HESI A2 study guide
HESI A2 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The HESI A2 (Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment) is an entrance exam that many nursing and allied-health programs use to judge whether applicants have the academic foundation for a demanding clinical curriculum. The HESI A2 study guide has 8 sections and about 2,597 words.
01Reading Comprehension
HESI A2 reading passages are short, but the questions probe several distinct skills: finding the main idea (the claim the whole passage supports), separating it from supporting details , making inferences that follow logically without overreaching, identifying the author's purpose (inform, persuade, explain, entertain) and tone , determining word meaning from context , and tracking sequence or cause and effect . True but not the answer.
342 words, about 2 min02Vocabulary and General Knowledge
This domain rewards a broad working vocabulary plus light general knowledge. Expect synonyms and antonyms , context-clue items (a word used in a sentence, with four candidate meanings), word parts (prefixes, suffixes, Greek and Latin roots), connotation (positive, negative, neutral), homophones and commonly confused pairs, simple analogies , and general-knowledge questions drawn from basic science, geography, history, and literary terms.
304 words, about 2 min03Grammar
Grammar items ask you to choose the sentence that is correct, or to fix an underlined portion. The recurring topics are subject-verb agreement , pronoun-antecedent agreement and case , verb tense consistency , comma and semicolon use , apostrophes , modifier placement , parallel structure , and recognizing fragments and run-ons .
318 words, about 2 min04Basic Math Skills
Basic Math covers arithmetic with fractions, decimals, and percents , ratios and proportions , unit conversions , order of operations , averages , solving for an unknown , and single- and multi-step word problems . No calculator, so estimation and clean setup matter.
317 words, about 2 min05Biology
Biology questions span cell structure , cellular processes , genetics , classification , and ecology . Know the prokaryote/eukaryote difference (prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus), the organelle functions, and the two energy pathways.
317 words, about 2 min06Chemistry
Chemistry items cover atomic structure , the periodic table , bonding , chemical equations , moles , acids and bases , states of matter , and solutions . Atomic number = protons (defines the element).
339 words, about 2 min07Anatomy and Physiology
Questions test structural organization , homeostasis , directional terminology , the four tissue types , and the major body systems with their organ functions. Organization: cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism.
328 words, about 2 min08Physics
Physics items emphasize motion , forces , energy , waves , electricity , and density and pressure - mostly single-formula applications with careful unit tracking. Speed = distance ÷ time; velocity adds direction (a vector).
332 words, about 2 min