HESI A2 practice questions with worked answers

1. HESI A2-style question 1 · Conversions

   50 milligrams = how many grams?

   1. A50,000
   2. B0.5
   3. C0.005
   4. D0.05
   Worked answer+

   D: 0.05. 1 milligram = 0.001 grams. Going to a larger unit gives a smaller number, so divide: 50 ÷ 1,000 = 0.05 grams.

2. HESI A2-style question 2 · Fractions

   Divide, and give the answer in simplest form: 4 1/2 ÷ 2/3

   1. A6 3/4
   2. B4/27
   3. C2 4/7
   4. D3
   Worked answer+

   A: 6 3/4. To divide by a fraction, multiply by its reciprocal (flip the second fraction): 9/2 × 3/2 = 27/4 = 6 3/4.

On the real section: about 55 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 math practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 3 · Detail

   According to the passage, where does most dietary sodium come from?

   1. ADrinking water
   2. BFresh fruits and vegetables
   3. CThe salt shaker at the table
   4. DPackaged and restaurant foods
   Worked answer+

   D: Packaged and restaurant foods. The passage says, "Most dietary sodium comes from packaged and restaurant foods."

2. HESI A2-style question 4 · Main idea

   What is the main purpose of the passage?

   1. ATo recommend a brand of canned soup
   2. BTo argue that the body does not need sodium
   3. CTo explain where excess sodium comes from and how to reduce it
   4. DTo describe how nerve signals work
   Worked answer+

   C: To explain where excess sodium comes from and how to reduce it. It explains the problem of too much sodium, its main sources and practical ways to cut back.

3. HESI A2-style question 5 · Inference

   Why does the author say that some foods are high in sodium "even when they do not taste especially salty"?

   1. ATo warn readers that taste alone is not a reliable guide
   2. BTo explain why bread is a good source of minerals
   3. CTo show that labels are usually wrong
   4. DTo suggest that salty foods are healthier
   Worked answer+

   A: To warn readers that taste alone is not a reliable guide. If foods can be high in sodium without tasting salty, readers need labels rather than taste to judge.

4. HESI A2-style question 6 · Vocabulary in context

   As used in the passage, "culprit" most nearly means:

   1. Aa medical test
   2. Ba kitchen tool
   3. Cthe one responsible for a problem
   4. Da type of seasoning
   Worked answer+

   C: the one responsible for a problem. Saying the shaker is "not the main culprit" means it is not mainly responsible for the excess sodium.

On the real section: about 65 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 reading practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 7 · Health care word

   What is the best definition of the word "exacerbate" as it is used in this sentence? Cold, damp weather tends to exacerbate her joint pain.

   1. ADisguise
   2. BExplain
   3. CRelieve
   4. DMake worse
   Worked answer+

   D: Make worse. To "exacerbate" is to make a problem or symptom more severe. A flare-up of a chronic disease is called an exacerbation.

On the real section: about 55 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 vocabulary practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 8 · Subject-verb agreement

   Select the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Neither the doctor nor the nurses _____ available this afternoon.

   1. Aare
   2. Bhas been
   3. Cwas
   4. Dis
   Worked answer+

   A: are. With "neither ... nor", the verb agrees with the nearer subject. "Nurses" is plural, so the verb is "are".

On the real section: about 55 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 grammar practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 9 · Cardiovascular system

   Which valve lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle?

   1. ATricuspid valve
   2. BPulmonary valve
   3. CAortic valve
   4. DMitral (bicuspid) valve
   Worked answer+

   D: Mitral (bicuspid) valve. The mitral (bicuspid) valve guards the left atrioventricular opening. The tricuspid valve is on the right.

On the real section: about 50 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 anatomy and physiology practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 10 · Genetics

   Two heterozygous parents (Bb × Bb) have a child. What is the probability the child shows the recessive trait?

   1. A0%
   2. B50%
   3. C75%
   4. D25%
   Worked answer+

   D: 25%. A Punnett square gives BB, Bb, Bb and bb. Only bb (1 of 4) shows the recessive trait.

On the real section: about 50 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 biology practice test.

1. HESI A2-style question 11 · Chemical reactions

   Which coefficients balance the equation ___ N₂ + ___ H₂ → ___ NH₃?

   1. A1, 3, 1
   2. B2, 3, 2
   3. C1, 3, 2
   4. D1, 1, 2
   Worked answer+

   C: 1, 3, 2. With 1 N₂, 3 H₂ and 2 NH₃ there are 2 nitrogen and 6 hydrogen atoms on each side.

2. HESI A2-style question 12 · Atomic structure

   A aluminum ion, Al3+, comes from an element with atomic number 13. How many electrons does the ion have?

   1. A26
   2. B10
   3. C11
   4. D9
   Worked answer+

   B: 10. A neutral atom has 13 electrons. A positive charge of 3 means it has lost 3: 13 − 3 = 10.

On the real section: about 50 seconds a question. More, with a free timed drill: HESI A2 chemistry practice test.