HESI A2 entrance exam!!

I decided to take some time out of my day and share with you how I passed my exam Nursing Students HESI Article

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HESI A2 entrance exam!!

I do not have my HESI grade report with me because I accidentally closed down the tab after I was done taking the exam (I have to wait 24-48 hours for results to be posted online now SO DON'T CLOSE YOUR TAB ONCE YOU'RE DONE) but I do remember my overall grade, 86.7. I took READING, MATH, VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR, ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY, AND CRITICAL THINKING. On each section, my score was above an 80%, Anatomy was a 92%, and Critical Thinking was around 860 (can't really remember)! I am so happy though, especially because it was my first time taking the exam and the school I am applying to requires a 75-80% on each section and a 750 on critical thinking.

I used the HESI ASSESSMENT EXAM REVIEW, 4TH EDITION (HAER) as a study guide for each section.

READING

For reading, I honestly just read HESI ASSESSMENT EXAM REVIEW, 4TH EDITION. I did not do anything else but read the book since I wasn't really nervous about this section. This section on the exam was pretty smooth. However, I took almost an hour on this section because I wanted to make sure I understood everything. I can't really much say of this section since it was just pretty basic.

MATH

On this section, I took my time reading the HAER book. This section is BASIC MATH. Work on each sample questions even if you think you got it, that way it sticks in your head while you're learning other materials. This section on the exam was mainly proportions and ratios (honestly), work on those two mainly!! I felt like out of the 50 questions, there were 30 of these. There was also many %'s, e.g. (NOT COMING FROM THE TEST, JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE FROM MY HEAD --> KATIE HAS 16 FRIENDS, 2 OF THEM ARE FEMALES, WHAT IS THE % OF FEMALE FRIENDS KATIE HAS?) Not many metric questions, I think it was a total of 4, BASIC, but learn them. I did not get ONE question of degrees conversion but if I were you, I'd still learn them. Got one question of converting military time to U.S. time. Honestly, DON'T stress on this section because you have a calculator on screen.

VOCABULARY

OK! Lets get serious! Who isn't nervous about this section? Even if you are so good in vocabulary, this is just random words picked out. BUT guess what?! The HAER book was helpful (LEARN THOSE, LITERALLY LEARN THEM AND KNOW THEM, TAKE YOUR TIME ON THOSE). I cannot say more than know those words. However, I felt like those words weren't enough, I knew the test was going to bring out words that weren't covered on the book and it did. I think it was like 20-30 question words that weren't on the book, on the test BUT *TA DA!* I found a great quizlet account! This girl went out of her way and put more words down and honestly like 15 of those words were on my test! She put down the book vocabulary down on this quizlet and added more words. If I were you, I'd go over the book first to just focus on those words and then go over her quizlet to review not only the same words that are on the book but new words that CAN be on your exam.

GRAMMAR

Some people tend to be so nervous on this section (I was) but honestly it was not so bad! I took my time on reading the HAER book and used a helpful website..

Grammar Bytes! Grammar Instruction with Attitude

This section was mainly on (pick the noun or phrase that is NOT used correctly), but A LOT of subject-verb agreement. Get the hang on S-VA. OK, I am feeling a little too happy so I am going to break down the subject-verb agreement for you guys!!

If your subject is singular then your verb will have an "s" on the end.

E.g. -> SHE (singular) plays.

If your subject is plural then your verb will not have a "s" on then end.

E.g. -> THEY (plural) play .

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS: OR/EITHER/NOR/NEITHER/AND

  • This AND that ---> plural verb
  • This AND those --> plural verb
  • This OR those ---> plural verb
  • Those OR this ----> Singular verb

How to choose if its singular or plural? GO BY CLOSEST TO THE VERB.

ANYONE, EVERYONE, SOMEONE, SOMEBODY, NO ONE, NOBODY, EACH, AND EVERYBODY WILL ALWAYS BE SINGULAR.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

HAER book!! Go over it and KNOW IT ALL, in depth. I also used these two helpful websites..

