Capítulo 3 de 520% del examen
Vocabulary and General Knowledge
The vocabulary section tests both everyday words and terms common in health care settings. A strong vocabulary helps you understand instructions, textbooks, and patient communication. This chapter reviews strategies for defining words, using context, and learning the medical terms that appear most often.
Everyday Vocabulary
Many questions ask for the meaning of common words used in general contexts. Knowing precise definitions and being able to spot synonyms and antonyms is essential. Reading widely builds this kind of word knowledge over time.
Learn precise meanings
Study the exact definition of a word rather than a rough idea, since answer choices are often close in meaning.
Recognize synonyms
Many items ask which word is closest in meaning, so practice matching words with similar definitions.
Use antonyms to confirm
Knowing a word's opposite can help you rule out incorrect choices and confirm the right one.
Note parts of speech
Make sure the answer is the same part of speech as the word in the question, such as a verb for a verb.
Health Care Terms
The HESI A2 includes vocabulary that nurses use daily, such as benign, chronic, and edema. Learning these terms in advance saves time and prevents confusion. Grouping related terms makes them easier to remember.
Learn condition words
Terms like acute, chronic, and benign describe how illnesses behave and how serious they are.
Know action verbs
Words such as palpate, monitor, excrete, and dilate describe procedures and body functions.
Study symptom words
Terms like nausea, fatigue, edema, and inflamed describe what patients feel or show.
Group by meaning
Cluster related terms, such as words for making a condition better or worse, to strengthen recall.
Using Context Clues
When you do not know a word, the surrounding sentence often provides hints about its meaning. Context clues include definitions, examples, and contrasts within the text. This skill also helps on the reading section.
Look for definitions nearby
Sometimes a sentence explains an unfamiliar word directly, often set off by commas or dashes.
Use examples
Examples that follow a word can reveal its category and meaning.
Watch for contrast clues
Words like but or unlike signal that a nearby word means the opposite of the unfamiliar term.
Substitute a guess
Replace the unknown word with your best guess and check whether the sentence still makes sense.
Word Parts: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Medical vocabulary is built from Greek and Latin word parts, so learning common roots unlocks many terms. Prefixes change meaning at the front of a word, and suffixes often indicate a condition or procedure. Breaking a word apart can reveal its meaning.
Break words into parts
Divide a long term into prefix, root, and suffix to analyze its meaning piece by piece.
Learn common prefixes
Prefixes such as hyper- meaning above and hypo- meaning below change a word's meaning.
Know useful roots
Roots like cardi for heart and derm for skin appear in many medical terms.
Recognize suffixes
Suffixes such as -itis meaning inflammation and -ology meaning study of signal what a term describes.
Pon a prueba tus conocimientos
Preguntas de práctica sobre Vocabulary and General Knowledge