HESI A2 — All Questions

Which of these fractions has the greatest value?

• a.2/3✓
• b.5/8
• c.3/5
• d.7/12

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.

Subtract the mixed numbers: 5 1/3 - 2 3/4.

• a.3 5/12
• b.2 7/12✓
• c.2 5/12
• d.3 7/12

The common denominator is 12, giving 5 4/12 - 2 9/12. Since 4/12 is smaller than 9/12, borrow one whole to get 4 16/12 - 2 9/12, which leaves 2 7/12. Answers near 3 come from forgetting to borrow, and 5/12 comes from subtracting the fractions in the wrong order.

Multiply: 1 1/2 x 2 2/3.

• a.4✓
• b.2 2/6
• c.3 1/3
• d.2 1/2

Change both to improper fractions first: 1 1/2 = 3/2 and 2 2/3 = 8/3. Multiplying gives 24/6, which reduces to exactly 4. Multiplying only the whole numbers and only the fractions separately is the usual error and produces the smaller answers shown.

Divide: 3 1/2 divided by 1 1/4.

• a.4 3/8
• b.2 4/5✓
• c.2 1/2
• d.3 1/8

As improper fractions this is 7/2 divided by 5/4. Invert the divisor and multiply: 7/2 x 4/5 = 28/10, which reduces to 14/5 or 2 4/5. Multiplying instead of inverting gives 4 3/8, which is the trap answer here.

Write the improper fraction 17/5 as a mixed number.

• a.3 2/5✓
• b.2 7/5
• c.3 1/5
• d.5 2/3

Divide 17 by 5: it goes in 3 times with 2 left over, so the answer is 3 whole and 2/5. A mixed number is never written with a fraction larger than one, which rules out 2 7/5, and the remainder is 2 rather than 1.

Add: 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6.

• a.3/11
• b.5/6
• c.1✓
• d.2/3

The least common denominator is 6, so the sum is 3/6 + 2/6 + 1/6 = 6/6, which equals one whole. Adding the numerators and the denominators straight across gives 3/11 and is always wrong, while 5/6 comes from leaving out the 1/6.

What is 2/5 of 45?

• a.22.5
• b.18✓
• c.90
• d.9

Of means multiply, so 45 x 2/5 = 90/5 = 18. Dividing by 2 instead gives 22.5, multiplying by 2 without dividing by 5 gives 90, and dividing by 5 alone leaves 9, which is only one fifth.

Reduce the fraction 36/48 to lowest terms.

• a.3/4✓
• b.6/8
• c.9/16
• d.2/3

The greatest common factor of 36 and 48 is 12, and dividing both by 12 gives 3/4. The value 6/8 is equal but not fully reduced, while 9/16 and 2/3 are not equal to 36/48 at all.

A 900 mL bag of solution is two-thirds empty. How many milliliters have been given?

• a.300 mL
• b.450 mL
• c.600 mL✓
• d.675 mL

Two thirds of 900 is 900 divided by 3, which is 300, multiplied by 2, which is 600 mL. The figure 300 mL is the one third still remaining, 450 mL would be half the bag, and 675 mL is three quarters.

Subtract: 9.4 - 3.75.

• a.6.75
• b.5.75
• c.6.35
• d.5.65✓

Line up the decimal points and write 9.4 as 9.40, then subtract to get 5.65. Borrowing errors in the hundredths column produce 5.75, and subtracting the smaller digit from the larger in each column regardless of position gives the answers in the six range.

Divide: 0.72 by 0.8.

• a.9
• b.0.9✓
• c.0.09
• d.0.576

Move the decimal one place in both numbers to make it 7.2 divided by 8, which equals 0.9. Answers of 9 or 0.09 come from shifting the decimal point the wrong number of places, and 0.576 is the product rather than the quotient.

Round 3,682 to the nearest hundred.

• a.3,600
• b.3,680
• c.4,000
• d.3,700✓

The hundreds digit is 6 and the digit to its right is 8, so round up to 3,700. Rounding down would require that next digit to be 4 or less, 3,680 is rounded to the nearest ten, and 4,000 is rounded to the nearest thousand.

Which decimal has the greatest value?