1. HESI Flashcards | Quizlet --> This Quizlet account basically broke down the book so go over this!! It will make you understand the book more.

2. Anatomy & Physiology --> Go over each chapter!! Go over the power points, SO HELPFUL. Literally. This is why I got an A on this section because questions that didn't come from the book, somewhat came from these power points!

I can't really tell you what was really on this section but questions derived from the book and power points.

CRITICAL THINKING

OK! Obviously this one is not in the book but this section was more like scenarios. All answers are correct, they just want to know (as a nurse) what would you do given the scenario. The better choice you pick, the more points you get.

EX: ONE PATIENT, 45 YEAR OLD MALE, E-MAILS YOU TO HANG OUT, WHAT WILL YOU DO??

OBVIOUSLY, PICK THE "KEEP THINGS PROFESSIONAL."

HONESTLY, DO NOT GET NERVOUS! I THINK THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IS TO NOT BE NERVOUS, IS EITHER YOU KNOW IT OR YOU don't!

P.S. I ALSO USED "HESI A2 EXAM PREP 2016 EDITION- POCKET PREP, INC." APP, IT LOOKS PURPLE. I THINK IT WAS $12.00 BUT SO HELPFUL!! BUY IT!

That's all. Hope this helps!!!

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You rock!! ? thanks a lot!

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Thank you for providing all this helpful information! Could you tell me what the HAER book is?

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HESI assessment exam review, 4th edition

ketoula said:
thank you for providing all this helpful information! Could you tell me what the haer book is?
1 Votes

Hello all,

I had just taken the HESI a2 earlier today and can't say in overly excited about my score but am happy the studying paid off. I too score 86% overall taking all nine sections of Reading, Vocab, Grammar, Math, Chem, Bio, and A&P along with learning style and personality??? Can't remember but those last two weren't really graded for my school, just used to determine who and how we are as a student.

I was so nervous about this test but actually the last few days leading to test day, I relaxed, reviewed my study notes and meditated. The exam wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. They were pretty basic questions especially when comparing to the TEAS. Sadly my worst subject which ironically was the section I studied the most in, was anatomy and physiology. Everything else went terrific with three scores in 80s and other three sections in 90s.

My cumulative GPA is 3.7 but I'm nervous my HESI score isn't too competitive enough.

Tips I'd give is use two study guides. I never used the assessment review by Evolve. I had used Mometrix Secrets which I liked explained everything with examples and brief (may seem wordy, but there's no fluff) and I used a red and white A2 assessment study guide book. All I did was do a practice test without studying first to see what I needed to focus on and go on from there.

Reading is basic: know inference, what the author implies, main idea, topic, conclusion.

Grammar: independent, dependent clauses, adverb, know what words don't go in a sentence, there, their, they're, two to too, etc.

Vocab: not sure what words are in Elsevier evolve study guide but what was in Mometrix was pretty good in test, I also used other sources like Pocket Prep HESI a2 app for $13. And a free website: Learning Definitions, Word Definitions Test hesi a2

And I believe websites like testguide. But I always been an avid reader so it helped !!

Math: tons of ratios, cross multiplication, percentages, conversions (remember all), fractions in add, subtract, multiply and divide. There's a calculator provided on computer but it was rather annoying hearing the clicking. I like using scratch paper.

Bio Chem: no periodic table needed, just know basics like what are gases, metals etc. Oxidation numbers, isotopes, atomic mass, proton, neutron, electron, valence biology is messed mitosis, cellular respiration, chromosomes haploid diploid, cell structure definitions, membrane types, what kinds of microbes are prokaryotic etc surprisingly I worried of chemistry but I did really well!

A&P: muscles, bones, respiration, joints, and especially brain like hypothalamus, respiration centers, all I can say is review in depth with this one. Know all systems and generalize in your own words from past notes or a book that will explain the systems easily for you to understand. My study guides were cool but I felt I needed more info.

Overall try Google, quizlet, practice tests and YouTube is your friend.

