Nursing school entrance exam

HESI A2 Practice Test: Take the Sections Your School Requires

Practice Exam 1 is a full HESI A2 practice test of 300 questions in eight separately timed sections. Schools choose which HESI A2 sections their applicants take, so you tick yours on the start screen and skip the rest. You get a score for each section and an explanation for every question. Practice Exam 1 is free, with no sign-up.

Start HESI A2 Practice Exam 1 See the sections

A short practice session

20-minute HESI A2 mini-tests

Review reading, vocabulary, grammar, math and the sciences in one short sitting.

Choose from 50 levels, with 20 questions in each. Each test samples all academic HESI A2 subjects offered here, including physics. Your school may require only some subjects: check its requirements and use section practice for a narrower focus. This is a broad review path, not your school's exact test configuration.

Submit your answers to see explanations and a subject breakdown. Your level path and dashboard show completed levels, practice XP and coverage of unique questions. Questions reuse this site's bank and may recur; levels record practice, not an exam-readiness estimate. Level 1 of each exam is always free, with no sign-up.

Choose a mini-test level View my progress

Full-length test

Take a HESI A2 practice exam set up for your school

Before you begin, the start screen lists all eight sections with their questions and minutes. Tick the ones on your school's list; the others stay open for another day.

HESI A2Free

HESI A2 Practice Exam 1

Questions: 300
To choose from: 8 sections
Time limit: 310 minutes

Start test

HESI A2Free

HESI A2 Practice Exam 2

Questions: 300
To choose from: 8 sections
Time limit: 310 minutes

Start test

HESI A2Free

HESI A2 Practice Exam 3

Questions: 300
To choose from: 8 sections
Time limit: 310 minutes

Start test

HESI A2Free

HESI A2 Practice Exam 4

Questions: 300
To choose from: 8 sections
Time limit: 310 minutes

Start test

HESI A2Free

HESI A2 Practice Exam 5

Questions: 300
To choose from: 8 sections
Time limit: 310 minutes

Start test

Pick your sectionsTick only the sections your school requires. A school that asks for math, reading, vocabulary, grammar and anatomy is a different test from one that adds chemistry and biology.

A clock for each sectionEvery section has its own time limit, and time left in one does not carry over. The times are suggestions, because each school or testing site sets its own.

An on-screen calculator in MathOpen it from the tool bar. Testing centers differ: Tarrant County College offers one on screen, while Central New Mexico Community College hands one out and does not allow your own.

The passage beside the questionsIn Reading Comprehension, the passage stays on screen next to every question about it, so you practice finding the proof in the text.

Flag and reviewFlag a question, see which ones are still blank, and go back to any question in the section until you end it.

A score for each sectionYour percentage in every section you took, your overall percentage and your weakest section, with an explanation beside each answer.

Section practice

Practice by section

Practice sets for one HESI A2 section at a time, on the same kind of screen, with every answer worked or explained. Start with the section your Practice Exam 1 results rank lowest.

HESI A2 Math practice testFractions, percents, ratios, simple algebra, conversions, Roman numerals and 24-hour time, with every answer worked.

100 questions · 5 sets

HESI A2 Vocabulary practice testAcademic and health-care words, body terms, words in context and synonyms, with a word list and a note on every option.

100 questions · 5 sets

HESI A2 Grammar practice testParts of speech, agreement, pronouns, verb tenses, confused words, adjectives and adverbs, punctuation and sentence errors, with a table of the rules.

100 questions · 5 sets

HESI A2 Anatomy and Physiology practice testBody terms, cells and tissues, and the body systems from skin and bones to the kidneys and reproduction, with a table of the body at a glance.

60 questions · 3 sets

HESI A2 Biology practice testBiological molecules, cells, respiration and photosynthesis, mitosis and meiosis, genetics, DNA and protein synthesis, classification and enzymes, with a one-table study guide.

60 questions · 3 sets

HESI A2 Chemistry practice testStates of matter, atoms and isotopes, the periodic table, bonds, equations, moles, solutions, pH, redox and half-life, with a one-table chemistry review.

60 questions · 3 sets

HESI A2 Reading Comprehension practice testMain ideas, details, inferences, words in context, the author's purpose, fact and opinion, and summaries, on passages shown with their questions, with a table of the question types.

100 questions · 5 sets

HESI A2 Physics practice testMotion and Newton's laws, gravity and friction, work and energy, momentum, pressure and buoyancy, waves and sound, light, heat and circuits, with a one-table formula review.

