HESI A2 for the entrance exam study guide, Gateway

LaraW90 · Mar 1, 2013

I understand your fear - In fact, I stayed up very late the evening before the test learning and re-learning the temperature conversion formulas... and didn't get any of those questions.. The Hesi uses a test question "bank" - so my test isn't the same as your test...
As far as english/metric conversions they're fluid questions - i.e., how many cc's/ml's in a gallon and a half, or how many ounces in 1000ml. The single most important formula to remember is 30 ml's = 1 ounce. - If you know how many ounces in a cup/pint/quart/gallon, you can figure the answer in your head from there - and YES... there is the basic "windows calculator" available the entire time.
There were roman numeral questions - In my case, if you knew how to count to a hundred using roman numerals, you'ld be fine. Also, there were military time questions - those are easy points you can get with not a lot of studying investment.
Other than that, I remember there were a large number of fraction questions - you'll need to know how to flip, fold, and mutilate fractions -
The single biggest skill I can think of with fractions is being able to pull them into a decimal, and how to convert a decimal to a fraction - if you can do that, windows calc will do the heavy lifting for you.
It depends a little bit on how your mind works, but in my case, the possible answers were often far enough apart that I used the calculator very little. 1/2 of 1/4 isn't 4, or 196, or 27/32...
Alot of the incorrect answers were created by doing the math incorrectly, which means a quick "reality check" can lead you to an accurate guesstimate...
Knock out the obviously wrong answers and the correct ones stand up on their own... if you're not "rattled"..
Another big point, and it's probably the hardest to remember leading up to the test - don't let them "psych" you out. You'll have more time than you'll need, so don't be afraid to read a question two or three times before selecting an answer - and if the question seems super easy, it probably is, but read it again anyway.
Every point on the Hesi is the same value as another - so you can still pass if you're baffled by roman numerals, or you forget how many ounces are in a cup, as long as you're not "rattled" by it.
The Hesi really is a great test for new nurses, because it teaches you a little bit about "triage"...
"Save" the points that can be saved, and let the others go with a clean conscience..

I understand that this is an older thread, but thank you so, so much for your helpful advice, Rzyzzy! After studying everything you described religiously, I managed to score a 90 on the math portion of the Hesi A2! I didn’t have any temperature conversion questions either, too weird!

longhornfan · Mar 1, 2013

here's what I did to study for anyone else looking for advice: I used flashcards to help memorize conversions and units, and used some math flashcards to get better/faster at mental math. You can make your own, or there are some you can buy for this type of stuff; I think making your own is a good idea b/c you have to think about it as you make them, but either way is good. A lot of the math isn't too advanced on the test, but you don't want to make silly errors and lose points that shouldn't be lost which is why I suggest practicing some of the basics. That's where most people lose points is needless, minor errors. Khan Academy is also a good resource I used some for math (can you tell that Math was a focus? haha). Finally, I got a study guide (got the one by Trivium Test Prep) which I choose mainly b/c it had a lot of practice questions, but I actually really liked it for the lessons too. It proved to be very helpful with the science sections, which I would definitely suggest putting some focus on that. For me, math and the science section (chem, bio, and A&P specifically) were what I studied for the most.

dupy6 · Aug 23, 2016

I recently discovered a pretty sweet video review to study for the HESI A2. Check out Nurse Academy | Test Prep Videos for Nurses it is an awesome resource and so far everything is free! They seem to be just starting out, but are uploading free review videos all the time. So far, they have released a bunch of chemistry review videos and have just starting releasing HESI A2 math review videos also.