Hey y'all,
It's been one long journey since towards nursing school, but I'm glad today that I'm getting one step closer to it. I will find out this coming wednesday whether I get accepted or not. Anyways, took the HESI today and made an 85% overall on the first try with only a week to review. I just wanted to express my gratitude for all the resources provided here on the forum along with the advice from other HESi testers and their separate experiences. I also wanted to give back to our community and provide my opinion, tips for studying, and test taking.
Long story short, I was taking my Anatomy and Physiology II during the time I set up an interview at Chamberlain Phoenix Campus so I didn't have ample time to study more in depth. So for the remaining days I picked up two books, which IMHO helped with most of the HESI tests.
1.)McGraw-Hill Nursing School Entrance Exams
-in this book there are 8 practice tests along with detailed explanations of how to do the problems.
2.)McGraw-Hill Evolve Reach (HESI) A2
-in this book there are 3 full tests along with explanations.
Before even taking the test, I researched the numerous books out there regarding the HESI and many people praise the Elsevier guide since it's pretty thorough. Although, I felt that the McGraw Hill books were easier to read and follow. All in all, they provide you with the information needed to answer the questions.
**If you have taken the classes such as Biology, Chemistry, A&P I/II, you should have no problem answering the questions**
These two books above should get the job done right.
STUDYING!!!!
Step
1.)Break it up into each section of the test. For example, one day or two days spend time on the reading comprehension then move on with vocabulary
***Don't try and cram everything into one night!!!!***
I found that breaking it up into sections more manageable as well as polishing my weak areas. Moreover, repeat it over and over until you get tired of it. Remember A&P, it's just like that. The more you see the information, the easier it is to retain it. Write it out, talk it out, recite it to your dog. Study however you feel comfortable.
2.)Practice Practice Practice Practice. For example, in the math section of the review guide it talks about adding fractions. First you must find a common denominator and multiply the number you used for the denominator for the numerator as well. Finally, add them together and reduce to lowest terms. If you can instantly recognize that process, you know it.
3.)Plan ahead. Yes, planning ahead can allow you time to study. For example, if you have work that day or other obligations, find a window of time you can sit down and just review. If worse comes to worse, make a set of flashcards to flip through or even download the HESI app from itunes and study that.
4.)Break time. Yes, break time is definitely needed. Give yourself 15 minutes or whatever you feel you need to get back into the groove of studying to get your mind off things.
5.)Don't stress. Take a breath, seriously. lol I'm pretty sure you all have the ability to succeed on this test. If you stress yourself out, it is very hard to think and concentrate. Just relax, clear your mind, and just do it.
Pre-Test Day!!!
-Review your weak areas the most along with quick skimming the ones you already know just to freshen up your mind. Get lots of sleep to recharge your brain.
Test Day!!!!
-Eat a good breakfast such as peanut butter. Get that glucose up! lol Whoever took A&P know what I mean. haha Just relax and try not to stress yourself out too much. When you get to the testing center, go and review if you have time. I used this time to review my conversions such as 8 ounces = 1 cup. 4 quarts = 1 Gallon. Etc etc. You all will do fine.
I cannot stress this enough, TRUST YOUR INSTINCT!!!! Don't go and start changing answers if you feel unsure. GO WITH YOUR GUT...Yes, we all have experienced this many times in Anatomy and Physiology when we knew what the right answer was, but picked a different answer because something was slightly different.
Recap:
Study whatever material is available to you whether you purchase the study guide books, online study guides, or practice tests on the various sites. Break it into sections so the material is not overwhelming. Practice makes perfect! Get a good night's rest. Eat a hearty breakfast on test day with a form of glucose! haha And most importantly don't stress and trust your instinct. If you really feel it's right, it usually is right.
HESI Test breakdown:
Completed in 2 hours 50 minutes
Reading Comprehension
*50 questions m/c**
-Basically, there is no way to really study this except to do the practice passages and answer the questions. Just make sure to just understand what it was communicating to you as the reader. When you take the test the passage is going to appear on every question so there is no need to go back.
Vocab
*50 questions m/c*
-Same as the reading comprehension. There is no way to study this because it is random. Although, look at some of the sites such as quizlet that has sample HESI vocab on there. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Grammar
*50 questions m/c*
-This one you can study and perfect it. Again, this is where highschool and college english classes come into play. All in all, you need to be able to grammatically complete or decipher what is wrong in a sentence.
Choose the word or phrase that is grammatically incorrect.
For example, The farmer had a from from the state about irrigation.
-So the incorrect word would be from because it is form.
In other words, you all will be able to see what is wrong. Just do your practice questions 3-5 times and you should be set.
Math
*50 questions m/c and fill in the blank*
-Like I said in the beginning, do practice on everything such as adding/subtracting fractions, ratios, conversions (qt, pint, gallon) etc.
For a ratio problem, say the question asked you if 3:5, what is 4:X
So just setup the problem like in cross multiplication-----> 3 4
___=___
5 X
This will be 3X=5*4 so 3X=20. There will be multiple choice answers to choose from when you find X.
Biology
*30 questions*
-Study your basic general concepts like nucleus, ribosome, mitchondria and concepts of that nature. Wasn't as hard as I expected.
Chemistry
*30 questions m/c*
-This section in particular scared me, but it was a lot easier than the questions I practiced in the study guide books. What a surprise that was. Just study your basic isotopes, proton, neutron, etc.
Anatomy and Physiology
*30 questions m/c*
-This section also was not as bad as I though. Just study your all the body systems such as cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, etc including what they do and what they involve. Also study the basic anatomy. For example, what is the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle? Answer:Mitral Valve aka. the bicuspid valve.
Again, DON'T STRESS. This is not as hard as it seems to be.
I will update this thread if there are any more questions, thanks for reading!!!!!