60 questions · 3 sets

The exam

What the HESI A2 is, from schools' own pages

The HESI Admission Assessment (A2) is Elsevier's entrance exam for nursing and other health programs. Schools set it up their own way: which sections count, how long you have, where you test and what it costs, so each row below names the school that says it.

What schools say about the HESI A2
Topic	What school pages say
Purpose	A standardized test many nursing programs require, to check that applicants are ready for nursing school (Texas State Technical College; Quincy College adds health professions programs); one part of the decision, beside grades and an interview (University of Nevada, Reno)
Registering	Through your school's testing center, then on an Evolve account with Elsevier, where Tarrant County College's applicants pay the fee and Central New Mexico Community College's create the username they bring to the exam
Where	In person at a testing center, or online with a remote proctor where the school offers it: Tarrant County College offers both, through ProctorU online; Chamberlain University gives it as a proctored online session
ID	Central New Mexico Community College and Texas State Technical College ask for a photo ID; Tarrant County College asks for a government-issued ID, and the name you test under must match it or you cannot see your results
On test day	Germanna Community College's applicants take every section in one session, each scored before the next begins, and cannot skip a question or go back; other testing sites may differ
Fees and refunds	Varies by testing site: Tarrant County College lists $53 in person and $75 online, paid to Elsevier, and cannot authorize refunds; Central New Mexico Community College says its exam is non-refundable
Accommodations	At Tarrant County College, ask the campus Student Accessibility Resources office before you schedule the exam
Results	Tarrant County College gives 48 to 72 hours on its exam page and 24 to 72 hours for scores to reach your Evolve account on its registration page; Central New Mexico Community College counts results as valid for one year

The name HESI covers more than the A2. Nursing programs also give HESI exams to their students during the program and at its end: Wright State University's nursing school gives a HESI specialty test near the end of each major course and a HESI Exit Exam at the end of the program. When a school's admissions page asks for the HESI, it means the A2, the Admission Assessment.

Sources: Texas State Technical College Library Guides, Study Guide: HESI A2; Quincy College Academic Division of Nursing, Preparing for the HESI A2 Admission Exam (PDF, updated December 2024); University of Nevada, Reno, University Writing & Speaking Center, HESI A2: Reading Comprehension; Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Admission Assessment; Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Exam Information; Tarrant County College, Register for the HESI A2; Central New Mexico Community College, HESI A2 Exam; Chamberlain University, HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam; Germanna Community College, HESI A2 Nursing Entrance Exam Preparation Guide (PDF, updated January 2023); Wright State University School of Nursing, Standardized Testing for Student Success (PDF)

Sections

HESI A2 sections, questions and time

Practice Exam 1 offers the eight subjects that school pages list for the A2. Schools choose which sections you take and set the time limits; the times here are suggestions.

Questions: 300; In all eight sections
Suggested time: 310 min; Your school sets the real limits
Sections: 8; Take the ones you need
Calculator: Math; On screen, from the tool bar

HESI A2 Practice Exam 1 sections
Section	Questions	Suggested minutes	Time per question	Calculator
Math	50	50	About 60 seconds	Yes
Reading Comprehension	50	60	About 72 seconds	No
Vocabulary	50	50	About 60 seconds	No
Grammar	50	50	About 60 seconds	No
Anatomy and Physiology	25	25	About 60 seconds	No
Biology	25	25	About 60 seconds	No
Chemistry	25	25	About 60 seconds	No
Physics	25	25	About 60 seconds	No

Texas State Technical College's library guide lists every one of these subjects, physics included; most schools use fewer, so Practice Exam 1 lets you leave unticked any section your school does not list.

How two schools set up the HESI A2

The same exam looks different from one school to the next. These two community colleges publish their rules; yours may differ in every row, so read your own program's page before you plan your practice.

HESI A2 rules at two schools
	Tarrant County College	Central New Mexico Community College
Sections	Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar and Math (55 questions each) and Anatomy and Physiology (30)	Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, Biology, Chemistry and Math
Time	5 hours	4.5 hours
Calculator	On-screen calculator in Math	A calculator is provided; your own is not allowed
Retakes	Once per application period; attempts at least 60 days apart	Twice in any 12 months, at least 45 days apart; a third attempt one year after the second
Scores	Set by each program; results in 48 to 72 hours (24 to 72 on its registration page)	75% on every sub-test and a 75% composite; results good for one year
Where	In person or online through ProctorU	In person at the college's testing center

Sources: Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Exam Information; Tarrant County College, Register for the HESI A2; Central New Mexico Community College, HESI A2 Exam; Texas State Technical College Library Guides, Study Guide: HESI A2

Content

What each HESI A2 section covers

Each section stays on one subject. The topics below are the ones Practice Exam 1 draws on, with a note on what to practice first.

