HESI A2 (Admission Assessment Exam)
Elsevier (HESI)
Complete guide to passing the HESI A2 (Admission Assessment Exam) exam on your first attempt.
$45-$75 (set by each school)
Not published
Usually 24 months (set by each school)
USA
Elsevier (HESI)
$62k-$132k
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Complete Overview
The HESI A2, formally the Health Education Systems Incorporated Admission Assessment, is a computer-based entrance exam published by Elsevier that nursing and allied health programs across the United States use to screen applicants. Schools set the fee themselves: Estrella Mountain Community College charges $45 for Maricopa nursing applicants, while Tarrant County College charges $53 to test in person and $75 to test online through ProctorU. There is no single national version of the HESI A2. Elsevier supplies a bank of separate section exams and each program picks the ones it wants, which is why two applicants can sit the same named test and answer different numbers of questions. The four English and math sections carry 55 items each: Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, and Grammar. The science sections are shorter, with Biology and Anatomy and Physiology carrying 30 items each at Chamberlain University. Chemistry, Physics, Critical Thinking, a Learning Style inventory and a Personality Profile are also available to schools, and Tarrant County College publishes a list of the sections it declines to offer, which confirms those modules exist in the catalogue. Time limits follow the section count. Chamberlain University allots three hours for its 170-item, four-section configuration. Tarrant County College allots five hours for its 250-item, five-section configuration. Estrella Mountain Community College runs a four-hour sitting for the four 55-item sections Maricopa Nursing requires, which is 220 items and no science at all. Scoring is percent correct within each section, reported separately, with composites built by averaging related sections. This differs from the HESI specialty and exit exams, where Elsevier applies its proprietary HESI Predictability Model to produce a score on a 0 to 1500 range with 850 flagged as acceptable content mastery. Admission cut scores belong to the school. Maricopa Nursing requires 75 percent on Math and 80 percent on the English composite, which averages Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar. Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing requires 80 or better on both the Math and English composites and states that scores cannot be superscored across attempts. Retake rules are also local. Baylor permits one attempt per semester to a maximum of three, with a 60-day wait between tests. Estrella Mountain permits three attempts in a rolling 12 months with the same 60-day gap. Chamberlain allows one retake before the admission committee reviews a file and a third attempt within one year if the committee denies academic eligibility. Score validity is commonly 24 months, the figure Estrella Mountain and East Central College both publish, though Chamberlain will consider qualifying test scores up to five years old. Elsevier does not publish a national pass rate for the HESI A2, and because every program sets its own cut score, no single pass figure would be meaningful. The competitive pressure is real regardless: the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported on 7 May 2026 that 93,176 qualified applications were not accepted by United States nursing programs in 2025, including 75,255 to entry-level baccalaureate programs. Section availability also depends on the venue, not only the program: Tarrant County College declines to administer Biology, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, Learning Styles and the Personality Profile at its own centre, so a candidate whose program requires Biology cannot sit it there.
Why Get HESI A2 (Admission Assessment Exam) Certified?
Four sections carry 55 items each, so Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar together account for 220 of the questions on a full sitting.
Maricopa Nursing sets hard floors of 75 percent on Math and 80 percent on the English composite, so a single weak section can end an application.
Baylor University allows one attempt per semester to a maximum of three, counts exams taken for other schools toward that total, and requires a 60-day wait between tests.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recorded 93,176 qualified nursing applications not accepted in 2025, so admission is decided on margins.
Registered nurses had a median annual wage of $93,600 in May 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, against $49,500 for all occupations.
Scores stay valid for 24 months at Estrella Mountain Community College and East Central College, so one good result can cover several application cycles.
Exam fees run from $45 to $75 at the schools that publish them, a fraction of the cost of a delayed admission cycle.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
Varies by school. Chamberlain University allots 3 hours for 170 items, Estrella Mountain Community College allots 4 hours, and Tarrant County College allots 5 hours for 250 items.
Questions
Varies by school. Section sizes are fixed: 55 items each for Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge and Grammar, and 30 items each for Biology and Anatomy and Physiology.
Passing Score
Set by each school, not by Elsevier. Maricopa Nursing requires 75 percent in Mathematics and 80 percent on the English composite. Baylor University requires 80 or better on both the Math and English composites.
