HESI A2 Math Practice Test: Free Timed Drill

What is on the HESI A2 Math section?

About 55 questions in 50 minutes, 50 or so scored, on 7 topics: fractions, decimals and percents, ratio and proportion, conversions, military time and roman numerals, algebra, applied problems.

HESI A2 Math, as schools describe it, with where each fact comes from
Questions	55 shown, about 50 scored; the unscored pilot questions look the sameReportedGateway Technical College, HESI A2 testing (questions and minutes per section)
Time	50 minutes on this section's own clockReportedGateway Technical College, HESI A2 testing (questions and minutes per section)
Even pace	About 55 seconds a question (50 × 60 ÷ 55)LifeScore
Calculator	A basic calculator is built into the test screen; you cannot bring your own.ReportedIndian River State College, HESI A2 admissions assessment (calculator, sections)
Scoring	Percent correct for the section, shown on your score report with a cumulative scoreReportedCentral Texas College, HESI A2 information sheet (on-screen calculator, score report)
Required?	Only if your program lists it: each program picks the sections and sets the minimumReportedChamberlain University, HESI Admission Assessment (A2) exam FAQs
In our full mock	12 questions in 12 minutes, the same pace on a shorter sectionLifeScore

Elsevier does not publish one public spec sheet for the HESI A2, so the question counts and times here are the ones schools publish for their own candidates, labelled Reported. On 20 October 2026 our build environment could not open Elsevier's or most schools' pages directly, so each was read through search-result text from the named page. Your program's own testing page always wins.

What does each HESI Math topic ask?

Seven skills cover almost every question: fractions, decimals and percents, ratio and proportion, conversions, military time and Roman numerals, algebra, and applied dosage and intake problems.

The topics follow the chapters of Elsevier's Admission Assessment Exam Review. "What it covers" is the content; "how it reads" is our description of the questions you will meet, from writing and checking hundreds of them.

Fractions
What it covers: Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers, and simplifying the answer.
How it reads: Bare sums such as 2 1/3 + 3/4, where the trap is adding denominators or forgetting to simplify.
Decimals and percents
What it covers: Decimal arithmetic, converting between fractions, decimals and percents, percent of a number and percent change.
How it reads: A price that rises or falls by a percent, or "what percent of 80 is 12?"
Ratio and proportion
What it covers: Setting up a proportion and cross-multiplying; sharing an amount in a ratio.
How it reads: If 3 tablets contain 1,200 mg, how much is in 5? Almost every dosage question is a proportion in disguise.
Conversions
What it covers: Metric (g, mg, mcg, L, mL) and household units (lb, oz, tsp, tbsp, cups, inches) to and from metric.
How it reads: A weight in pounds that must become kilograms, or fluid ounces that must become milliliters.
Military time and Roman numerals
What it covers: Converting 24-hour time to a.m. and p.m. and back, elapsed time, and Roman numerals in both directions.
How it reads: Quick marks for anyone who has memorised the rules, and lost ones for anyone guessing.
Algebra
What it covers: Solving one-variable linear equations and simple word problems.
How it reads: Solve 4x − 7 = 21, or a two-sided equation with x on both sides.
Applied problems
What it covers: Dosage by tablets or liquid, intake and output totals, averages and rates.
How it reads: The same arithmetic wrapped in a clinical sentence; read for the unit the question asks for.

What do HESI A2 Math questions look like?

Three original questions in the style of the section: a liquid dose, an elapsed military time and a Roman numeral. Each has the working and the trap that catches most people.

Try each one before you open the answer. They are original, written by us in the HESI A2 style, and are not real HESI items or questions from our mocks. The first is worked open.

HESI A2-style question 1 · Dosage
An order calls for 375 mg of a liquid antibiotic. The bottle contains 250 mg per 5 mL. How many milliliters should be given?
1. A5.5 mL
2. B7.5 mL
3. C6 mL
4. D1.5 mL
Worked answer
B: 7.5 mL. Desired over have, times the volume: 375 ÷ 250 × 5 = 1.5 × 5 = 7.5 mL.
1. Write the rule: dose ÷ strength × volume.
2. 375 mg ÷ 250 mg = 1.5.
3. 1.5 × 5 mL = 7.5 mL.
4. Sense check: the order is more than 250 mg, so the answer must be more than 5 mL.
The trap: Answering 1.5 and stopping. That is how many 5 mL doses, not how many milliliters.
HESI A2-style question 2 · Military time
A night shift starts at 1915 and lasts 8 hours 30 minutes. When does it end, in regular time?
1. A3:45 a.m.
2. B4:15 a.m.
3. C2:45 a.m.
4. D3:45 p.m.
Show the worked answer
A: 3:45 a.m.. 1915 + 8:30 = 27:45. Subtract 24 hours to get 03:45 the next day, which is 3:45 a.m.
1. Add hours and minutes separately: 19 + 8 = 27 hours, 15 + 30 = 45 minutes.
2. Past 24:00 means the next day: 27 − 24 = 3.
3. 03:45 is in the morning: 3:45 a.m.
The trap: Writing 3:45 p.m. because the shift "started in the evening". Anything past midnight is a.m.
HESI A2-style question 3 · Roman numerals
What is the value of the Roman numeral XLIX?
1. A51
2. B59
3. C49
4. D41
Show the worked answer
C: 49. XL is 50 − 10 = 40 and IX is 10 − 1 = 9, so XLIX = 49.
1. Split into pairs where a smaller numeral comes before a larger one: XL and IX.
2. XL = 40, IX = 9.
3. 40 + 9 = 49.
The trap: Reading left to right and adding every symbol (10 + 50 + 1 + 10 = 71), or 51 from adding the I.

