All exams/Healthcare/HESI A2 Admission Assessment/Free questions
Tap an answer to see if you are right, and why. 40 questions across 5 topics, mostly Math (12).
Math1 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. Rewrite 1/4 as 2/8 so both fractions share the denominator 8; 3/8 + 2/8 = 5/8. 4/12 adds the numerators (3 + 1) and the denominators (8 + 4), which is never valid for fractions. 1/2 equals 4/8, one eighth short of the true sum. 3/12 keeps the first numerator and adds the denominators, mixing two mistakes.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Fractions/Decimals/Percentages
Math2 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Half of 2.5 cups is 2.5 divided by 2, or 1.25 cups. 1.0 cup drops the extra quarter cup, as if the recipe called for only 2 cups. 1.5 cups is more than half of 2.5, so it rounds the answer up. 2.0 cups removes just half a cup instead of halving the whole amount.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Fractions/Decimals/Percentages
Math3 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Divide the part by the whole: 20 divided by 80 is 0.25, or 25%. Checking each choice against 80 confirms it: 20% of 80 is 16, 30% of 80 is 24 and 40% of 80 is 32, so none of those equals 20. The 20% option simply repeats the number given in the stem rather than computing a ratio.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Fractions/Decimals/Percentages
Math4 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. 3 divided by 5 is 0.6, written here as 0.60. A faster route is to scale the fraction to tenths: 3/5 = 6/10. 0.35 just places the digits 3 and 5 after a decimal point. 0.75 is the decimal for 3/4, not 3/5. 0.53 writes the two digits in reverse order, which is not division at all.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Fractions/Decimals/Percentages
Math5 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. One pill costs $12 divided by 3, which is $4, so seven pills cost 7 times $4, or $28. $24 is the price of six pills at that rate. $32 is the price of eight pills. $36 multiplies $12 by 3 instead of dividing, which gives the cost of nine pills.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Ratios/Proportions
Math6 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Hourly rate is volume over time: 500 mL divided by 4 hours is 125 mL/hr. At 100 mL/hr only 400 mL would infuse in four hours. At 150 mL/hr the patient would get 600 mL, 100 mL more than ordered. 200 mL/hr fits a 2.5-hour infusion, not a 4-hour one.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Ratios/Proportions
Math7 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. With 1 nurse for every 4 patients, 12 patients need 12 divided by 4, or 3 nurses. Two nurses would each carry 6 patients, breaking the 1:4 limit. Four nurses works out to 1:3, more staff than the ratio requires. Five nurses gives roughly 1:2.4, which also departs from the stated ratio.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Ratios/Proportions
Math8 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Weight-based dosing multiplies the dose per kilogram by the weight: 2 mg/kg times 70 kg is 140 mg. 120 mg is the dose for a 60 kg patient. 160 mg matches an 80 kg patient. 180 mg matches a 90 kg patient, so each wrong choice reflects a misread weight.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Ratios/Proportions
Math9 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Undo the operations in reverse order: subtract 5 to get 2x = 10, then divide by 2 to get x = 5. Check it: 2(5) + 5 = 15. Substituting x = 4 gives 13, and x = 6 gives 17, so neither balances the equation. x = 10 is the value of 2x, reached by forgetting the final division.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Algebra/Geometry
Math10 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. Rectangle area is length times width: 8 times 5 is 40 square centimeters. 13 is 8 + 5, a sum rather than a product. 26 is the perimeter, 2 times (8 + 5), which measures the distance around the shape, not the space inside it. 80 doubles the true area.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Algebra/Geometry
Math11 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. A square has four equal sides, so its perimeter is 4 times 6, or 24 inches. 12 inches counts only two sides. 18 inches counts three sides. 36 inches is 6 times 6, which is the area in square inches, not the perimeter.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Algebra/Geometry
Math12 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Circumference is 2 times pi times the radius: 2 x 3.14 x 3 = 18.84 cm. 9.42 cm is pi times r, which leaves out the factor of 2. 28.26 cm is pi times r squared (3.14 x 9), the area formula. 37.68 cm plugs the 6 cm diameter into 2-pi-r, doubling the circumference.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Math: Algebra/Geometry
Reading13 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. The sentence centers on what the heart does: it moves blood through the body, and the oxygen, nutrients and waste explain why that circulation matters. That the heart is a muscular organ may be true, but the sentence never says it. The many parts of the circulatory system are not discussed. Carbon dioxide being a waste product is one detail, too narrow to be the main idea.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Comprehension