Question Types
- Four-option multiple choice
- Reading passages with several questions attached to one scenario
- Computation items with an on-screen calculator supplied for the Mathematics section
- Non-scored inventory items in the optional Learning Style and Personality Profile modules
Delivery Method
Computer-based at a campus testing centre, at a Prometric test centre, or online with live remote proctoring through ProctorU
- Programs choose which sections you sit. Chamberlain requires Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, Biology and Anatomy and Physiology, and no math or chemistry.
- Tarrant County College does not offer Biology, Chemistry, Personality Profile, Learning Styles or Critical Thinking at its centre, so section availability depends on the venue as well as the program.
- Baylor states that HESI A2 scores cannot be pieced together across attempts, so a program may read one sitting as a whole rather than taking your best section from each.
- Chamberlain requires remote-proctored candidates to finish within two business days of first opening the exam, after which the attempt submits as it stands.
How scoring works
Score scale
Percent correct within each section, reported separately, with related sections averaged into composites such as the English composite formed from Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar
Score needed to pass
Set by each program. Maricopa Nursing requires 75 percent in Mathematics and 80 percent on the English composite. Baylor University requires 80 or better on both the Math and English composites.
Roughly what that means raw
On Chamberlain's 170-item configuration, an 80 percent English composite means roughly 88 correct across the 110 English items, and an 80 percent science result means roughly 48 correct across the 60 science items.
When results arrive
Tarrant County College states results are available 48 to 72 hours after the test. Scores taken under a school's department code route automatically to that admissions office.
How the scale is built
Each section is scored on its own as a percentage of items answered correctly, then reported individually. Chamberlain provides a score for each required exam and combines them into sub-scores by academic area. An incomplete section that returns zero still counts as an attempt at Chamberlain but produces results the committee will not accept. Programs apply their own floors to the reported percentages.
- The 0 to 1500 HESI score with an 850 benchmark applies to HESI specialty and exit exams, not to the A2 admission assessment.
- Baylor states that HESI A2 scores cannot be superscored or pieced together across attempts.
- The Learning Style and Personality Profile modules produce descriptive output rather than a percent score.
- If your program does not require a section you sat, Tarrant County College notes that your score on it is simply disregarded.
Pacing and time budget
Varies by school: 170 items at Chamberlain University, 250 at Tarrant County College questions in Varies by school: 180 minutes at Chamberlain University, 240 at Estrella Mountain Community College, 300 at Tarrant County College minutes gives you About 63 seconds per item on Chamberlain's 170-item, three-hour configuration and about 72 seconds per item on Tarrant County College's 250-item, five-hour configuration per question.
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| 45 min | About 43 of 170 items on Chamberlain's three-hour configuration, which is one quarter of the paper |
| 90 min | About 85 of 170 items, the halfway mark on both time and questions |
| 135 min | About 128 of 170 items, leaving the last 45 minutes for the final quarter |
| 165 min | All 170 items answered, with 15 minutes of the three-hour block still unused |
- Scale these checkpoints to your own school's limit. At Tarrant County College's five-hour, 250-item sitting the same quarter marks fall at 75, 150, 225 and 285 minutes.
- Chamberlain counts any break you take inside the three-hour allotment, so a 15-minute break costs 15 minutes of answering time.
- Reading Comprehension eats time faster than its item count suggests, because several questions attach to one long passage. Budget more than a flat 63 seconds there and less on Grammar.
- The on-screen calculator in the Mathematics section adds a few seconds per computation item compared with a physical keypad. Practise with it so that cost is predictable.
- Chamberlain gives remote candidates two business days from first opening the exam before it submits as it stands, which is a deadline on the attempt rather than extra answering time.