50 questions · 50 minutes suggested

Math

Arithmetic without shortcuts: fractions, decimals and percents, ratios and proportions, simple equations, then the health-care basics most students have not seen since school, such as household-to-metric conversions, Roman numerals and 24-hour time. Work each problem on paper and check the units in your answer.

Whole numbers, order of operations
Fractions and mixed numbers
Decimals
Percents
Ratios and proportions
Basic algebra (solve for x)
Household and metric conversions (cups, ounces, pounds, teaspoons, tablespoons, inches, feet; mL, L, g, kg, cm)
Roman numerals
Military (24-hour) time
Word problems in everyday and health-care settings

HESI A2 Math practice test

50 questions · 60 minutes suggested

Reading Comprehension

Short passages on everyday topics, each followed by several questions on the main idea, details, inferences, word meaning, tone and the difference between fact and opinion. The passage stays on screen, so the skill is finding the line that proves an answer, not remembering the text.

Main idea
Supporting details
Inferences and conclusions
Meaning of words in context
Author's purpose and tone
Fact and opinion
Summarizing

HESI A2 Reading Comprehension practice test

50 questions · 50 minutes suggested

Vocabulary

Words you will meet in nursing school and in charts: general academic words and body and health terms, usually asked inside a sentence that gives some context. Learning common roots, prefixes and suffixes pays off here, because they unlock words you have never seen.

General academic vocabulary used in health care (e.g. adverse, concise, exacerbate, lucid)
Body and health words a nursing student meets early (e.g. distended, lethargic, void, palpate)
Words in a sentence that gives context
Synonyms

HESI A2 Vocabulary practice test

50 questions · 50 minutes suggested

Grammar

Parts of speech, agreement, pronoun case, verb tenses, commonly confused words and sentence errors. Most questions ask you to pick the correct word or spot the error, so the rules have to be quick and automatic.

Parts of speech
Subject-verb agreement
Pronouns: agreement and case (who and whom, I and me)
Verb tenses and irregular verbs
Commonly confused words (affect and effect, their, there and they're, lay and lie)
Adjectives and adverbs (good and well, comparatives)
Punctuation
Sentence structure and errors (fragments, run-ons, misplaced modifiers)

HESI A2 Grammar practice test

25 questions · 25 minutes suggested

Anatomy and Physiology

Terminology and directional terms first, then the body systems: what each organ does and how the systems work together, from the heart and lungs to the kidneys, nerves and hormones. At Tarrant County College it is the only science section offered.

Terminology, directional terms, planes and cavities
Cells and tissues
Integumentary, skeletal and muscular systems
Nervous system and senses
Endocrine system
Cardiovascular and lymphatic systems
Respiratory system
Digestive system and metabolism
Urinary system, fluids and electrolytes
Reproductive system

HESI A2 Anatomy and Physiology practice test

25 questions · 25 minutes suggested

Biology

Cells and their organelles, biological molecules, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, cell division, genetics and DNA. Expect questions that ask why a process happens, not only what it is called.

Biological molecules
Cell structure and function
Cellular respiration and photosynthesis
Mitosis and meiosis
Genetics and heredity
DNA and protein synthesis
Classification of living things
Metabolism and enzymes

HESI A2 Biology practice test

25 questions · 25 minutes suggested

Chemistry

Atoms, the periodic table, bonds, balancing equations and reaction types, solutions, acids and bases, and simple stoichiometry. Some testing centers hand out no periodic table (CNM says so on its page), so know where the main groups sit and what that says about an element.

Matter and its states
Atomic structure and isotopes
The periodic table
Chemical bonding
Chemical equations and reaction types
Moles and stoichiometry (simple)
Solutions and concentration
Acids, bases and pH
Oxidation and reduction
Nuclear chemistry (half-life, types of radiation)

HESI A2 Chemistry practice test

25 questions · 25 minutes suggested

Physics

Motion, forces and Newton's laws, energy, pressure, waves, light, heat and electricity, usually as short calculations or explanations of a familiar situation. Of the schools cited on these pages, only Texas State Technical College lists physics as an exam section, so take this section only if your school lists it.