Make Math a section you bank

Twelve questions show the gap. 4 more Math drills and 8 full seven-section mocks close it.

The HESI A2 Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 28 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The HESI A2 Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the HESI A2 Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 28
topic drills: 1
score predictor

Which conversions should I memorise for HESI A2 math?

These eleven. Questions usually state the conversion, but not always, and recalling it saves the seconds you need for multi-step problems.

Our list of the conversions HESI-style questions use most
Convert	Equals	Where it shows up
1 kg	2.2 lb	Weight-based doses
1 lb	16 oz	Infant weights
1 fl oz	30 mL	Intake and output
1 tsp	5 mL	Liquid medicines
1 tbsp	15 mL (3 tsp)	Liquid medicines
1 cup	8 fl oz (240 mL)	Intake totals
1 in	2.54 cm	Height and wound size
1 L	1,000 mL	IV volumes
1 g	1,000 mg	Dose labels
1 mg	1,000 mcg	Dose labels
I V X L C D M	1 5 10 50 100 500 1,000	Roman numerals

Moving to a smaller unit makes the number bigger (multiply); moving to a larger unit makes it smaller (divide). Say that rule out loud once before every conversion and the most common math error on the HESI disappears.

How should I pace the HESI Math section?

Aim for about 55 seconds a question on average: faster on the questions you know, so the hard ones get the time they need. Use these checkpoints.

Our checkpoints, from the reported 55 questions in 50 minutes
When	Where you should be	What to do
13 minutes in	Question 14	On pace: keep going
25 minutes in	Question 28	Behind by 3 or more? Guess and move on from any question past a minute
38 minutes in	Question 41	Leave the last minutes for a guess on every blank

The on-screen calculator is a help, not a shortcut: opening it, typing and reading it back takes 10 to 15 seconds. Use it for multiplication and division of decimals, not for 12 × 4.

Bank the fast marks first. Military time, Roman numerals and one-step conversions take 20 to 30 seconds once the rules are memorised, and the time they save pays for the dosage and two-step problems.

A wrong answer and a blank both score zero on a percent-correct score, so never leave a question empty when the clock is about to run out.

What traps cost the most points on HESI Math?

Five mistakes cause most lost math marks, and none of them is about not knowing how to calculate.

Converting the wrong way: dividing when moving to a smaller unit. Ask "bigger or smaller unit?" before every conversion.
Answering an intermediate number: the number of 5 mL doses instead of the milliliters, or the daily total instead of each dose.
Adding denominators when adding fractions. Find a common denominator first; only the numerators add.
Leaving an answer unsimplified when the options are all in lowest terms. 6/8 is not an option; 3/4 is.
Confusing a.m. and p.m. after midnight in military time questions. 0030 is 12:30 a.m.

How should I study for HESI Math?

Twenty to forty minutes a day for a week, rules first, timed practice from day three, and a full timed section at the end.

Our plan, with minutes a day

Day 1
30 min
Take the free drill above. List every miss by skill, not by question.
Day 2
30 min
Memorise the conversion table and military time rules; do 20 conversions by hand.
Day 3
30 min
Fractions and mixed numbers: 15 of each operation, untimed, then 10 timed at a minute each.
Day 4
30 min
Ratio and dosage: set up every problem as a proportion, units written in.
Day 5
25 min
Percents and algebra: percent change, percent of, and two-sided equations.
Day 6
40 min
A full timed mock math section, then re-work every miss without the clock.
Day 7
20 min
Re-take only the skills you missed twice. Stop there and rest.

How much does Math count for nursing school admission?

Math is required by almost every program, and many programs set a minimum for it on its own, often 75% or 80%.

Because math is a separate section with its own percentage, a strong reading score cannot rescue a weak math score at a program with a per-section minimum. Baylor uses a math and English composite; Tarleton and Temple College set a floor on each section. See the HESI A2 passing score page for the rules by program type.

Math is also the section where practice pays fastest: the question types repeat, and the rules fit on one page. If your program accepts both exams, the TEAS math practice test covers similar skills with more algebra and data.

Scores reach your Evolve account within about 24 to 48 hours, with a percentage for each section and a cumulative score. Retake rules are set by each school. Baylor, for example, allows at most three attempts with 60 days between them.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use a calculator on the HESI A2 math section?

Yes, a basic calculator is built into the test screen. You cannot bring your own.

How many questions are on HESI A2 math?

Schools list 55 questions in 50 minutes, about 50 of them scored. Your program may set its own minimum for this section.

Is HESI A2 math hard?

It is arithmetic, not advanced math: fractions, percents, conversions, dosage and simple equations. The difficulty is speed and accuracy, which is why timed practice matters more than new content.

What is a good HESI A2 math score?

Programs commonly publish 75% or 80% as a minimum, and competitive programs admit applicants well above that. Aim for 85% or more in practice to leave a margin.

Is the free drill the real HESI?

No. It is 12 original HESI A2-style questions at the real section pace, scored and explained. LifeScore is not affiliated with Elsevier.

All seven sections, on the real clocks

8 full HESI A2-style mocks, 28 section drills (4 for Math) and every answer worked, in one payment with no subscription.