Where the marks are
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 55 items | One of the four largest sections and the one most programs score as a standalone floor rather than folding into a composite. Maricopa Nursing sets 75 percent here with no offset from any other section, so a weak math result cannot be rescued by strong English. The content is narrow and drillable: ratios, proportions, conversions and fractions. |
| Reading Comprehension | 55 items | A full third of the English composite at schools that average Reading, Vocabulary and Grammar. Passages are health-related, so practising on clinical material pays twice by building vocabulary at the same time. It is also the section where pacing errors do the most damage, because re-reading a long passage costs a minute you cannot recover. |
| Vocabulary and General Knowledge | 55 items | Another third of the English composite and the section with the highest return on rote study, because there is no reasoning route to a word you have never seen. A 300-word deck built from the Elsevier review guide and reviewed daily for six weeks moves this score more reliably than any other single intervention. |
| Grammar | 55 items | The last third of the English composite, and the section that responds fastest to targeted work because the error types repeat. Subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, comma use and confusable pairs account for most items. Estrella Mountain names parts of speech and commonly occurring grammatical errors as the content directly. |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 30 items | The science section most nursing programs require, worth 30 items at Chamberlain. Coverage is broad and shallow, which favours recognition over depth: knowing what a named structure does beats being able to trace one pathway perfectly. It also overlaps heavily with the first semester of nursing coursework. |
| Biology | 30 items | Worth 30 items at Chamberlain and largely studyable alongside Anatomy and Physiology. The named content is tight: cells, molecules, water, cellular respiration and metabolism. Because the list is short and Elsevier's review guide covers it directly, this section usually yields a high score for comparatively few study hours. |
| Chemistry and Physics | Optional at most nursing programs | These score highest by being skipped when your program does not require them. Chamberlain tells applicants explicitly that the review guide's chemistry and physics chapters do not apply to its four required exams, and Tarrant County College does not administer either section. Confirm in writing, then reallocate those weeks to the 55-item sections. |
The numbers
55 per section
Items in each of Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar
Source: Tarrant County College HESI A2 Exam Information page and Estrella Mountain Community College HESI A2 page
30 per section
Items in Biology and in Anatomy and Physiology
Source: Chamberlain University HESI Admission Assessment exam FAQs
170 items in 3 hours, breaks included
Time limit and item count on a four-section configuration
Source: Chamberlain University HESI Admission Assessment exam FAQs
$53 in person, $75 online through ProctorU
Exam fee at a public college testing centre
Source: Tarrant County College HESI A2 registration page
24 months from the test date
Score validity across Maricopa County Community College District
Source: Estrella Mountain Community College Testing Services HESI A2 page
93,176 in total, including 75,255 to entry-level baccalaureate programs
Qualified United States nursing applications not accepted in 2025
Source: American Association of Colleges of Nursing enrollment release, 7 May 2026
Tarrant County College does not administer Biology, Chemistry, Personality Profile, Learning Styles or Critical Thinking
Sections a testing centre may decline to offer
Source: Tarrant County College HESI A2 Exam Information page, updated 3 August 2026
Four 55-item sections (Math, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, Grammar), 220 items in a four-hour timed test, no science section
Maricopa Nursing required configuration
Source: Estrella Mountain Community College Testing Services HESI A2 page
One attempt per semester, maximum three attempts including exams not sent to the school, 60-day wait, scores cannot be pieced together
Retake limit and superscoring at a private BSN program
Source: Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing HESI A2 Information page
0 to 1500, with 850 denoting an acceptable level of content mastery, used on HESI specialty and exit exams
HESI score scale that does not apply to the A2
Source: Elsevier, Understanding the HESI Score, published 29 August 2025
If you fail
Wait before retaking
60 days between attempts at Tarrant County College, Estrella Mountain Community College and Baylor University. Chamberlain instead ties retakes to the admission committee review cycle.
Attempt limit
Set by the school. Baylor caps candidates at three attempts in total and counts attempts taken for other institutions. Estrella Mountain allows three attempts within any 12-month period. Tarrant County College allows one attempt per application period. Chamberlain allows one retake before committee review and a third attempt within one year if eligibility is denied.
Retake fee
The full exam fee again for every attempt, plus proctoring where it applies. At Tarrant County College that is $53 in person or $75 online per sitting.
Baylor states that scores from separate attempts cannot be pieced together, so each sitting is judged as a whole. Chamberlain counts an attempt where a required exam returns zero as a used attempt even though the results are not acceptable. Because the wait is 60 days at most schools, a candidate who tests too early can lose an entire application cycle rather than a few weeks.
Exam Domains & Topics
A 55-item section aimed at the arithmetic used in clinical work rather than at algebra for its own sake. Estrella Mountain Community College describes the content as basic addition, subtraction and multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures and general math facts useful when calculating drug dosages and solutions. An on-screen calculator is supplied at Tarrant County College.
Key Topics to Master:
- Fractions, decimals and percentages with conversion between all three
- Ratio and proportion set up as dosage calculations
- Household and metric measures including teaspoons, ounces, pounds and litres
- Roman numerals as used on older prescriptions
- Military time and 24-hour clock conversion
- Basic algebraic equations solved for a single unknown
A 55-item section built on health-related passages. Estrella Mountain notes that the scenarios open in a pop-up window that candidates can move around the screen to read in full. Chamberlain describes the tasks as understanding passages, identifying main ideas, finding the meaning of words in context and making logical inferences. Several questions usually attach to a single passage.
