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Exam Overview
The HESI Admission Assessment (A2) is developed by Elsevier's Health Education Systems (HESI) group. It is not a single fixed test: each nursing or health-sciences program chooses which exams its applicants take, sets the minimum scores it will accept, and decides how much time to allow. Your score report lists a percentage score for every exam you take plus a composite score.
The Exams at a Glance
| Exam | Total items | Scored | Typical time | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 55 | 50 | 50 min | Operations, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, conversions, household measures, Roman numerals, military time, dosage-style word problems |
| Reading Comprehension | 55 | 50 | 60 min | Main idea, details, inference, vocabulary in context, purpose, fact vs. opinion, summary |
| Vocabulary and General Knowledge | 55 | 50 | 50 min | General academic words and health-care terms used in context |
| Grammar | 55 | 50 | 50 min | Parts of speech, agreement, pronouns, verbs, punctuation, word choice, sentence structure |
| Biology | 30 | 25 | 25 min | Molecules, cells, cell division, genetics, metabolism, microbiology |
| Chemistry | 30 | 25 | 25 min | Matter, atoms, periodic table, bonding, reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, acids and bases, nuclear chemistry |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 30 | 25 | 25 min | Terminology and the body systems |
| Physics | 30 | 25 | Set by site | Motion, forces, energy, waves, optics, electricity, heat |
| Learning Style | 14 | Unscored | No limit | Describes how you prefer to learn |
| Personality Profile | 15 | Unscored | No limit | Describes study and work tendencies |
Every academic exam includes five pilot items that are being tried out for future forms. Pilot items are not marked and do not count, so treat every question as scored. Some programs also add a separately scored Critical Thinking exam built from short clinical-reasoning scenarios; Section 9 of this guide covers that skill set.
Timing and Delivery
- Total time depends on the exams your program selects. When every exam is assigned, the session can run a little over five hours; programs that assign five or six exams usually allow three and a half to four and a half hours. Your program or testing site states the exact limit.
- Computer-based delivery at a school testing center, an approved proctored test site, or through Elsevier's remote-proctored option when the program allows it. Registration and payment are handled through your Evolve (Elsevier) account or the testing site.
- Item format: almost all items are four-option multiple choice. A few math items may ask you to type a numeric answer.
- Navigation: in most administrations you cannot skip an item and return to it later, so answer each question before moving on.
- Calculator: a basic on-screen calculator is available during the Mathematics exam. Personal calculators, phones, and watches are not allowed.
How Scoring Works
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| Exam score | Percentage correct on the scored items of each exam (0–100%). |
| Composite score | The average of the academic exams you took. Many programs rank applicants by this number. |
| Program minimum | Set by each school. Common cut scores are 75% to 80% on each required exam; competitive programs often look for 85% or higher. |
| Learning Style and Personality Profile | Descriptive results only. They do not affect your composite score. |
Results appear on screen when you finish, followed by a detailed report that breaks each exam into subtopics and suggests areas for remediation. Programs typically accept scores from the last one to two years and set their own retake rules, such as a waiting period or a limit per application cycle. A retake uses a different version of the exam.
- Developer: Elsevier (HESI)
- Scored exams: 4 English and math exams of 50 scored items; 4 science exams of 25 scored items
- Pilot items: 5 per academic exam, unmarked
- Scores: percentage per exam plus a composite
- Fees and retake rules: set by your program or testing site
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