven't seen before.
- Simulate test conditions. Take at least one full-length timed practice exam before your real test date. This trains pacing and reduces test-day anxiety.
- Retest to confirm improvement. After focused review, take another practice exam to verify your weak sections have improved. If gaps remain, repeat the cycle for those specific areas.
This diagnostic → remediate → retest approach is the same strategy that works for the ATI TEAS and other standardized nursing entrance exams. It works because it replaces passive review with targeted, evidence-based study.
HESI A2 vs. TEAS: Which One Do I Need?
The HESI A2 and ATI TEAS are the two most common nursing entrance exams in the U.S. The key differences:
- Format: TEAS has 4 fixed sections; HESI A2 has up to 8 modular sections (your school picks which ones)
- Scoring: TEAS uses proficiency levels + percentages; HESI A2 uses straight 0–100 percentage scores
- Science depth: HESI A2 separates Biology, Chemistry, A&P, and Physics into individual sections; TEAS combines all science into one section
- Math tools: TEAS provides an on-screen calculator; HESI A2 does not
- Retake policy: Both vary by school, but HESI A2 typically requires a 60-day wait between attempts
Most schools accept one or the other — a few accept both. Check your program's admissions page to see which exam is required. For a detailed breakdown, see our TEAS vs. HESI A2 comparison.
How This Practice Bank Is Structured
This practice bank includes 800+ questions with detailed explanations, organized across all eight HESI A2 sections. Every question is paired with a full rationale explaining the correct answer and why each distractor is wrong — giving you the reasoning-based learning that builds genuine comprehension rather than rote memorization.
Whether you're taking the HESI A2 for the first time, retaking after a low score, or using this alongside other entrance exam prep, this practice bank gives you the structured, section-aligned practice you need to walk into the testing center with confidence.