Key Topics to Master:
- Identifying the main idea and the author's purpose
- Distinguishing stated fact from inference
- Determining word meaning from surrounding context
- Recognising tone and bias in patient education material
- Following the logical structure of a multi-paragraph passage
- Summarising a passage without adding outside knowledge
A 55-item section covering basic vocabulary used frequently in health care settings. Chamberlain describes it as common English and healthcare-related terms. This section rewards raw memorisation more than any other, because a word you have never met cannot be reasoned out under time pressure the way a math item can.
Key Topics to Master:
- General academic vocabulary at high-school and first-year college level
- Clinical terms such as occluded, distended, flushed, lethargic and dilate
- Prefixes, roots and suffixes used in medical terminology
- Words commonly confused in charting, including affect and effect
- Terms describing symptoms, positions and body movement
- Everyday words used with a narrower clinical meaning
A 55-item section that Estrella Mountain describes as basic grammar covering parts of speech, important grammatical terms and their uses, and commonly occurring grammatical errors. Items are usually presented as a sentence with one part underlined or as a choice among four versions of the same sentence. Where a program uses an English composite, this section is averaged with Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary.
Key Topics to Master:
- Parts of speech and their function in a sentence
- Subject-verb agreement across intervening phrases
- Pronoun case and unclear pronoun reference
- Comma, semicolon and apostrophe use
- Commonly confused pairs such as their, there and they're
- Misplaced and dangling modifiers
A 30-item section at Chamberlain University, described there as general terminology together with anatomical structures and systems. This is the science section most nursing programs require, because it maps directly onto first-semester coursework. Coverage is broad rather than deep, so recognising the function of a named structure matters more than reciting a pathway in detail.
Key Topics to Master:
- Directional and regional anatomical terminology
- Skeletal and muscular systems including major bones and muscle groups
- Cardiovascular system, blood flow through the heart and vessel types
- Respiratory system structures and gas exchange
- Nervous system divisions and the main endocrine glands
- Digestive, renal and reproductive system structures and their functions
A 30-item section at Chamberlain University, described there as cells, molecules, water, cellular respiration, metabolism and other basics of biology. It overlaps enough with Anatomy and Physiology that programs requiring both can be studied together, but the emphasis here sits at the cellular and molecular level rather than at the organ system level.
Key Topics to Master:
- Cell structure and the function of major organelles
- The properties of water and why they matter biologically
- Cellular respiration, glycolysis and ATP production
- Photosynthesis at an overview level
- Mitosis, meiosis and basic Mendelian genetics
- DNA, RNA, transcription and translation in outline
An optional section that many programs skip. Chamberlain tells applicants directly that the Admission Assessment Exam Review guide contains chemistry material they will not be tested on, and Tarrant County College does not offer chemistry at its centre at all. Confirm with your program before spending study weeks here, because the opportunity cost against the 55-item sections is high.
Key Topics to Master:
- Atomic structure, isotopes and the periodic table
- Chemical bonding, ionic and covalent compounds
- Balancing chemical equations and stoichiometry
- Acids, bases, pH and buffer systems
- States of matter, solutions and molarity
- Oxidation and reduction basics
The least commonly required section in the HESI A2 catalogue among the programs that publish their section lists. Tarrant County College does not offer it at its centre, Chamberlain excludes it from its four required exams and tells applicants outright that the review guide's physics material will not be tested, and Maricopa Nursing's required set is Math, Reading, Vocabulary and Grammar only. Treat it as optional until your program confirms it in writing.
Key Topics to Master:
- Motion, velocity and acceleration
- Newton's laws of motion
- Friction, gravitation and projectile motion
- Energy, work and power
- Waves, sound and light basics
- Electricity, current and simple circuits
A scenario-based module that Tarrant County College lists among the sections it does not administer at its centre. Where a program requires it, items present a short clinical situation and ask which action or interpretation is best supported. Elsevier publishes no public item count or scoring rule for it, and it is not part of the percent-correct academic set Chamberlain and Maricopa describe, so ask your program in writing how it is administered and read.
Key Topics to Master:
- Prioritising among competing clinical actions
- Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant detail in a scenario
- Identifying assumptions embedded in a stated plan
- Evaluating the strength of a conclusion
- Recognising when more information is needed
- Choosing the safest option under uncertainty
Two non-academic inventories in the Elsevier catalogue that Tarrant County College names among the modules it declines to offer. They have no right or wrong answers and produce a descriptive profile rather than a percent score. Programs that administer them use the output for advising and student support rather than for admission ranking.
