HESI A2 Biology study materials
HESI A2 Biology study resources

HESI A2 Biology study guide

HESI A2 Biology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The HESI A2 Admission Assessment is a standardized entrance exam used by many nursing and health-professions programs as one part of their admissions review. The Biology section is one of the subject-area tests within that assessment, and it is typically taken alongside other sections such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, math, and anatomy and physiology, though which sections a given school requires is set by that school rather than by the exam publisher. Candidates are usually prospective students applying to nursing, radiography, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, and similar programs; because each program chooses its own required sections, minimum scores, and retake rules, you should confirm those details directly with your target school's admissions office before you register or schedule a sitting. The Biology content is introductory college-level biology: the scientific method and experimental design, cell structure and function, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, DNA and protein synthesis, mitosis and meiosis, Mendelian and molecular genetics, classification and basic taxonomy, and core ecology concepts such as food webs, symbiosis, and population dynamics. Most of the Biology items are multiple-choice and reward precise recall of terminology plus the ability to apply concepts to short scenarios, so preparation should combine a systematic review of a standard introductory biology textbook with repeated practice questions and careful review of every missed item. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the exam publisher or any testing company; no official figures for item counts, time limits, passing scores, fees, or retake policy are reproduced here because they could not be verified from an official source, so treat all such numbers as school-specific and confirm them locally. Topics on this exam: Biology. The HESI A2 Biology study guide has 1 section and about 513 words.

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Biology (HESI A2)

The HESI A2 Biology section tests foundational cell and molecular biology rather than advanced physiology. Expect items on biomolecules, organelle functions, membrane transport, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, DNA/RNA and protein synthesis, mitosis versus meiosis, and Mendelian genetics. Most questions are recall or one-step application, so precise definitions and the ability to read a Punnett square or follow a codon relationship matter more than long derivations. Biomolecules: carbohydrates are primary quick energy; lipids form membranes and store energy; proteins are amino-acid polymers that include enzymes; nucleic acids are nucleotide polymers that store and transmit genetic information.

513 words, about 3 min

More study resources for HESI A2 Biology

  • Practice questionsWhich organelle is the primary site of ATP production in a eukaryotic cell?
  • FlashcardsCell theory. Three principles: all living organisms are composed of one or more cells, the cell is the basic unit of structure and function, and new cells arise from existing cells by division.
  • Cheat sheetCell theory: all living things are made of cells, the cell is the basic unit of structure and function, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells by division.
  • Key termscell. The smallest unit of life that can carry out all processes needed to survive and reproduce.
  • Study planDefine the levels of biological organization from atom to organism and state what emerges at each level.
  • Common mistakesCandidates memorize the phospholipid bilayer diagram but never connect it to a function question, so they default to 'diffusion' whenever movement across a membrane is mentioned.
  • Exam-day guideBring the original, unexpired ID in the name you registered under.