• a.0.4
• b.0.39
• c.0.409✓
• d.0.4001

Give every number the same number of places: 0.4000, 0.3900, 0.4090 and 0.4001. Comparing them column by column shows 0.4090 is largest. A longer string of digits does not mean a larger number, which is why 0.4001 loses to 0.409.

Write 5/8 as a decimal.

• a.0.625✓
• b.0.58
• c.1.6
• d.0.8

A fraction is a division, so divide 5 by 8 to get 0.625. Reading the digits off the fraction gives 0.58, dividing 8 by 5 instead gives 1.6, and 0.8 would be 4/5.

Multiply: 4.6 x 1,000.

• a.46,000
• b.4,600✓
• c.460
• d.4.600

Multiplying by 1,000 moves the decimal point three places to the right, turning 4.6 into 4,600. Four places would give 46,000, two places would give 460, and leaving the point where it is does not change the value at all.

What is 0.5 + 1/4, written as a decimal?

• a.0.54
• b.0.75✓
• c.0.9
• d.1.5

One quarter written as a decimal is 0.25, so the sum is 0.5 + 0.25 = 0.75. Writing the 4 beside the 5 gives 0.54, treating 1/4 as 0.4 gives 0.9, and adding 0.5 to the 1 of the numerator gives 1.5.

Thirty percent of a number is 27. What is the number?

• a.90✓
• b.8.1
• c.81
• d.57

Divide the part by the rate: 27 divided by 0.30 equals 90. Multiplying instead of dividing gives 8.1, and simply adding 30 to 27 or subtracting gives the other choices. Checking the answer confirms it, since 30 percent of 90 is indeed 27.

A jacket marked $80 is reduced to $68. What is the percent decrease?

• a.15%✓
• b.12%
• c.17.6%
• d.20%

The drop is $12, and 12 divided by the original 80 is 0.15, or 15 percent. Using the dollar amount as the percent gives 12, dividing by the new price of 68 instead of the original gives about 17.6, and 20 percent would have brought the price down to $64.

Convert 3/8 to a percent.

• a.3.8%
• b.37.5%✓
• c.38%
• d.26.7%

Divide 3 by 8 to get 0.375, then move the decimal two places to get 37.5 percent. Reading the digits straight off the fraction gives 3.8, rounding too early gives 38, and dividing 8 by 3 gives about 26.7 percent for the wrong ratio.

A meal costs $48 and the diner leaves a 20 percent tip. What is the total paid?

• a.$9.60
• b.$68.00
• c.$57.60✓
• d.$50.40

Twenty percent of 48 is 9.60, and the question asks for the total, so add it to get $57.60. The figure $9.60 is the tip alone, $68 comes from adding a flat $20, and $50.40 uses a 5 percent tip.

A 500 mL bag of 5% dextrose solution contains how many grams of dextrose?

• a.5 g
• b.25 g✓
• c.50 g
• d.250 g

A 5 percent solution holds 5 grams in every 100 mL, and 500 mL is five of those units, so 5 x 5 = 25 grams. Reading the percent as the answer gives 5 g, multiplying by 10 gives 50 g, and 250 g would be half the bag by weight, which is impossible.

Increase 60 by 25 percent.

• a.15
• b.75✓
• c.85
• d.45

Twenty-five percent of 60 is 15, and increasing means adding it, so the result is 75. The value 15 is only the increase itself, 85 comes from adding 25 rather than 25 percent, and 45 is the result of subtracting instead of adding.

A student answered 68 of 80 questions correctly. What percent is that?

• a.68%
• b.85%✓
• c.88%
• d.12%

Divide the score by the total: 68 divided by 80 equals 0.85, or 85 percent. The number 68 is the raw score rather than a percent, 88 percent would require about 70 correct answers, and 12 is the count of questions missed rather than any percentage.

What is 150 percent of 40?

• a.6,000
• b.26.7
• c.60✓
• d.55

Write 150 percent as 1.5 and multiply: 1.5 x 40 = 60. A percent greater than 100 must give an answer larger than the original number, which rules out 26.7, while 6,000 comes from forgetting to convert the percent to a decimal.

Solve the proportion: 5/8 = 15/x.

• a.12
• b.18
• c.40
• d.24✓

Cross-multiply to get 5x = 120, then divide both sides by 5 to find x = 24. The numerator was tripled, so the denominator must be tripled too, and 8 x 3 is 24 rather than 12 or 18.

