Passed my Hesi 4/16/15-Tips and Advice

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Hey guys! I took my Hesi exam today, and passed with a composite sore of 85.50%. I am writing this to help out the future hesi test takers. If I had to sum it all up in a couple words, I would say DON'T STRESS!!

For my school, I had to take Reading Comprehension, Math, Vocbulary and General Knowledge, and Grammar. I needed an 80% on each section alone in order to pass. It took me 174 minutes and 31 seconds.

I studied from the following resources:

Hesi Admissions Assessment Exam Review, 3rd edition: This book is your main guide to passing the hesi. Seriously, the math portion is EXACTLY like the book. Literally, study that book, and you are good for the math. Also, read through the grammar and reading comprehension rules. It breaks down everything.

Mcgraw Hill's 3 Evolve Reach (HESI) A2 practice tests: I studied from this book after I studied everything from the previous book. The reason for this is because this books takes everything out of the Hesi Admissions Assessment Review, and puts it into more detailed problems. This book as 3 different Hesi tests with all sections. The math helped because of the word problems that this book included. Also, this book offers much more words on vocab words, which helped me a lot.

Davis's Basic Math Review for Nursing: Honestly, I studied this entire book. From page 1, to the last page. I suck at math. I needed all the help I can get. This book breaks down every single math problem you may encounter on the hesi. Guys, I'm not exaggerating. If you are not good in math, like me, BUY THIS BOOK! It will save you. I promise.

Quizlet.com, testprep.com, test-guide.com, and youtube all were useful sites as well.

Let me first start out by saying math was my BIGGEST worry. I never was good at math, and I stalled before taking the hesi because of this reason. I gave myself a good month, and studied everyday for about 2-3 hours, and sometimes more. Practice made perfect for me. I am going to tell you guys my scores in each section, and the order I took it in.

Reading Comprehension (80%): I was right on the edge! I am so thankful. Honestly, if it wasn't for my anxiety taking over me, I would've scored much higher than this. I chose to take this section first because I knew it would take the longest, and you definitely need to be alert for this section. It's really easy if you stay focused The passages are not long at all. I only had 1 long passage which was 3 paragraphs. Just review how to figure out conclusions, inferences, implications, and how to find out the meaning of a word in a paragraph. It's straight forward.

Math (90%): Like I said guys, math does not come naturally to me ever since elementary school. I always struggled with math.I received the highest in this section. I practiced everyday from the 3 books I stated above. Study fractions, ratios, proportions percents, decimals, sales tax, and definitely know your conversions. My fill in the blanks all were conversion problems. Know how to set up a proportion if you were to read a story problem. Look up youtube videos-they really helped. There was a built-in calculator on the exam which helped me out as well.The second I was given my scrap sheet of paper on the exam, I wrote down all the conversions I had memorized.

Grammar (88%)- I wasn't sure what to expect for this section. Study the rules in the book, make sure you know subject-verb agreement, and know commas and apostrophe rules. I used youtube. I took everything from the evolve book and studied it further. For every section, I used youtube for examples. "English Lessons with Alex" was very helpful. Know the different for bad/badly, its vs it's, whom/who, he/him/her, they, their, they're, there, further/farther. Practice makes perfect.

Vocabulary (84%): Once I got to this section, I was so nervous because I knew all I needed was to pass this section. I did not know how to prepare for this, as there are many words in the english language. I had a couple anatomy terms such as inferior, superior, anterior, lateral. But definitely learn the words from the book, and make sure you understand the word, not just memorize the definition. Once I got that part down, I studied all the words in the McGraw hill book. A couple words came off from there. Lastly, use quizlet. The words may seem the same out of the book, but if you scroll down the page, there are additional words. I wrote out all the words and read them everyday. This study technique helped me a lot. I heard many terrifying stories about this section. Don't let it get to you. Study the words in the book, and do your research on quizlet. Make flashcards, use color coding, or any technique that help you.

I know my post is long, but I was struggling so much trying to find out answers about the hesi, and this site helped me out so much!! So I decided to let you know how my experience was, and I hope it helps out any future hesi test takers.

If you have any questions, please ask! I will happily answer. Trust me, it's not as hard as people make it seem. If you really study, you have no reason not to pass. Keep your mind at ease, and don't stress. Good luck to everyone:)

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Mental Health, Community.

Thank you for sharing this! I've been stressing about the HESI and definitely been stalling. I'll be taking it in a few weeks. You got a great score and your study habits are awesome! :D Good luck in your future endeavors!

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Thank you for sharing this! I've been stressing about the HESI and definitely been stalling. I'll be taking it in a few weeks. You got a great score and your study habits are awesome! :D Good luck in your future endeavors!

Thank you!! Honestly don't stress. If I didn't stress, my score would've been much higher. It's a simple exam if you prepare for it. Go in there with confidence and I promise you're going to do great. Let me know how it Goes ☺️

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Mental Health, Community.

Thank you for the advice. I'm taking it on May 11th...I'm going to prepare and study the best I can and hope for the best lol How many points are you applying to the program with? Even if I get a 90.1 on the hesi, best case scenario, only have 88/89 points to apply with. I'm really hoping that I can get a spot this Fall. I'm coming up on that 5 year deadline... For transitions students we only have 5 years from the date of our graduation of our LPN, Paramedics, or RT program to apply and be accepted into the program. I'm nervous of course but I figure that if it is meant to be then it'll be. I'll let you know how things go...keep me updated on yourself, also! ;)

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This is awesome have you started school and if so how is it?

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I'm so glad I read your post! I take my HESI 9/25/2015, I'm studying everyday and I will use what you said also and I have the same books as well I PRAY I do as well as you did.

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I take my Hesi September 19, 2015. May I ask what school are you attending Luvenia02. Also An1129 what reading level would you say the reading section was?.

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WCCCD in MI, but I just found out I have a little balance and until I take care of it I can't pay to take my test. I plan to take care of it next mouth! It's always something .

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