HESI A2 Passing Score by Program Type (2026)

What HESI A2 score do I need for my type of program?

RN and BSN programs ask the most, usually 75% to 80% and often per section. Practical nursing and allied health programs ask less, usually on a cumulative score.

Lowest and highest published minimum among the programs we checked, by type
Program type	Range	Programs checked
RN and BSN	75% to 80%	7
Practical nursing (LPN/PN)	65% to 77%	4
Radiography	70% to 80%	3
Surgical technology	60% to 65%	2
Dental hygiene	70% to 75%	4

RN and BSN
The highest and strictest minimums. 75% to 80% is the norm, and many programs apply it to every required section as well as to a composite. Selective BSN programs rank applicants above the minimum.
Practical nursing (LPN/PN)
Lower and more varied: 65% to 77% in the programs we checked, more often on a cumulative score or on named sections such as reading.
Radiography
From 70% overall to 80% on each section. Radiography programs often require the science sections, especially anatomy and physiology.
Surgical technology
The lowest published minimums we found, 60% to 65% cumulative, sometimes with a limit on attempts.
Dental hygiene
Usually 70% to 75%, often averaged across a set of sections that includes chemistry or anatomy and physiology.

What do individual programs require?

Each row is the program's own published rule, read on 20 October 2026. Programs change their rules, so confirm on the linked page before you book.

Published HESI A2 minimums. Read through search-result text of each page (our build environment cannot open most school sites directly).
School and program	Type	Published rule
Baylor University, Traditional BSN	RN and BSN	80 on the math and English composite
Tarleton State University, Traditional BSN	RN and BSN	80% in each section and 80% composite; scores valid two years
Temple College, Nursing	RN and BSN	80 in each required section
Georgia Southern University, BSN	RN and BSN	At least 75% in every area tested; scores valid one year
Pensacola State College, RN	RN and BSN	75% on each required section
Mesa Community College, Nursing	RN and BSN	75% in math and an 80% average across reading, vocabulary and grammar
University of Arizona, Master's entry to the profession of nursing (MEPN)	RN and BSN	75% average
Hondros College of Nursing, Practical nursing	Practical nursing (LPN/PN)	70% composite
Palm Beach State College, Practical nursing	Practical nursing (LPN/PN)	75 cumulative
Pensacola State College, Practical nursing	Practical nursing (LPN/PN)	65% on three required sections
East Central College, Practical nursing	Practical nursing (LPN/PN)	77 in reading
Tarrant County College, Radiologic technology	Radiography	80 in each required section
Northwest Technical College, Radiography	Radiography	75% cumulative
Concorde Career College, San Antonio, Radiologic technology	Radiography	70 overall
Concorde Career College, San Antonio, Surgical technology	Surgical technology	65 overall
Prairie State College, Surgical technology	Surgical technology	60% cumulative; at most two attempts an application year
Texas Woman's University, Dental hygiene (BSDH)	Dental hygiene	75 cumulative
Florida State College at Jacksonville, Dental hygiene	Dental hygiene	75% average across reading, vocabulary, chemistry and anatomy and physiology
Pasco-Hernando State College, Dental hygiene	Dental hygiene	70
Utah Tech University, Dental hygiene	Dental hygiene	75% on the science sections

Does the minimum apply to each section or to the average?

Programs use three kinds of rule, and the kind matters as much as the number. Read your program's exact wording before you plan your study time.

Rule	What it means	Example
Every section	Each required section must reach the minimum on its own	Temple College: 80 in each section
Cumulative or composite	The average of the required sections must reach it	Hondros practical nursing: 70% composite
Both	Every section and the average must reach it	Tarleton BSN: 80% each and 80% composite
Named sections	Only some sections count, or count differently	Mesa CC: 75% math and an 80% English average

Under an every-section rule, your weakest section is your score. Under a composite rule, a strong section can carry a weak one, but only so far. Either way the study plan is the same: find the lowest section first.

How do I work out a HESI A2 composite score?

Average the percentages of the sections your program counts. The score report gives each section's percentage and a cumulative score.

Say your program averages reading, vocabulary and grammar into an English composite with an 80% minimum, and you score 74% in reading, 86% in vocabulary and 84% in grammar. Your composite is (74 + 86 + 84) ÷ 3 = 81.3%: through. If the same program also required 80% in each section, the 74% in reading would stop the application.

With about 50 scored questions in a section, each correct answer is worth about 2 percentage points, so moving reading from 74% to 80% is about three more correct answers. That is the arithmetic that makes a weak-section plan worth more than general review.

Know your number on every section before test day

8 full HESI A2-style mocks, each scored section by section against these minimums.

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

What is a good HESI A2 score?

One that clears your program's minimum on every section it counts, with a margin. For RN and BSN programs that usually means 80% or more on each required section; 90% makes you a strong applicant almost anywhere.

LifeScore practice bands. They are targets set on these minimums, not a prediction of your HESI score.
Our practice band	Percent correct	What it means against published minimums
Building	Below 65%	Below every minimum we found except some surgical technology programs
Developing	65% to 74%	Enough for some practical nursing and allied health programs
At the common minimum	75% to 79%	The minimum programs publish most often
Competitive	80% to 89%	Meets every minimum we found, including selective BSN programs
Strong	90% and above	A strong applicant; keep the weakest section above 80%

What if my HESI A2 score is below the minimum?

Retake it, after fixing the section that fell short. Each school sets its own retake rules, so check the number of attempts, the waiting period and whether it takes your best score.

Retake rules are set by each school. Baylor, for example, allows at most three attempts with 60 days between them. Scores are often valid for one or two years (Georgia Southern one year, Tarleton two). Prairie State College's surgical technology program allows at most two attempts in an application year.

Use the waiting period well. Your score report shows each section's percentage; take the lowest required one and work through its section guide and drills before you rebook. The how-to-pass guide has a two-week plan built around exactly that.

Frequently asked questions

What is a passing score on the HESI A2?

There is none set by Elsevier. Each program sets its own minimum, most often 75% or 80% for RN programs and 60% to 75% for practical nursing and allied health programs.

Is 75 a good HESI A2 score?

It meets the minimum programs publish most often, but a minimum only gets your application considered. For competitive programs, aim for 80% or more on every required section.

Is 80 a good HESI A2 score?

Yes. It meets or beats every minimum in the program pages we checked. Selective programs that rank applicants may still admit most students above it.

Does the HESI A2 minimum apply to each section or the average?

It depends on the program: some set a floor for every section, some for a cumulative or composite score, and some for both. Read your program's exact wording.

What is the HESI 850 or 900 score?

Those are scores on Elsevier's HESI Exit and specialty exams taken during nursing school, not the A2 entrance exam. A2 results are percentages.

What if I score below the minimum?

Check your program's retake rule (attempts, waiting time, whether it takes the best score), fix the weakest section and retest. Baylor, for example, allows three attempts at least 60 days apart.

Clear the minimum with a margin

8 full mocks and 28 section drills, so your weakest section is not the one that decides.