An order reads 1.5 g of a drug. The tablets on hand are 500 mg each. How many tablets are given?

• a.Half a tablet
• b.5 tablets
• c.15 tablets
• d.3 tablets✓

Convert first: 1.5 g equals 1,500 mg, and 1,500 divided by 500 is 3 tablets. Comparing 1.5 to 500 without converting the units is what produces a fraction of a tablet, and the larger answers come from misplacing the decimal in the conversion.

A syrup contains 125 mg in every 5 mL. How many milliliters supply 200 mg?

• a.5 mL
• b.10 mL
• c.8 mL✓
• d.3.1 mL

Each millilitre holds 125 divided by 5, which is 25 mg, so 200 mg needs 200 divided by 25, which is 8 mL. The dose is larger than 125 mg, so the volume must exceed 5 mL, and 10 mL would deliver 250 mg.

On a map, 1 inch represents 50 miles. How many miles does 3.5 inches represent?

• a.175 miles✓
• b.150 miles
• c.53.5 miles
• d.350 miles

Multiply the scale by the measured distance: 50 x 3.5 = 175 miles. Rounding 3.5 down to 3 gives 150, adding instead of multiplying gives 53.5, and 350 would be the distance for 7 inches.

The ratio of male to female students in a class is 2:5. If there are 35 female students, how many are male?

• a.7
• b.70
• c.87.5
• d.14✓

Five parts equal 35 students, so one part is 7 and the two male parts are 14. The number 7 is the value of a single part, 70 reverses the ratio, and 87.5 comes from multiplying 35 by 2.5 rather than dividing.

A 12-ounce bottle of juice costs $3.60. What is the cost per ounce?

• a.$0.30✓
• b.$3.00
• c.$0.033
• d.$43.20

Unit price is total cost divided by quantity: 3.60 divided by 12 equals $0.30 per ounce. The value $3.00 misplaces the decimal, $0.033 comes from dividing 12 by 360 and inverting the ratio, and $43.20 is the two numbers multiplied together, which is the price of a dozen bottles.

A medication is scheduled for 1430. What time is that on a 12-hour clock?

• a.4:30 PM
• b.2:30 AM
• c.2:30 PM✓
• d.12:30 PM

For military times past 1200, subtract 12 hours: 1430 minus 1200 gives 2:30, and because the time is after noon it is PM. Reading only the first digit gives 4:30, and any time from 1200 to 2359 is afternoon or evening, never AM.

How is 7:45 PM written in military time?

• a.0745
• b.1945✓
• c.2145
• d.1745

Add 12 hours to any PM time: 7 plus 12 is 19, so the answer is 1945. Writing 0745 would mean a quarter to eight in the morning, while 2145 and 1745 add the wrong number of hours.

A dose was charted at 0015. What time was it given?

• a.12:15 PM
• b.10:15 AM
• c.2:15 AM
• d.12:15 AM✓

Military time starts the day at 0000, so 0015 is fifteen minutes past midnight, written 12:15 AM. Midday would be charted 1215, and the hour digits here are zeros rather than a 10 or a 2.

A patient's last dose was given at 11:20 PM. How is that charted in military time?

• a.1120
• b.1320
• c.2220
• d.2320✓

Adding 12 to the hour gives 11 plus 12, which is 23, so the entry reads 2320. Leaving it as 1120 would record 11:20 in the morning, and the other choices add the wrong amount to the hour.

A shift begins at 0700 and ends at 1530. How long is the shift?

• a.7 hours 30 minutes
• b.8 hours 30 minutes✓
• c.8 hours 50 minutes
• d.9 hours 30 minutes

From 0700 to 1500 is 8 hours, and the extra 30 minutes to 1530 brings the total to 8 hours 30 minutes. Subtracting 1530 from 0700 digit by digit gives the wrong minute figures, and 9 hours 30 minutes would end at 1630.

What number does the Roman numeral XIV represent?

• a.16
• b.14✓
• c.4
• d.24

X is 10 and IV is 4 because a smaller numeral before a larger one is subtracted, giving 14. Reading the I as an addition gives 16, ignoring the X gives 4, and 24 would be written XXIV.

How is the number 29 written in Roman numerals?