Speed, velocity and acceleration
Newton's laws of motion
Gravity, friction and weight
Work, energy and power
Momentum
Pressure and fluids
Waves and sound
Light and optics
Heat and temperature
Electricity and magnetism

HESI A2 Physics practice test

Scoring

How your results here work

Your results here are plain percentages correct, one for each section you took and one overall. They are not Elsevier's score report, and this page does not reproduce how Elsevier scores the exam.

HESI A2 results compared
	On the HESI A2	In Practice Exam 1
Sections	The ones your school requires	The ones you tick on the start screen
Score for each section	A score for each subject, with combined scores (Chamberlain University's page); the minimums are your school's to set	The percentage you answered correctly in that section
Overall score	A composite of your sections, where your school uses one	The percentage correct across every section you took
Minimums	Set by each program, such as CNM's 75% on every sub-test	None: compare each section with your school's minimum yourself
After the test	24 to 72 or 48 to 72 hours, according to Tarrant County College's two pages	At once, with an explanation for every question and your weakest section

Read a practice percentage as a map, not a verdict

Schools set their own minimums, often for every section as well as the composite. A percentage from one practice exam shows where your gaps are; it does not predict your HESI A2 score or tell you whether a program will accept you.

Sources: Chamberlain University, HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam; Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Exam Information; Tarrant County College, Register for the HESI A2; Central New Mexico Community College, HESI A2 Exam

Method

How to use a HESI A2 practice test

Start from your school's requirements, not from the whole exam. A practice test is worth its time when it changes what you study next.

01Find your school's sections and scoresRead your program's admissions page: which sections it requires, the minimum score for each and for the composite, and how often you may retest.
02Take those sections under test conditionsOne sitting if you can, the clock running, no notes, and only the on-screen calculator in Math. Skip the sections your school does not use.
03Read every explanationGo through the questions you missed and the ones you guessed. A guess that happened to be right is still a gap.
04Study the lowest section firstYour results give a percentage for each section. Start with the one furthest below your school's minimum, not the one you like least.
05Check your paceKnow the time per question: about 60 and 72 seconds in Practice Exam 1, depending on the section. If you ran out of time in a section, take it again against its clock.
06Retest close to the dateA week or two before the exam, take your sections again under the same conditions and compare each score with your school's minimum.

HESI A2 study guide: build a four-week plan around your required sections

Plan around your school's dates

Many programs limit how often you can retest and how long a score stays valid, as the two schools above show. Take a full practice run early enough that a retest, if you need one, still fits before the application deadline.

Comparing exams

HESI A2 or TEAS: which one do you need?

Nursing programs ask for one entrance exam or the other, a few accept either, and some use neither. Check which one each program on your list requires before you start practicing.

HESI A2 and ATI TEAS compared
	HESI A2	ATI TEAS
Made by	Elsevier	ATI
Sections	Your school chooses from subjects such as math, reading, vocabulary, grammar and the sciences	Always the same four: Reading, Mathematics, Science and English and Language Usage
Length	Set by your school or testing site	170 questions in 209 minutes
Science	A separate section for each science your school requires	One section mixing human anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and scientific reasoning
Passing score	Set by each program	Set by each program
Practice here	Practice Exam 1: 300 questions in eight sections you choose from	TEAS Practice Exam 1: 170 questions in four sections

If you are applying to programs that use different exams, the subjects overlap a great deal: arithmetic, reading, grammar and anatomy and physiology carry over from one to the other. The TEAS practice test page has the TEAS format, its five preparedness levels and a free full-length TEAS practice exam.

TEAS vs HESI A2: the full comparison, with school examples TEAS practice test

FAQ

HESI A2 practice test: questions people ask

Is there a free HESI A2 practice test?

Yes. HESI A2 Practice Exam 1 here is free, with no sign-up: 300 questions in eight timed sections, and you take only the sections your school requires. Every question has an explanation. Elsevier, which makes the HESI A2, also sells a review book, Admission Assessment Exam Review; Quincy College's nursing guide recommends it and says it includes sample questions and practice exams.

What is the HESI A2 test for?

It is an admission exam: programs use the scores to judge whether an applicant is ready for nursing school, and Tarrant County College asks for it from applicants to nursing and its other health programs, such as sonography and respiratory care. It is usually one part of the decision: the University of Nevada, Reno's writing center says its nursing school picks whom to interview by grade point average, then admits on the interview and the HESI score together. A2 stands for Admission Assessment.

How many questions are on the HESI A2?

It depends on the sections your school requires, and schools list different numbers. Tarrant County College, for example, lists 55 questions in each of four sections and 30 in Anatomy and Physiology, while Texas State Technical College's library guide lists 50 items plus 5 pilot items in each long section. Practice Exam 1 here has 50 questions in each of the four longer sections and 25 in each science section, 300 in all.