1 Votes

I took the HesiA2 yesterday. I found out I needed to take the test recently and in order to get my scores in before the app deadline, I had to take the test with only 12 days notice. I only studied 4 days ahead of time. I read up on here for advice and tips on how to prepare. I used the Evolve Admissions Assessment Review book Edition 4.

The first day of studying, I went through the whole book and reviewed. The only part of the Math I felt I needed to study was memorizing Conversions, and Roman Numerals. I felt pretty comfortable with the Vocab/Grammar/Reading Comp.

I spent most of the other 3 days studying A&P. I took those classes 8-9 years ago! So I needed to cram/refresh. I used a website that has clickable online flashcards and that really helped. Free Flashcards about HESI-A2 ANATOMY

I also used the Pocketprep app for $12.

While I was taking the test, I was kind of nervous and freaking out lol. I started with Math because, while I am strong in it, it sometimes takes a while to workout the problems. I took the most time on this section. I also scored the highest. 96!

I worried after taking Math that I wouldn't have enough time. The Reading Comprehension also took me a long time because you have to read through a lot. I probably should have studied more for that section but I did ok with a 90.

While taking the A&P section, I was worried because a lot of the questions were specific, and there were some that I had no idea on. I thought I was going to Fail and have to take the test over. But I was relieved to get an 84!

Overall, I would not say this test was easy by any means. I took about 3.5 hours to finish. And I probably could have studied a couple more days. But I am glad I passed all of the sections. Did not want to have to pay to take it again. DO NOT try to wing this test and not study. It will be a waste of your time and money. Unless you have a long history of very good standardized test scores, and have taken A&P very recently.

My Scores:

Math-96

A&P-84

Vocab-94

Grammar-94

Reading Comp-90

1 Votes

Hello everyone!

I'm a new allnurses member but I have been lurking and reading everyone's posts about the A2. As a person who likes/needs predictability, everyone's stories about studying and test experiences helped me prepare and know what to expect!

I took the HESI A2 entrance yesterday (in California) and am very happy with my overall score of 94.40%! I wanted to share with you all how I studied, tips, and things that stood out to me.

Study/Prep

I spent 1 week reading and taking notes on Elselvier Admissions Exam Review 4th ed. Don't forget to add the 2 free practice exams to your evolve account! These questions closely resemble what you will encounter on the actual test since they write the questions. My performance on this was a pretty accurately predicted the scores I got on the HESI. The only downside is there are only a few questions per topic, these are not full length tests.

I spent another week doing practice tests/scouring quizlet. To prepare myself for the length of the exam, I bought McGraw Hill's 3 Evolve Reach HESI A2 Practice Tests. This simulated test conditions and helped me get an idea of what order I wanted to take the subjects.

Taking the test

I took 2.5 hours to finish the test. Contrary to some other posts (maybe it differs by testing center?) I could take a break whenever I wanted during the exam.. except it counted against my 4 hour allotment. The timer counted down the entire 4 hours, rather than each section. Some times there was a lag on the calculator so I was careful to double check that I entered each number correctly. There's also this momentary lag when submitting each answer, I would click it once and if it didn't move on to the next questions I waited 10 secs before trying again. The order I took each subject is as follows:

Reading Comprehension -92%

Unlike the practice tests and review book, not all passages are health related and not all of them are super long. I had passages range from 1-4 paragraphs. There really isn't much to study for on this topic other than understanding what they mean by main idea, best summary, inferences, and author's attitude. Just be careful, while reading and you can usually eliminate 2/4 answers just by ruling out ones with incorrect statements. I was able to control-find specific words from the text that the questions referenced. Sometimes they tell you which paragraph the word was used in and sometimes they didn't.. I used CTRL+F to save time.

Grammar -92%

As a native English speaker this was pretty intuitive. The review book helped a lot in reviewing word usage. Pay special attention to subject-verb agreement and proper usage of commonly misused words (ie. lie/lay, too/to/too) these are explained in detail in the review book.