Key Topics to Master:
- Preferred learning channel and study strategy
- Time management and organisation habits
- Motivation and persistence patterns
- Stress response and coping preferences
- Interpersonal and teamwork style
- How the profile feeds into academic advising
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Email or call your program and get the required section list in writing
- 2Confirm the fee, the venue options and whether remote proctoring is allowed
- 3Confirm the cut score for each section or composite your program uses
- 4Create your Evolve account at evolve.elsevier.com before booking anything
- 5Buy the Elsevier Admission Assessment Exam Review 6th edition, list price $45.99
- 6Take one full diagnostic across only your required sections and record the percentages
- 1Rebuild fractions, decimals and percentage conversion until they are automatic
- 2Work 40 ratio and proportion problems framed as dosage calculations
- 3Memorise household to metric conversions for teaspoons, ounces, pounds and litres
- 4Practise Roman numerals and 24-hour clock conversions in short daily sets
- 5Redo every diagnostic math item you missed and write down why you missed it
- 1Time yourself at 60 seconds per item on 55-item math sets
- 2Practise with an on-screen calculator rather than a handheld one
- 3Drill multi-step word problems that hide the ratio inside a sentence
- 4Work basic algebra solving for one unknown
- 5Log a running accuracy percentage across sessions so you can read the trend
- 1Build a 300-word deck from the Elsevier review guide vocabulary lists
- 2Add clinical terms such as occluded, distended, lethargic, flushed and dilate
- 3Learn 40 medical prefixes, roots and suffixes to decode unfamiliar words
- 4Review 20 new words and 40 old words every day rather than cramming
- 5Test yourself by writing sentences, not by recognising definitions
- 1Review parts of speech and the grammatical terms the section names directly
- 2Drill subject-verb agreement across long intervening phrases
- 3Work pronoun case and unclear reference items
- 4Practise comma, semicolon and apostrophe rules on 50 sentence-correction items
- 5Build a personal list of the confusable pairs you get wrong repeatedly
- 1Read three health-related passages a day and state the main idea in one sentence
- 2Practise separating what a passage states from what it merely implies
- 3Work context-clue items without looking words up first
- 4Practise on screen with the passage in a movable window to match the interface
- 5Time full 55-item reading sets to see where fatigue starts to cost accuracy
- 1Learn directional and regional anatomical terminology cold
- 2Map the skeletal and muscular systems with major named structures
- 3Trace blood flow through the heart and name the vessel types
- 4Work through respiratory structures and the mechanics of gas exchange
- 5Self-quiz by labelling blank diagrams from memory
- 1Cover nervous system divisions and the main endocrine glands and hormones
- 2Cover digestive, renal and reproductive structures and their functions
- 3Review cell structure and organelle function for the Biology section
- 4Work cellular respiration, ATP production and basic metabolism
- 5Review mitosis, meiosis and Mendelian genetics at an overview level
- 1Sit a full-length practice run covering only your required sections in one block
- 2Match your school's time limit, whether that is 3, 4 or 5 hours
- 3Score each section separately and compare against your program's cut score
- 4Rank your sections weakest to strongest and allocate week 10 accordingly
- 5If you are testing remotely, run the ProctorU equipment check this week
- 1Spend 70 percent of study time on your two weakest sections
- 2Re-drill every math conversion and every vocabulary card you missed
- 3Confirm your test appointment, venue and the ID you must present
- 4Confirm your school's department code so scores route correctly
- 5Sleep on a normal schedule for the three nights before the exam
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Best Study Resources
Admission Assessment Exam Review, 6th Edition
Official study guideElsevier's own review book for the HESI A2, ISBN 9780443114090, published July 2024. It covers math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and the science sections with practice questions. Chamberlain warns that the book includes chemistry and physics material some programs never test, so use your program's section list to decide what to skip.
$45.99 list price
Evolve student account
Registration platformThe Elsevier portal where you register for the exam, take it, and retrieve scores and remediation afterwards. Estrella Mountain and Baylor both instruct applicants to set up an Evolve account before booking a test date. Record the assigned username and password, because you will need them again for score access.
Free to create
ProctorU Elsevier and HESI test taker portal
Remote proctoring serviceThe remote proctoring route for candidates who cannot sit at a campus centre. Baylor lists the requirements as a webcam, a microphone and Evolve credentials, and asks candidates with extended-time accommodations to contact the school at least 72 hours before the appointment.
