HESI A2 Practice Test
In the HESI A2 Admission Assessment guide: A common-exam-traps list and a self-check closing each of the 7 subjects. Practice here stays free.
Frequently asked questions
How many HESI A2 practice questions are here?+
A full bank of original HESI A2 practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.
What is the HESI A2 exam like?+
About 120 questions. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.
Are these the real exam questions?+
No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.
Can I study in Chinese or Spanish?+
PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.
Is there a study guide for the HESI A2?+
Yes. PrepPass sells HESI A2 Exam — Complete Study Guide (2026), a PDF + EPUB download, $29.99 one-time; the practice on this page stays free without it. See the study guide →
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. Mathematics
What is 3/4 + 1/6?
- a.7/12
- b.11/12
- c.1/2
- d.4/10
Answer: b
Explanation: Find a common denominator of 12: 3/4 = 9/12 and 1/6 = 2/12. Adding gives 9/12 + 2/12 = 11/12, which cannot be reduced.
- 2. Reading Comprehension
Read the passage: 'Water covers about seventy percent of Earth's surface, yet most of it is salt water unsuitable for drinking.' What is the topic?
- a.Ocean animals
- b.Drinking habits
- c.Earth's water
- d.Weather patterns
Answer: c
Explanation: The topic is the general subject the passage discusses. This passage focuses on how much of Earth is water and how much of it can be used for drinking.
- 3. Grammar
Choose the correct sentence.
- a.The nurse and the doctor is both present.
- b.The nurse and the doctor were both present.
- c.The nurse and the doctor be both present.
- d.The nurse and the doctor was both present.
Answer: b
Explanation: A compound subject joined by 'and' is plural and takes a plural verb. 'The nurse and the doctor' requires 'were,' not 'was.'
- 4. Science
Which chamber of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood out into the aorta?
- a.Right ventricle
- b.Left atrium
- c.Left ventricle
- d.Right atrium
Answer: c
Explanation: The left ventricle has the thickest wall because it must drive blood through the entire systemic circuit by way of the aorta. The right ventricle pumps only as far as the lungs through the pulmonary trunk, and both atria are receiving chambers that move blood a few centimetres into the ventricle below them.
- 5. Science
Which part of a neuron receives incoming signals from other neurons?
- a.The axon
- b.The axon terminal
- c.The dendrites
- d.The myelin sheath
Answer: c
Explanation: Dendrites are the branching extensions that collect input and carry it toward the cell body. The axon conducts the impulse away, the axon terminal releases neurotransmitter onto the next cell, and the myelin sheath is insulation rather than a receiving structure.
- 6. Mathematics
Which of these fractions has the greatest value?
- a.2/3
- b.5/8
- c.3/5
- d.7/12
Answer: a
Explanation: Rewrite all four over 120: 2/3 = 80/120, 5/8 = 75/120, 3/5 = 72/120 and 7/12 = 70/120. Comparing numerators shows 80/120 is the largest, so 2/3 wins; the other three fall just below it in the order listed.
- 7. Mathematics
A child is to receive 2 teaspoons of syrup. How many milliliters is that? (1 tsp = 5 mL)
- a.10 mL
- b.2.5 mL
- c.15 mL
- d.30 mL
Answer: a
Explanation: Multiply the number of teaspoons by 5, so 2 x 5 = 10 mL. Dividing instead of multiplying gives 2.5 mL, 15 mL is one tablespoon, and 30 mL is a full fluid ounce.
- 8. Reading Comprehension
Read the passage: 'The recipe calls for a scant cup of flour. Use slightly less than a full measure, or the dough will turn out tough.' In this passage, 'scant' most nearly means:
- a.heaping
- b.exactly level
- c.barely enough
- d.doubled
Answer: c
Explanation: The second sentence defines the word by telling the cook to use slightly less than a full cup. Heaping and doubled both mean more rather than less, and exactly level would be a full measure, which is what the passage warns against.
- 9. Vocabulary
The chart described the patient's blood pressure as labile. This means it:
- a.stays within the normal range
- b.is dangerously low at all times
- c.changes often and unpredictably
- d.has not been measured recently
Answer: c
Explanation: Labile means unstable or liable to shift, so a labile pressure swings from reading to reading. A steady reading would be stable, a persistently low one would be described as hypotensive, and an unmeasured value would simply be missing.
- 10. Vocabulary
The instructions were ambiguous, so two nurses read them differently. Ambiguous means:
- a.open to more than one meaning
- b.written in very small print
- c.much too long to read
- d.printed in another language
Answer: a
Explanation: Ambiguous wording can be understood in more than one way, which is why the two readings differed. Small print, excessive length and a foreign language all make text hard to read without making its meaning double.