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HESI A2 test day guide

The HESI A2 is set up by your school, so many rules depend on where you apply. This page covers what Elsevier says, shows real school examples and lists what to ask before test day.

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The short version
  • Your school sets most of the rules: which modules you take, the time limits, whether the calculator is on and when you see scores.
  • Bring a government-issued photo ID and your Evolve username and password.
  • If your school turns the calculator on, it's on screen. Don't bring your own unless your school says you can.
  • You pick which module to start. Leaving a module does not stop its timer, so finish one before you switch.
  • Some programs don't accept at-home scores. Check before you book.

Pack list

Tick things off as you pack. Your ticks stay on this device.

Bring

Leave behind

  • Phone, watch, earbuds and headphones
  • Your own calculator, unless your school says it's allowed
  • Hats and other non-religious head coverings
  • Notes and books
  • At home: a second monitor and any other open programs

The rules that matter on the day

Modules and the timer

  • Your program chooses the modules and the timer settings. Total time differs by school: for example, Georgia Southern allows 4½ hours and Tarrant County College lists 5 hours.
  • On the HESI NG platform you start from a "Select an Exam" screen and pick the module you want. If you leave a module to switch, its timer keeps running.
  • If you get fully disconnected, your timer stops. You relaunch the secure browser and enter a new access code from your proctor.

Varies: Ask for the modules and time limits you'll get.

Sources: [1][2][5][6]

The calculator

  • Elsevier lets each school turn the calculator on or off. When it's on, it is a calculator on the screen, usually for Math.
  • Schools commonly ban your own calculator. Georgia Southern, for example, says physical calculators aren't allowed but one is built into the test.

Varies: Ask whether the calculator is on for your exam.

Sources: [2][5][6]

Scratch paper

  • Elsevier's ProctorU guide (from 2021) allows one plain sheet of scratch paper and a pencil for at-home tests. The proctor checks both sides before you start.
  • Some schools are stricter now. Georgia Southern allows only a whiteboard or one sheet in a clear sleeve with a dry-erase marker for its at-home tests.

Varies: Ask your proctor what you may use.

Sources: [3][5]

Breaks

  • We found no Elsevier-wide break rule for the HESI A2. Your school decides.
  • Because a module's timer keeps running when you step away from it, use any break between modules, not in the middle of one.

Varies: Ask if there's a break and whether the clock stops.

Sources: [1][2]

Typical module lengths

ModuleQuestionsTimePer question
Reading5560 min~65 sec
Vocabulary5550 min~55 sec
Grammar5550 min~55 sec
Math5550 min~55 sec
Biology3025 min~50 sec
Chemistry3025 min~50 sec
Anatomy & Physiology3025 min~50 sec

These are the recommended numbers schools post for each module. Elsevier lets your school choose the timer settings, and you only take the modules your program requires. [1][2][5]

Our tip: Start with a module you feel good about to warm up. Finish it before you open the next one, since the clock keeps running on a module you leave.

At home vs. in person

At home (live remote proctor)

  • A live proctor watches by webcam, often through ProctorU. You need a private, well-lit, cleared-off workspace, fast internet and a working webcam.
  • No second monitor, and close every other program.
  • Before test day, run Elsevier's Compatibility Check and ProctorU's equipment test in the room you'll test in. ProctorU uses its own secure browser.
  • Plan about 10 to 15 minutes of start-up with the proctor. It doesn't cut your exam time, but log in early.
  • Some programs reject at-home scores. Temple College, for example, now requires testing in person.

Sources: [3][4][7]

In person (school or Prometric center)

  • At a school testing center, you launch the exam and wait. The proctor gives you an access code to start.
  • If there's no center near you, some schools let you test at a Prometric center. Georgia Southern, for example, asks for an Evolve account and an Eligibility ID before you book.
  • Photo ID is required. Georgia Southern, for example, accepts a state driver's license or passport, but not student IDs or photo credit cards.
  • Some programs only accept scores from their own center, so check before you pay.

Sources: [1][5]

When you get your score

  1. Right after each module, or at the end

    Only if your school allows it. Elsevier lets schools show scores after each module, after all of them, or not at all. [1][2]

  2. Later, in Evolve

    Your results and a detailed report show up under Exam Results in your Evolve account. Tarrant County College, for example, says results take 48 to 72 hours. [1][6]

  3. If you need a retake

    We found no Elsevier-wide waiting rule. Programs set their own: Georgia Southern allows a retest after 30 days and no more than twice in 12 months; Tarrant County College requires 60 days between attempts. [5][6]

If you're nervous

  • Not knowing your school's rules makes test day harder. Email your testing center a week ahead with the questions below.
  • You choose the order. Starting with your strongest module can help you settle in.
  • Got disconnected? Your timer stops. Relaunch the secure browser and ask your proctor for a new code.
  • Take one timed practice module first, so the pace feels familiar on the day.

Ask your school before test day

  • Which modules you need, and the time limit for each
  • Whether the calculator is on
  • Scratch paper or whiteboard?
  • Is there a break, and does the clock stop?
  • At home or in person only?
  • When you'll see your scores, the minimum score and the retake wait

Sources

  1. Elsevier, "HESI A2 Student Guide" (PDF) Accessed October 15, 2026.
  2. Elsevier, "HESI A2 and A-la-carte Remote Proctoring Faculty Guide" (PDF) Accessed October 15, 2026.
  3. Elsevier, "HESI/HESI NG: Testing with HESI and ProctorU" (PDF) Accessed October 15, 2026.
  4. ProctorU for Elsevier, "Six Steps for a Successful ProctorU Experience" (PDF) Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. Georgia Southern University Testing Services, "Nursing Entrance Exam (HESI A2)" Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. Tarrant County College, "HESI A2 Exam Information" Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. Temple College, "HESI A2 Requirements & FAQ" Accessed October 15, 2026.

Rules change. If your confirmation email or test site says something different, follow them. HealthcareExams is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute), Elsevier/HESI, NCSBN or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). TEAS and ATI TEAS are registered trademarks of Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC. HESI is a registered trademark of Elsevier Inc. NCLEX and NCLEX-RN are trademarks of NCSBN. PTCB, PTCE and CPhT are trademarks of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.