Proctoring fee set by the institution
Your program's testing centre page
Institutional documentationThe single most useful document for any HESI A2 candidate, because section list, fee, time limit, cut scores and retake rules all come from the school rather than from Elsevier. Tarrant County College, Estrella Mountain and Baylor each publish these details in full, and the numbers differ between them.
Free
Mometrix free HESI A2 practice test
Free practice questionsA large free question bank organised by section, useful for volume drilling once you have worked through the official guide. Treat it as extra repetitions rather than as a blueprint, because only your school can tell you which sections you will sit.
Free with paid upgrades
Khan Academy arithmetic, biology and anatomy units
Free video and practice courseStrong for rebuilding math fundamentals such as fractions, ratios and percentages, and for cell biology and body system overviews. Useful when a diagnostic shows a genuine knowledge gap rather than a pacing problem, because the explanations start from first principles.
Free
Pocket Prep HESI A2
Mobile question appShort question sets sized for commutes and breaks, listed by Chamberlain among its supporting resources for HESI A2 applicants. Best used for vocabulary and anatomy recall, where spaced repetition in small daily doses beats long weekend sessions.
Free tier with paid subscription
Nurse.org HESI exam guide
Free explainer articleA plain-language walkthrough of how the HESI family fits together, including the difference between the A2 admission exam and the specialty and exit exams that use the 0 to 1500 HESI score. Useful early, when candidates often confuse the two and study the wrong material.
Free
Understanding the HESI Score
Vendor articleElsevier's own explanation, published 29 August 2025, of the HESI Predictability Model and the 0 to 1500 HESI score used on specialty and exit exams, with 850 marking acceptable content mastery. Read it to confirm that this scale does not apply to the A2 admission exam.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Studying all eight academic sections because the review book covers them
Get your required section list from the program in writing first. Chamberlain requires only four exams and tells applicants directly that the guide's math, chemistry and physics chapters do not apply to them. Study time spent on a section you will never sit is time taken from a 55-item section that decides your composite.
Assuming the HESI A2 uses the 850 benchmark you have read about
The 0 to 1500 HESI score and the 850 benchmark belong to the specialty and exit exams that predict NCLEX performance. The A2 reports percent correct by section. Check your program's actual floor instead: Maricopa Nursing wants 75 percent in Math and 80 percent on the English composite.
Planning to take the test twice and keep the better sections
Baylor states plainly that HESI A2 scores cannot be pieced together or superscored across attempts. Prepare every required section to your target on the same sitting, because a program may read one attempt as a single result rather than assembling your best pieces.
Treating the first attempt as a free practice run
Baylor caps candidates at three attempts total with a 60-day wait between each, and counts attempts taken for other schools. Chamberlain counts an incomplete exam that scores zero as an attempt. Sit the exam only when your practice scores clear your program's floor with margin.
Practising math on a handheld calculator
Tarrant County College supplies an on-screen calculator during the Mathematics section. The keystroke rhythm on screen is slower than on a physical keypad. Practise with your computer's calculator app so the interface costs you nothing on the day.
Leaving vocabulary to the final week
Vocabulary and General Knowledge is a 55-item section and is the one section you cannot reason your way through. Start a spaced-repetition deck in week 4, review daily, and mix general academic words with clinical terms such as occluded, distended and lethargic.
Reading passages before reading the questions
Reading Comprehension attaches several questions to a single health-related passage that opens in a movable window. Scan the questions first so you know what to look for, then read. This converts a slow re-reading loop into one directed pass.
Booking remote proctoring without an equipment check
Baylor lists a webcam, a microphone and current Evolve credentials as requirements for ProctorU. Run the system check days before the appointment, not on the morning of the exam, and confirm your Evolve password still works.
Requesting accommodations too late
Baylor asks candidates with approved extended-time accommodations to contact nursing admissions at least 72 hours before the ProctorU date so the exam is configured correctly. Estrella Mountain routes accommodation requests through Disability Resources and Services. Start that paperwork weeks ahead, not days.
Letting a valid score expire while you assemble prerequisites
Estrella Mountain and East Central College both hold HESI A2 scores valid for 24 months. Work backwards from your intended application deadline so the score is still inside the window when the committee reads your file, and check whether your program uses a shorter or longer period.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Bring the government-issued photo ID your testing venue names in its confirmation email, and check that the name matches your Evolve account exactly.
- 2
Know your program's department code before you sit down. Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing uses 198255, and entering the wrong code sends your report to the wrong place.