Reading14 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. One patient owns the vital signs, so the singular possessive patient's is correct. Writing patients with no apostrophe turns the word into a plain plural that shows no ownership. Patients's adds an apostrophe and s to a plural that already ends in s, which is not a standard possessive. Vital sign's puts an apostrophe on a word that is plural, not possessive.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Vocabulary in Context
Reading15 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. Intra- means within and muscular refers to muscle, so an intramuscular injection places the drug inside muscle tissue. Into a vein is intravenous. Under the skin is subcutaneous. Through the mouth is the oral route, often charted as PO. Each route changes how quickly a drug is absorbed, so the word part matters when reading an order.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Vocabulary in Context
Reading16 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. The sentence names three tasks, monitoring vital signs, managing pain and preventing complications, so its purpose is to list what postoperative care includes. It makes no argument or appeal, so persuading readers to become nurses does not fit. Nothing about how the practice developed over time appears. Preoperative care is never mentioned, so no comparison is made.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Comprehension
Reading17 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Tachy- means fast, so tachycardia is a heart rate faster than normal, generally above 100 beats per minute for an adult at rest. Slow is brady-, as in bradycardia. Normal is expressed with eu-, as in eupnea. An irregular rhythm is called an arrhythmia or dysrhythmia, not a meaning of tachy-.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Vocabulary in Context
Reading18 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. Yesterday marks a finished past action, so the simple past assessed is required. Assesses is present tense and clashes with yesterday. Assess is the base form and does not agree with the singular subject nurse. Assessing is a participle that needs a helping verb such as was to form a complete verb.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Vocabulary in Context
Reading19 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. Calling hypertension a silent killer implies it often gives no warning signs, while the passage lists heart disease, stroke and kidney damage as outcomes; so it can be harmful without symptoms. The claim that it always produces clear symptoms contradicts the nickname. Nothing says it is easily cured; the passage only warns about leaving it untreated. Saying it damages only the heart ignores the stroke and kidney damage named.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Comprehension
Reading20 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Deteriorated means became worse, so its opposite is improved. Worsened is a synonym, not an antonym. Stabilized means stopped changing, a middle point rather than the reverse of getting worse. Remained means stayed the same and is not a direct opposite either.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Reading: Vocabulary in Context
Vocabulary21 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. The suffix -ectomy means surgical removal, as in appendectomy or tonsillectomy. Inflammation is -itis, as in appendicitis. Study of is -logy, as in cardiology. Narrowing is -stenosis, as in aortic stenosis, where the valve opening tightens. A term such as cholecystectomy can be decoded the same way: the gallbladder plus removal.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Vocabulary: Medical Terminology
Vocabulary22 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Combustible means capable of catching fire. Aseptic and sterile mean free of microorganisms, while viscous means thick or sticky.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Vocabulary: General Vocabulary
Vocabulary23 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Brady- means slow; bradycardia is an adult heart rate below about 60 beats per minute. Fast is tachy-, its opposite. Around is peri- or circum-, as in pericardium, the sac around the heart. Under is sub- or hypo-, as in subcutaneous.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Vocabulary: Medical Terminology
Vocabulary24 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. Benevolent means well-meaning and kindly. Kind is a direct synonym, while strict, lazy, and angry have different meanings.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Vocabulary: General Vocabulary
Vocabulary25 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Hypo- means below or deficient and -glycemia refers to glucose in the blood, so hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. High blood sugar is hyperglycemia. Normal blood sugar is called normoglycemia or euglycemia. High blood pressure is hypertension, a term about vessel pressure, not glucose.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Vocabulary: Medical Terminology
