HESI A2: Don't stress- Tips from a recent test taker!
For months, I stalled before scheduling up my exam date. Since I graduated college 5 years ago, I was pretty concerned about being out of practice academically. I ate many "anxiety cookies" in the days leading up to the test.
Members are discussing various aspects of the HESI A2 exam, including which sections to focus on based on school requirements, the reliability of test prep books, tips for studying, concerns about grammar and reading comprehension sections, availability of calculators during the test, and experiences with different study materials. Some members are seeking advice on specific topics like author's tone, chemistry content, and reading comprehension assistance.
Yesterday, I finally took my HESI exam and I couldn't wait to post some tips for future test takers! Here are my scores along with some things I wish I would have known:
How To Pass HESI
McGraw Hill's practice exam booklet is a great way to familiarize yourself with the test format.
By far, the best study guide book is by Elsevier, the company that makes the HESI A2. Buy it, read it and take the practice questions. The guide shows you exactly what you need to study for the exam. The only section I would recommend doing additional studying for is the A&P section.
Scores
Math: 98%
Basic, basic math. You also get a simple calculator on the exam, which is wonderful! Know your conversations (temperature, metric, etc.) and be very comfortable working with ratios and fractions.
Reading Comprehension: 92%
Practice exams hugely helped prepare me for this section. During the test, make sure you read through the passage first and understand exactly what a question is asking before selecting an answer. To be safe, on most questions I wrote out "ABCD" on my scratch paper and went through the passage marking each wrong answer as I read to ensure I chose the correct answer and didn't rush through the question.
Vocabulary: 98%
Whoah there- did anyone purchase the Mometrix HESI A2 study guide? If you haven't: Stay away! If you have: Put it down and breathe a sigh of relief. The book contains a hefty list of medical terminology. I memorized everything from hepatosalpinx to carbuncle and not a single word I learned was even close to the content on the exam. For the vocabulary section, focus on general vocabulary. I'd say most of the content consists of words commonly used in everyday academia.
A&P: 84%
I way, way over studied for A&P, so it's unfortunate I achieved my lowest score on this section. Two weeks before the exam, I pored over the minutia of each chapter of my past anatomy textbook. Unfortunately, I focused on accumulating a knowledge of many details and skimmed general concepts, figuring this information was "too easy" for the exam. Wrong choice. When you're studying for the HESI A2 A&P section, focus on broad, general concepts (hormones, cellular transport, general anatomy, etc.) and don't get bogged down with the little details. I used the following site to brush up on my anatomy: Anatomy & Physiology Class Website. Excellent organization of information! Again, don't focus on the little details.
Grammar: 98%
Studying for this section concerned me. Whereas I know the rules of grammar, the last time I learned the technical terms for grammar rules (indirect object, weak clause, etc.) was years ago. Luckily, the exam didn't focus on identifying parts of a sentence via technical terms. I used the following site to test myself on grammar knowledge after studying and it was really helpful: Grammar Quizzes
Critical Thinking: 940/1000
This section is not included in any of the available HESI A2 study guides, so I was nervous to take it. The Critical Thinking section provides you with a variety of different situations you could encounter as a nurse and asks how you would respond in a given situation.
My advice... before answering a question
Identify the most urgent problem
Select the best response for treating the specific problem
Hope this information helps someone! Overall, the test was much less intense than I expected, so don't stress yourself out too much. Happy to answer any questions!
twolittleleaves: I know this is a really old post, but I'm scheduled to take the test in June and I was wondering if you get to use the calculator even on the simple math? Like, is the calculator for the entire duration of the test?
twolittleleaves: I know this is a really old post, but I'm scheduled to take the test in June and I was wondering if you get to use the calculator even on the simple math? Like, is the calculator for the entire duration of the test?
HI - I know you weren't asking me, but yes the calculator was available through the entire test - at least on the HESI A2 I took. It's an online pop-up calculator that you have to use with the mouse.
A lot of my friends that are now nurses has never worked in a hospital environment when they took the HESI Test. The Critical Thinking part of the test was basically common sense (according to them). All your answers will be correct, but it varies by points depending on what you answer. Have you taken your HESI yet? Please let me know how you did as I will plan to take mine in June or July. My weakest point will be Reading Comprehension and Grammar
For reading comp and grammar, look up these topics and find examples of what they are and you should be set for reading comprehension and grammar!
@readyforthehesi: Thank you for the tips! I have been practicing my grammar and is doing well so far. But the reading comp., I'm still having a hard time identifying these:
Sure thing: here's a couple of main points on author's tone:
Tone can be tricky to identify, but some general rules are to look to the adjectives and descriptions of people, places, and events in the text. How is the author using his words? What words is he/she choosing? How does he/she compare and contrast within the text?
Is the author trying to prove something to the reader? Or else have something to gain? Are the adjectives used almost exclusively negative or have negative connotations? If asked, how would the author respond about the characters, events, or places? What would their face look like when asked?
Example: And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don't know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn't the best. We complained about it. So we've got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we've got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing.â€
What is the author's tone in this passage?
a. Happy
b. Excited
c. Negative
d. Sad
The answer is C.) negative because he uses words like depressing and complained. Notice how he is abrupt with his sentences and uses the word justâ€. Think about a time you were disappointed and angry. Were you using long, drawn-out sentences or did you say something, then stop, then start again? That is what our author is conveying in this particular short story.
So far the information on here has been great and I definitely appreciate it. I'm set to take my HESI Entrance Exam on August 18th and I am a little nervous about what to expect. The previous posts have given me some great insight, however I am struggling a little with the Reading Comprehension section. I thought I was a pretty well educated individual, however that doesn't seem to be the case. lol. Can anyone point me in the direction of some reading comprehension assistance or pass along some pointers that can help me overcome this mental block?!
So glad to find your advice! Also, congrats on your awesome scores! Was there a lot of measurements? Did the A&P section ask general anatomy terms or did they ask questions more similar to the McGraw practice tests book like, Which might you expect to see in a whiplash injury?
I have taken the grammar section of the exam and scored a 91% with English as my second language. It was very easy just follow whats in the HESI A2 book and learn the material like you've never did before and do some practice exams online. Take your time when you are testing and don't over think everything. Things that I remember being on the exam include: their, there, they're , is and are, she and he. Then and than. remember it's and its, also He and I, She, and I also John and I. Lie, Lay, lain, laid. hope it helps ?
lyam
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twolittleleaves: I know this is a really old post, but I'm scheduled to take the test in June and I was wondering if you get to use the calculator even on the simple math? Like, is the calculator for the entire duration of the test?