- 3
Confirm your time limit in advance, because it changes the pacing plan entirely: three hours at Chamberlain, four at Estrella Mountain, five at Tarrant County College.
- 4
Chamberlain counts breaks inside its three-hour allotment, so plan for one short break rather than several.
- 5
Open the Mathematics section knowing where the on-screen calculator sits, so you are not hunting for it on the first computation item.
- 6
Move the reading passage window before you start answering, so the full scenario and the question are visible at once.
- 7
Answer every item. There is no penalty structure that rewards leaving a question blank, and an unanswered item is a guaranteed miss.
- 8
If you are testing remotely through ProctorU, clear the desk, close every other application and have your ID within reach before the proctor connects.
- 9
Chamberlain gives remote candidates two business days from first opening the exam to finish it, after which the attempt submits as it stands, so do not open it to browse.
- 10
Eat a real meal beforehand. A five-hour, 250-item sitting at Tarrant County College is an endurance problem as much as a knowledge problem.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Registered nurse
The destination for most HESI A2 candidates, reached through an associate or bachelor's nursing program followed by the NCLEX-RN. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $93,600 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $66,030.
$93,600 median (BLS, May 2024)
Licensed practical or licensed vocational nurse
A shorter route into licensed practice, typically about a year of study followed by the NCLEX-PN. Some programs use the HESI A2 for LPN admission as well. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $62,340 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $47,960.
$62,340 median (BLS, May 2024)
Nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist
Advanced practice roles that require a graduate nursing degree on top of RN licensure. The Bureau of Labor Statistics grouped these occupations at a median annual wage of $132,050 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $98,520. The HESI A2 is the first gate on a path that runs several years past it.
$132,050 median (BLS, May 2024)
Medical and health services manager
Clinical management roles that many nurses move into after several years at the bedside, often with an added administrative qualification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $117,960 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $69,680.
$117,960 median (BLS, May 2024)
Nursing assistant
An entry point many candidates work in while completing prerequisites and waiting on an admission decision. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $39,530 for nursing assistants in May 2024 and $37,700 for orderlies. Clinical hours here also strengthen a nursing school application.
$39,530 median (BLS, May 2024)
Prerequisites & Requirements
- No formal prerequisite from Elsevier. Eligibility is set by the program you are applying to.
- An Evolve account at evolve.elsevier.com created before you book a test date, as Estrella Mountain and Baylor both require.
- A submitted application at some schools. Chamberlain only lets applicants with a paid, approved application and a student ID number schedule the exam.
- Payment of the school's exam fee, which ranged from $45 at Estrella Mountain to $75 for online proctoring at Tarrant County College.
- Your program's department code, so the official score report routes to the right admissions office.
- For remote testing, a webcam, a microphone and a private room that meets ProctorU's requirements.
- For accommodations, documentation filed with the school's disability services office well before the test date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the HESI A2?
There is no single answer, because each program picks its own sections. Section sizes are fixed: Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge and Grammar carry 55 items each, and Biology and Anatomy and Physiology carry 30 items each. Chamberlain's four-section configuration totals 170 items. Tarrant County College's five-section configuration totals 250 items.
How long is the HESI A2?
The time limit is set by the school and tracks the number of sections. Chamberlain University allots three hours for its 170-item exam and counts breaks inside that window. Estrella Mountain Community College runs a four-hour sitting. Tarrant County College allots five hours for its 250-item configuration. Ask your program before you build a pacing plan.
What is a passing score on the HESI A2?
Elsevier does not set a pass mark; each program does. Maricopa Nursing requires 75 percent or higher in Mathematics and 80 percent or higher on the English composite, which averages Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar. Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing requires 80 or better on both the Math and English composites.
What score scale does the HESI A2 use?
The HESI A2 reports percent correct within each section, with related sections averaged into composites. It does not use the 0 to 1500 HESI score. Elsevier applies that scale, produced by its HESI Predictability Model with 850 marking acceptable content mastery, to the specialty and exit exams that predict NCLEX performance rather than to the admission assessment.
How much does the HESI A2 cost?
The fee is set by the institution. Estrella Mountain Community College charges $45 for Maricopa nursing applicants and adds a $35 proctoring fee for candidates testing for an outside institution. Tarrant County College charges $53 to test in person and $75 to test online through ProctorU. Ozarks Technical Community College publishes $45 for a seated attempt, itemised as $35 exam cost plus a $10 proctoring fee, with a $3 non-refundable convenience fee added when paying online, and $75 per attempt through ProctorU.
