HESI A2 study guide: what to study

Reading passages: the main idea, supporting details, word meaning in context, inferences, and fact versus opinion.

55 questions (50 scored), about 60 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: South Texas College, HESI Admission Assessment info (items, scored and pilot items, times) (PDF)

• Main idea Lesson: How to summarize a passage that runs over several paragraphs· 5 min
• Supporting details Lesson 1: How to use evidence from a passage to support, predict and conclude· 5 minLesson 2: How to find one specific detail in a text fast· 5 min
• Words in context Lesson: How to figure out a word's meaning from context· 5 min
• Fact vs. opinion Lesson: How to tell fact from opinion and spot bias· 5 min
• Inferences Lesson: How to make inferences and draw conclusions from a passage· 5 min
• Summarizing Lesson: How to summarize a passage that runs over several paragraphs· 5 min
• Passage comprehension
• Author's purpose and tone Lesson 1: How to identify the author's purpose· 5 minLesson 2: How to find the author's point of view and tone· 5 min

Words used in everyday English and words used in health care.

55 questions (50 scored), about 50 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: South Texas College, HESI Admission Assessment info (items, scored and pilot items, times) (PDF)

• General vocabulary Lesson 1: How to work out an unfamiliar word from context clues· 5 minLesson 2: How to work out a word's meaning and avoid look-alike word mix-ups· 6 min
• Health-care vocabulary Lesson 1: Health-care words for body position, location and direction· 5 minLesson 2: Health-care words for symptoms, condition and care· 5 min
• Word parts Lesson: How to decode a word from its roots, prefixes and suffixes· 5 min

Parts of speech, grammar terms, common mistakes and confusing word pairs.

55 questions (50 scored), about 50 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: South Texas College, HESI Admission Assessment info (items, scored and pilot items, times) (PDF)

• Parts of speech Lesson: How to tell which job a word is doing in a sentence· 5 min
• Grammar terms Lesson: How to build and fix a complete sentence· 6 min
• Common grammar errors Lesson 1: How to spot the grammar mistakes your ear misses· 6 minLesson 2: How to fix unclear sentences with rules, not by ear· 6 min
• Confusing word pairs Lesson: How to choose between words that sound alike· 6 min
• Punctuation and capitalization Lesson 1: How to punctuate by rule, not by pause· 6 minLesson 2: How to spell by rule instead of by eye· 6 min

Everyday health-care math: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions, percents, household measures and more.

55 questions (50 scored), about 50 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: South Texas College, HESI Admission Assessment info (items, scored and pilot items, times) (PDF)

• Whole numbers Lesson: How to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions, decimals and negatives· 7 min
• Decimals Lesson 1: How to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions, decimals and negatives· 7 minLesson 2: How to compare and order fractions, decimals, percents and negatives· 6 min
• Fractions Lesson: How to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions, decimals and negatives· 7 min
• Fractions ↔ decimals Lesson: How to convert between fractions, decimals and percents· 6 min
• Ratios and proportions Lesson 1: How to work with ratios, unit rates and rate of change· 5 minLesson 2: How to set up and solve a proportion· 5 min
• Percentages Lesson 1: How to solve percent problems· 6 minLesson 2: How to convert between fractions, decimals and percents· 6 min
• Household and metric measures Lesson 1: How to convert household measures: teaspoons to gallons, ounces to pounds, inches to yards· 5 minLesson 2: How to convert units without guessing: metric, US and health-care units· 6 min
• Military time Lesson: How to read, convert and count military (24-hour) time· 5 min
• Roman numerals Lesson: How to read and write Roman numerals· 5 min
• Basic algebra Lesson 1: How to solve a one-variable equation· 6 minLesson 2: How to turn words into expressions, equations and inequalities· 6 min
• Dosage-style calculations Lesson: How to solve dosage calculation math problems· 6 min
• Mean, median, mode Lesson: How to find the mean, median, mode and range· 6 min

Cells, biological molecules, metabolism, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, genetics and DNA.

30 questions (25 scored), about 25 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: TSTC Library, HESI A2 guide (items and suggested times, incl. Biology and Chemistry)

• Biology basics Lesson: What counts as alive, and how biologists sort living things· 5 min
• Water Lesson: Why water behaves the way it does· 5 min
• Biological molecules Lesson: The four macromolecules of life and how cells build them· 5 min
• Metabolism Lesson: How cells build, break down, and speed up reactions· 5 min
• The cell Lesson: How a cell is built, fed, and copied· 6 min
• Cellular respiration Lesson: How cells turn glucose into ATP· 5 min
• Photosynthesis Lesson: How plants turn light into sugar· 5 min
• Cellular reproduction Lesson: How one cell becomes two, or four· 6 min
• Genetics Lesson: How traits pass from parents to children· 6 min
• DNA Lesson: How a gene in DNA becomes a protein· 6 min

Measurement, matter, atoms and the periodic table, bonding, reactions, solutions, acids and bases, and nuclear chemistry.

30 questions (25 scored), about 25 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: TSTC Library, HESI A2 guide (items and suggested times, incl. Biology and Chemistry)

• Measurement and scientific notation Lesson: How to measure like a scientist: units, prefixes, tools and readings· 5 min
• Matter Lesson: How matter changes state, and what stays the same· 5 min
• Atoms and the periodic table Lesson: What atoms are made of and how they form ions and bonds· 5 min
• Chemical bonding Lesson: How atoms bond, and how to tell which bond you are looking at· 5 min
• Chemical equations Lesson: How to balance a chemical equation without guessing· 5 min
• Reaction rates and equilibrium Lesson: What makes a chemical reaction faster or slower?· 5 min
• Solutions Lesson: How solutions work: what dissolves, how much, and why cells swell or shrink· 5 min
• Reaction types Lesson: How to read, balance, and classify a chemical reaction· 5 min
• Stoichiometry Lesson: How to count atoms by weighing them: moles and stoichiometry· 6 min
• Oxidation and reduction Lesson: Oxidation and reduction: who loses electrons and who gains them· 5 min
• Acids and bases Lesson: How acids, bases, pH and buffers work· 5 min
• Nuclear chemistry Lesson: Radioactive decay, half-life, fission and fusion made simple· 6 min
• Biochemistry Lesson: The four macromolecules of life and how cells build them· 5 min

Body terms, tissues and the major body systems.

30 questions (25 scored), about 25 minutes. Elsevier doesn't say how many questions each topic gets. Source: TSTC Library, HESI A2 guide (items and suggested times, incl. Biology and Chemistry)

• Terminology Lesson: How to describe any location on the human body· 5 min
• Tissues Lesson: The four tissue types, what they do, and where to find them· 6 min
• Mitosis and meiosis Lesson: How one cell becomes two, or four· 6 min
• Skin Lesson: How your skin is layered and what each layer does· 6 min
• Skeletal system Lesson: How bones are built, remodeled, and joined· 7 min
• Muscular system Lesson: How muscles contract, from nerve signal to sliding filaments· 6 min
• Nervous system Lesson: How the nervous system sends and sorts signals· 6 min
• Endocrine system Lesson: How hormones and negative feedback keep blood glucose steady· 5 min
• Circulatory system Lesson 1: How blood flows through the heart· 5 minLesson 2: How the body defends itself: innate and adaptive immunity· 5 min
• Respiratory system Lesson: How air reaches the alveoli and how oxygen and CO2 trade places· 5 min
• Digestive system Lesson: How food is broken down and absorbed, from mouth to colon· 5 min
• Urinary system Lesson: How the kidneys filter blood and make urine· 5 min
• Reproductive system Lesson: How the male and female reproductive systems make gametes and new life· 6 min