Grammar26 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. 'Because the fever broke' has a subject (fever) and a verb (broke), but the word because makes it a dependent clause that cannot stand alone; it needs a main clause, such as 'The patient rested because the fever broke.' 'The patient was discharged' is complete, with a passive verb. 'She took her medication' and 'He felt better' each pair a subject and verb in a full thought.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Grammar: Sentence Structure
Grammar27 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. A comma introduces the direct quotation, and since the quoted words form the question, the question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark. Placing it outside the quotes treats the whole sentence as the question, which it is not. The version without a comma skips the punctuation that sets off a quotation. The version without quotation marks leaves the nurse's exact words unmarked.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Grammar: Punctuation
Grammar28 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Two independent clauses are joined without any punctuation or conjunction, creating a run-on sentence that needs restructuring.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Grammar: Sentence Structure
Grammar29 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. In active voice the subject performs the action: the nurse (subject) administered the medication. 'The medication was administered by the nurse' is passive, because the receiver of the action is the subject. 'The medication is given daily' is passive and never names who gives it. 'The patient was told to rest' is also passive, with the speaker left out.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Grammar: Sentence Structure
Grammar30 of 40
The answer
Answer: A. A semicolon can join two independent clauses, and when however opens the second clause it takes a semicolon before it and a comma after it. Commas on both sides of however create a comma splice. A semicolon followed by and doubles up the link, since a coordinating conjunction between clauses normally takes a comma. A semicolon right after an opening however cuts the adverb off from its clause and leaves a comma splice later.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Grammar: Punctuation
Science31 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. Mitochondria carry out aerobic cellular respiration and make most of a cell's ATP, which earns them the powerhouse label. The nucleus stores DNA and directs cell activity. Ribosomes build proteins from mRNA instructions. The Golgi apparatus modifies, sorts and packages proteins for transport.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Biology
Science32 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral, values below 7 are acidic, and values above 7 are basic or alkaline.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Chemistry
Science33 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. The circulatory system consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Anatomy and Physiology
Science34 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. DNA contains deoxyribose sugar. RNA contains ribose sugar. Both are pentose sugars that form the backbone of nucleic acids.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Biology
Science35 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Sodium chloride, NaCl, is common table salt composed of sodium and chlorine ions in a crystal lattice structure.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Chemistry
Science36 of 40
The answer
Answer: C. The femur, or thigh bone, is the longest and strongest bone in the human body, supporting most of the body weight.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Anatomy and Physiology
Science37 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. In metaphase, chromosomes align at the metaphase plate, which is the center of the cell, before being pulled to opposite poles.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Biology
Science38 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, unlike ionic bonds where electrons are transferred between atoms.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Chemistry
Science39 of 40
The answer
Answer: B. Kidneys filter waste products from the blood to form urine and help regulate fluid balance, electrolytes, and blood pressure.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Anatomy and Physiology
Science40 of 40
The answer
Answer: D. DNA stores the genetic instructions in the cell nucleus; its base sequence is the master code for every protein. mRNA is a temporary copy of one gene that carries the message to the ribosome, but it does not store the full set of instructions. tRNA brings amino acids to the ribosome and matches them to codons. rRNA is a structural and catalytic part of the ribosome itself.
Source: HESI A2 Content Outline — Science: Biology
The official HESI A2 Admission Assessment knowledge examination covers Up to 8 subject areas with a passing threshold of 75%. Questions written from the published HESI A2 (Evolve Reach Admission Assessment) subject areas; not official Elsevier items. Every question on this page is original, with an explanation and a note citing its source.
That’s the free set. The full bank has 300.
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