Is the fee different outside the United States?
The HESI A2 is administered for United States nursing and allied health programs, and the fee is set in US dollars by the admitting institution rather than by region. International candidates applying to a US program pay the same institutional fee as domestic applicants, plus any proctoring surcharge their venue applies.
Can I take the HESI A2 online?
Yes at many schools. Baylor offers the exam through ProctorU remote proctoring and requires a webcam, a microphone and current Evolve credentials. Tarrant County College offers both in-person and ProctorU options but does not let candidates switch format after scheduling. Chamberlain runs its admission testing entirely as a proctored online session.
How long do I have to wait to retake the HESI A2?
Sixty days at most institutions that publish a rule. Tarrant County College permits one attempt every 60 days and one attempt per application period. Estrella Mountain permits three attempts in a rolling 12 months with a minimum 60-day gap. Baylor permits one attempt per semester with a 60-day wait and a lifetime maximum of three.
How many times can I take the HESI A2?
The limit is institutional. Baylor caps candidates at three attempts and counts attempts taken for other schools toward that total. Estrella Mountain allows three attempts within any 12-month period. Chamberlain allows one retake before the admission committee reviews a file, and a third attempt within one year of test validity if the committee denies academic eligibility.
What happens if I fail?
There is no fail in the Elsevier sense, only a score below your program's floor. Your application is then either held or denied depending on the school's policy, and you re-sit after the mandated wait. Chamberlain notes that an attempt where any required exam scores zero still counts as an attempt but produces unacceptable results.
Is there a retake fee?
Yes. Each attempt carries the full exam fee again, plus any proctoring charge, because the fee is charged per sitting by the institution rather than as a one-time registration. At Tarrant County College that means paying $53 or $75 again for a second attempt.
How long are HESI A2 scores valid?
Commonly 24 months, but not universally. Estrella Mountain states that scores remain valid for 24 months from the test date across Maricopa colleges, and East Central College uses two years. Chamberlain will consider a qualifying ACT, SAT, TEAS or HESI score taken within the past five years. Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, by contrast, holds scores valid for 18 months. Always confirm the window your target program applies.
When do I get my results?
Timing depends on the venue. Tarrant County College tells candidates that results are available 48 to 72 hours after the test. At Baylor, official scores taken under the school's department code route automatically to the admissions office, while ProctorU candidates from outside Baylor email a PDF of the report themselves.
What ID do I need on test day?
A current government-issued photo ID whose name matches your Evolve registration. Requirements are enforced by the venue, so a campus testing centre, a Prometric centre and ProctorU each publish their own list. Check the confirmation email from your booking rather than assuming, and bring a second form of ID as a fallback.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes, in the Mathematics section only. Tarrant County College states that an on-screen calculator is available during testing. You do not bring your own device. Practise with a computer calculator so the on-screen entry rhythm does not cost you time during the 55-item math section.
Are accommodations available?
Yes, through your institution rather than through Elsevier. Estrella Mountain routes requests through Disability Resources and Services. Baylor asks candidates with approved extended-time accommodations to contact nursing admissions at least 72 hours before a ProctorU appointment so the exam is configured correctly. Estrella Mountain also mentions an untimed version for some outside candidates.
Can I bring notes or scratch paper?
No outside materials. The HESI A2 is a proctored closed-book exam whether it is delivered at a campus centre, a Prometric centre or remotely. Scratch paper or an equivalent digital whiteboard is supplied at the discretion of the venue, so confirm with your testing centre or with ProctorU before the appointment.
Can I superscore my sections across attempts?
No at schools that address it directly. Baylor states that HESI A2 scores cannot be pieced together, meaning the school will not build a composite from your best Math on one attempt and your best English on another. Plan to hit every required section's target on a single sitting.
How does the HESI A2 compare with the ATI TEAS?
Both are nursing school admission tests and many programs accept either, but the HESI A2 is modular, so its length and section mix change from school to school, while the TEAS has a fixed national structure. Chamberlain lists the TEAS among qualifying tests it will consider in place of the HESI A2 if taken within the past five years.
Which sections should I prioritise if my program requires all of them?
The 55-item sections, because Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar carry nearly twice the item weight of Biology or Anatomy and Physiology at 30 items each. Where a program builds an English composite, Reading, Vocabulary and Grammar are averaged, so a weak grammar score can be partly offset by strong reading and vocabulary.
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