How long is the HESI A2?

Your school or testing site sets the time. Tarrant County College allows 5 hours for its five sections and Central New Mexico Community College 4.5 hours for its six. Germanna Community College's guide gives a four-hour limit for its six. Practice Exam 1 suggests 310 minutes for all eight sections.

Is the HESI A2 hard?

The subjects are ones most applicants studied in high school, so the questions are rarely tricky in themselves. What makes it hard is the length and the minimums: a program such as Central New Mexico Community College wants 75% in every section it requires, not only overall, so one weak subject can hold you back. A timed practice test of your school's sections shows which part is hard for you.

Which is harder, the HESI A2 or the ATI TEAS?

Neither is harder for everyone. The TEAS always has the same four sections, 170 questions in 209 minutes, with one science section that mixes several subjects. The HESI A2 splits the subjects into separate sections and your school picks which ones count, so it can mean more questions in total but each section stays on one subject. The program you apply to decides which exam you take. The TEAS vs HESI A2 guide compares them side by side.

What is a good HESI A2 score?

There is no passing score that applies everywhere: each program sets its own. Central New Mexico Community College, for example, requires 75% on every sub-test and a 75% composite. So a 90% clears a minimum like that comfortably and a 70% falls short of it, and where a program ranks its applicants, every point above the minimum helps. Check the admissions page of every program you apply to.

Is the HESI harder than the NCLEX?

They test different things. The HESI A2 is taken before nursing school and covers math, English and science. The NCLEX-RN is the licensing exam after nursing school and tests clinical judgment. Nursing programs also give other HESI exams during and at the end of the program: Wright State University's nursing school, for example, gives a HESI specialty test near the end of each major course and a HESI Exit Exam built on the NCLEX-RN test plan, which is closer to the NCLEX than the A2 is.

Is there a calculator on the HESI A2?

At the schools cited here, yes, though each testing site sets its own rule. Tarrant County College offers an on-screen calculator in Math, Germanna Community College's guide and Texas State Technical College's library guide mention a basic on-screen calculator for math, and Central New Mexico Community College hands out a calculator and does not allow your own. In Practice Exam 1, an on-screen calculator opens from the tool bar in Math.

Can you choose which HESI A2 sections to take?

Your school chooses which sections count. At Tarrant County College you take all five sections it offers and each program decides which scores it requires; Germanna Community College's guide says its applicants take every section in one session, each scored before the next begins, without skipping a question or going back. In Practice Exam 1 you tick your school's sections on the start screen, and they run one after another.

How many times can you take the HESI A2?

Your school decides. Tarrant County College allows one attempt per application period, with attempts at least 60 days apart; Central New Mexico Community College allows two in any 12 months, at least 45 days apart; Germanna Community College's guide allows two attempts at least 14 days apart.

How much does the HESI A2 cost, and when do you get results?

The fee depends on your school or testing site. Tarrant County College lists $53 in person and $75 online through ProctorU (prices it says can change), paid to Elsevier through an Evolve account; its registration page says scores can take 24 to 72 hours to appear in that account, and its exam page says 48 to 72. Central New Mexico Community College says its exam fee is non-refundable.

Are these real HESI questions?

No. These are original practice questions built to the subjects schools list for the HESI A2. They are not Elsevier's questions, and NursePracticeTest is independent: it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Elsevier.

After nursing school: NCLEX-RN practice

The HESI A2 gets you into the program; the NCLEX-RN gets you your license. When you reach that point, the same site has full-length NCLEX-RN practice exams and practice for every Next Generation NCLEX question type.

NCLEX-RN practice exams NCLEX question types

Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Elsevier. HESI® is a trademark of Elsevier and is used here only to name the exam.

Pages this page relies on: Texas State Technical College Library Guides, Study Guide: HESI A2; Quincy College Academic Division of Nursing, Preparing for the HESI A2 Admission Exam (PDF, updated December 2024); University of Nevada, Reno, University Writing & Speaking Center, HESI A2: Reading Comprehension; Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Admission Assessment; Tarrant County College, HESI A2 Exam Information; Tarrant County College, Register for the HESI A2; Central New Mexico Community College, HESI A2 Exam; Chamberlain University, HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam; Germanna Community College, HESI A2 Nursing Entrance Exam Preparation Guide (PDF, updated January 2023); Wright State University School of Nursing, Standardized Testing for Student Success (PDF)

Checked against the schools' pages and last reviewed November 3, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.

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