Vocabulary -96%

I studied the words in the review book and looked through whatever I could find on quizlet. I found that the McGraw Hill practice questions are harder than the actual test. I kept scoring in the 80s on the practice, and was nervous for the test but I actually scored higher in this section than the other English sections. Familiarize yourself medical terms/roots and the review's word list and you should do fine.

A & P -92%

I took Anatomy about a year ago and Physio 4 months ago so these topics are still pretty fresh in my head. This is the only section where studying solely from the review is insufficient. The review book was good as an overview but it focuses on physiology and kind of overlooks the anatomy portion. I would go back and know generally where major muscles and bones are as well as parts of the central nervous system.

Most questions were general but it also asked very specific questions about endocrine and reproduction.

Math -100%

I actually loved this section lol. A perfect score is really achievable if you take your time which was why I saved it for last. Memorize the conversions and the rest of the math is very basic. My test center gave me 2 laminated papers and pens (not very erasable). I was able to do all my calculations without asking for more paper. I made sure I worked out the problems twice, once on paper and once using the calculator. I didn't bother reading too much into the review book for this. The practice tests basically had everything I encountered on the actual test. Best resource there is for this section.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask me questions if you need more tips about studying for a specific section/topic. Good luck!

1 Votes

Hello, I am taking my HESI next month and was a little concerned as to if their is a time limit or not?

Also, is the calculator that is provided a basic calculator, like what is on a computer and also is the calculator available for the whole math section?

Thanks in advance

1 Votes
Callen20 said:
Hello, I am taking my HESI next month and was a little concerned as to if their is a time limit or not?

Also, is the calculator that is provided a basic calculator, like what is on a computer and also is the calculator available for the whole math section?

Thanks in advance

Hi!

Just took the HESI today! There is a basic calculator. Also, the is a 4.5 hr time limit (there is a count down timer on the test). It took me about 2.5 hrs, here are the sections I took:

96.8 overall

Math 100 - lots of fractions, percents. A few solve for 'x', ratios, and basic conversions (cm to m, m to kilometers)

Biology - 100 - seemed pretty straight forward. I haven't taken bio in 20 years... Studied with the 4th edition hesi book by Elsevier and that seemed good.

chemistry - 100- a few questions that I had to guess on - didn't have a periodic table and wanted one. But either I guess right, or those were the questions that are trial questions that aren't counted!

A&P - 92 - missed 2 questions one on bone calcification that I was second guessing myself, and didn't want to change my answer (guess I should have!) I've only taken a&p 1, so I reviewed the body systems using my medical terminology book and that was good.

vocab - 98 not hard. Everything was in a sentence format - so you could figure out the context even if you didn't know the word.

Grammer - 98 know it's vs. it's. Subject/verb agreement. Dependant/independent clause.

reading comprehension 90 this was my worst one! I took it last, and I was tired. Tricky questions about conclusions you could make... Some weird stuff. I knew this wasn't going to be as great for me, but still did find. The questions (for me) we either obvious or really weird!

I pretty much used the Elsevier 4 th edition book, and the pocket prep ap to study. I did as many questions online as I could find, studied for a little bit a day for a few weeks. Also reviewed material from my med terminology course, and a&p.

1 Votes

Hello, in a about a week I will have my first attempt. What can you suggest for A&P I have watched Videos , used the review book and have pocket prep. Would there be anything in specific to cover. Some say it is very general others say it is detailed. I would really appreciate the feedback.

1 Votes

Hello, in a about a week I will have my first attempt. What can you suggest for A&P I have watched Videos , used the review book and have pocket prep. Would there be anything in specific to cover. Some say it is very general others say it is detailed. I would really appreciate the feedback.

1 Votes

For me, I hadn't taken A&P in a while, so it seemed a little tricky. Of course, some questions are very easy....but there were quite a few I had no idea on. If you took those classes recently and did well, you might have an easier time with it. If you are doing well with Pocket Prep, that's a good sign. My best advice would be to study each of the systems, take practice tests, be comfortable with what's in the review book. Good luck!

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