• a.XXVIIII
• b.XXIX✓
• c.IXXX
• d.XXVIV

Twenty is XX and nine is IX, so 29 is XXIX. Roman numerals never repeat a symbol four times in a row, which rules out XXVIIII, and subtraction is written with a single smaller numeral directly before a larger one, not stacked as in the other choices.

What value does the Roman numeral XL represent?

• a.60
• b.49
• c.410
• d.40✓

L is 50 and the X placed before it is subtracted, giving 40. Adding instead of subtracting gives 60, which would be written LX, and Roman numerals never simply run their digits together as 410 suggests.

What number is LXVII?

• a.57
• b.72
• c.67✓
• d.117

Add the values in order: L is 50, X is 10, V is 5 and the two I symbols add 2, giving 67. Reading the X as a subtraction gives 57, and 117 would need a C at the front.

Which Roman numeral stands for 9?

• a.IX✓
• b.XI
• c.VIIII
• d.IV

Placing I before X subtracts one from ten, giving 9. XI puts the I after the X and therefore means 11, four identical symbols in a row are not used, and IV is 4.

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

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.

How many milliliters are in 3 tablespoons? (1 tbsp = 15 mL)

• a.15 mL
• b.30 mL
• c.5 mL
• d.45 mL✓

Three tablespoons at 15 mL each comes to 45 mL. One tablespoon alone is 15 mL, two make 30 mL, and 5 mL is the size of a single teaspoon.

A patient drank 8 ounces of juice. About how many milliliters is that? (1 oz = 30 mL)

• a.80 mL
• b.120 mL
• c.240 mL✓
• d.480 mL

Multiply 8 by 30 to get 240 mL, which is the familiar size of one cup. Adding a zero to the ounces gives 80, halving the conversion gives 120, and doubling it gives 480.

How many fluid ounces are in 2.5 cups? (1 cup = 8 fl oz)

• a.10.5 fl oz
• b.20 fl oz✓
• c.16 fl oz
• d.25 fl oz

Multiply 2.5 by 8 to get 20 fluid ounces. Adding the numbers instead gives 10.5, 16 fl oz is only two cups, and 25 comes from multiplying by ten rather than eight.

How many ounces are in 3 pounds? (1 lb = 16 oz)

• a.48 oz✓
• b.19 oz
• c.36 oz
• d.3.2 oz

Three pounds times 16 ounces per pound equals 48 ounces. Adding the two numbers gives 19, multiplying by 12 gives 36, and dividing by ten gives 3.2, which is far lighter than a single pound.

A newborn weighs 3.5 kilograms. About how many pounds is that? (1 kg = 2.2 lb)

• a.7.7 lb✓
• b.1.6 lb
• c.5.7 lb
• d.35 lb

Multiply 3.5 by 2.2 to get 7.7 pounds. Dividing instead gives about 1.6, adding gives 5.7, and 35 pounds would be the weight of a small child rather than a newborn, which is a useful sanity check.

A dose of 250 micrograms is the same as how many milligrams?

• a.2.5 mg
• b.0.25 mg✓
• c.25 mg
• d.250,000 mg

There are 1,000 micrograms in a milligram, so divide by 1,000 and move the decimal three places left to get 0.25 mg. Moving it one or two places gives the larger answers, and multiplying by 1,000 instead would be a thousandfold overdose.

A patient is told to drink 1.5 liters of water a day. How many 250 mL glasses is that?

• a.6 glasses✓
• b.4 glasses
• c.15 glasses
• d.3 glasses

First convert: 1.5 L is 1,500 mL, and 1,500 divided by 250 gives 6 glasses. Four glasses would supply only a litre, and 15 comes from dividing by 100 rather than 250.

A wound measures 3 inches long. How many centimeters is that? (1 in = 2.54 cm)

• a.7.62 cm✓
• b.1.18 cm
• c.5.54 cm
• d.25.4 cm

Multiply 3 by 2.54 to get 7.62 cm. Dividing instead gives about 1.18, adding gives 5.54, and 25.4 cm is the length of ten inches.

How many fluid ounces are in 1 quart?

• a.16 fl oz
• b.8 fl oz
• c.32 fl oz✓
• d.64 fl oz

A quart is 2 pints, each pint is 16 fluid ounces, so a quart holds 32. Sixteen ounces is a single pint, 8 ounces is a cup, and 64 ounces is a half gallon.