My Experience With The HESI-90.86 %

Published Jul 22, 2018

7 Posts

First I want to say, like a lot of others, I believed I overstudied in some parts and not enough in others like math or A&P. Overall, I did fairly well, although this is not the score I wanted.

This was also my first time taking the exam.

Composite Score 90.86 %.

Math-88.00 %

I took this portion first, and it was annoying. I think I did so poorly because I was given some dumb dry erase markers instead of a pencil, and I also had to use this weird, plastic, laminated sheet for scratch paper. I froze for about the first 2-3 minutes to get acquainted with the feel of the system. Overall, it was very basic with a simple calculator onscreen. The proportions and fractions were pretty easy. I got one military time, one conversion, and one roman numeral question. I was very disappointed with the conversion problems. I kid you not, most of my conversion problems had to do with converting pints to ounces. I forgot during the first portion that 1 pint = 2 cups, but I remembered it about 3/4 of the way through. One of the input variables (x=3) was very challenging because it involved method of operations combined with fractions. I think I got it wrong. Overall you really need to study proportion word problems, fractions (all types), basic algebra, basic subtraction and division (you can also do it on the calculator, if provided), conversions, percents, and the basics of metric units.

I really did not study though because I had studied everything about a year before I realized I needed to take Chemistry and a pre-req. To study the year before I used:

pocket prep

IXL.com (behind a paywall)

Elsevier study guide 4th ed.

Overall, most parts of the math seemed way to easy, but other parts just provoked me to scream in my mind "WHAT THE HELL?"

Reading Comp Overall 92.00 %

2. Conclusions-67.00 %

3. Implications-92.00 %

4. Meaning-word use-92.00 %

5. Understanding-100 %

I really didn't study this portion at all, I have a natural aptitude for reading and understanding. The portion I did have a problem with was drawing conclusions or part #2 on the score graph. I got through the reading portion in about 20-25 minutes after I had done the math, so I was a bit fatigued.

The biggest problem I had with this portion was the mental fatigue and the chair. My bottom hurt so much, and I kept playing with my hair because this section was boring me. Always try to be comfortable for this portion and relax.

Grammar-88.00 %

Overall, very easy if you study. When I studied the year before, I used the book, pocket prep, and IXL.com. This portion took me about 10-15 minutes at the most. I am disappointed in my score, though.

Vocabulary & Knowledge-92.00 %

Very basic, English is my second language, so what I did was first learn the language in Castellano (my first language), and then I learned them in English. I know that this is not an option for everyone, but if you stick to the book's definitions, you should be fine. There were a few spelling questions in this section, which I found odd.

Chemistry-100.00%

I took Chemistry next, this one took me 5-10 minutes at the most. I was very apprehensive because I thought there would be more calculations and stuff about gas laws like in a lot of the practice books, but it was very simple. I think I only got one calculation where the question aksed was "if an atom has an atomic mass of 17 and x numbers of neutrons, what's its atomic number? I think you can even do this section with general knowledge from Bio, A&P, and Microbiology. Also, I got the same question more than once, so I am really questioning this test's validity.

Biology-96.00 %

I took the biology portion right after the chemistry portion, and it was just as basic. For some reason, I can't remember the questions on this section because I got through it in about 5 minutes at the most.

A&P-80.00 %

I saved A&P for close to the end because I was most intimidated by this. I got an A in both sections of this class, but it has been 4 years since I last took my A&P course, and I didn't study since then. It really showed up in my test score. This portion got really specific. I think I had maybe 1-2 questions about muscles, and they had to do with their locations. Know everything about the bones, including their development.

Critical Thinking Overall: 910

Analysis of Data-840

Argument Analysis- 958

Prioritization of Care- 875

Problem Solving- 897

Resolution Biases/Ethical Dilemma- 1,000.

I am really upset about this score, I wish it would have been a bit higher. I don't know why they use the 1,00 point grading system, it makes no sense.

What really helped me in this portion was having a few relatives that worked in the medical field and taking A&P previously. You really have to know some of the consequences and treatment of some health conditions even if it's just superficial. For instance, just knowing about diabetes, asthma and the complications that arise from some conditions helps. Also, you could pick a nurse's brain about privacy issues, laws, and ethics in the workplace.

Overall, I had one hour left on the clock. I didn't take any breaks because I was way too nervous. For myself, even if I had failed miserably, it would have been a fun experience.