How to Pass the HESI A2: Section Plans and Pacing

What is the fastest way to pass the HESI A2?

Study the gap, not the whole exam: five steps that put your time where your program's minimum is most at risk.

Find your program's rules
Step 1
Which sections, what minimum, applied to each section or to a composite, how many attempts. Everything else follows from these.
Take a full timed baseline
Step 2
One practice test across every required section, on the real pace. Write down the percent for each section.
Rank the gaps
Step 3
Subtract each section's score from your program's minimum plus a 5-point margin. The biggest gap gets the most days.
Fix rules, not questions
Step 4
For each miss, name the rule or fact behind it. Learn that, then drill 12 questions of that type on the clock.
Retest under real conditions
Step 5
A second full timed test in week two. If every section clears the line with a margin, book or sit the exam.

Why this order: on a per-section rule your weakest section is your score, and on a composite rule it is the cheapest place to find points. Either way, a five-point gain in your weakest section is worth more than the same hours spread across sections you already pass. See passing scores by program type for the rules programs use.

What does a two-week HESI A2 study plan look like?

Day 1 is the baseline, days 2 to 11 work through your required sections weakest first, and the last three days are a second full test, targeted review and rest.

Our plan. Reorder days 2 to 11 so your weakest required section comes first.
Days	Focus	About
1	Full timed baseline; list misses by section and topic	75 min
2–4	Your weakest section: rules, worked examples, a 12-question drill daily	60 min
5–6	Your second-weakest section, the same way	60 min
7	Math rules everyone needs: conversions, military time, Roman numerals	45 min
8–9	Required science sections, body systems first	60 min
10–11	Reading, vocabulary and grammar: timed sets, word parts, the twelve grammar rules	45 min
12	Second full timed test	75 min
13	Only the topics you missed twice	45 min
14	Light review of your sheets; check ID and route; sleep	20 min

If you have one week, keep days 1, 2 to 4 (weakest section), 7 and 12, and sit the exam after a rest day. If you have a month, give each required section three days and take a full timed test every Saturday.

How should I pace each HESI A2 section?

About a minute a question in most sections. Use the checkpoints at the halfway mark, and answer every question before time runs out.

Pace and checkpoints are our arithmetic from the counts schools publish.
Section	Questions, minutes	Even pace	Halfway checkpoint
Math	55 in 50	55 s	Question 28 at 25 min
Reading Comprehension	55 in 60	65 s	Question 28 at 30 min
Vocabulary and General Knowledge	55 in 50	55 s	Question 28 at 25 min
Grammar	55 in 50	55 s	Question 28 at 25 min
Anatomy and Physiology	30 in 25	50 s	Question 15 at 13 min
Biology	30 in 25	50 s	Question 15 at 13 min
Chemistry	30 in 25	50 s	Question 15 at 13 min

Each section has its own clock and time does not carry over, so finishing grammar early does not help reading. Spend saved seconds within the section: on vocabulary and grammar most questions take 20 to 40 seconds, which leaves room for the few that need a second read.

A basic calculator is built into the test screen; you cannot bring your own. It is slower than mental arithmetic for easy sums, so save it for decimals and multi-step dosage.

The plan needs practice material. Here it is.

8 full HESI A2-style mocks for days 1 and 12, and 28 section drills for the days in between.

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 wins the most points in each section?

One habit per section. Each guide below has the full list, a free 12-question drill and a seven-day plan.

The trap that costs the most marks in each section, and how to avoid it

Math
55 s a question
Converting the wrong way: dividing when moving to a smaller unit. Ask "bigger or smaller unit?" before every conversion.
Reading Comprehension
65 s a question
A true detail offered as the main idea. It is in the passage, but it is too narrow.
Vocabulary and General Knowledge
55 s a question
Choosing the meaning of a similar-looking word: ingest and inhale, discrete and discreet, afebrile and febrile.
Grammar
55 s a question
Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the subject.
Anatomy and Physiology
50 s a question
Swapping pairs: osteoblast and osteoclast, tendon and ligament, afferent and efferent, mitral and tricuspid.
Biology
50 s a question
Using T instead of U when writing RNA.
Chemistry
50 s a question
Forgetting to convert mL to L in molarity questions.

What should I do on HESI A2 test day?

Arrive early with your ID, take every break between sections, start each section by reading the first question slowly, and never leave a blank.

Bring photo ID and whatever your testing site lists; check its rules the week before.
Eat beforehand and bring water for breaks: all seven sections take most of a day.
Start each section with a reset: the clock is new, and the last section does not matter now.
Mark nothing for later unless the section allows going back; answer, then move on.
With two minutes left, give an answer to every remaining question.

Scores reach your Evolve account within about 24 to 48 hours, with a percentage for each section and a cumulative score.

What if I do not pass the HESI A2 the first time?

Check your school's retake rule, then retake after fixing the section that fell short. The score report tells you exactly which one.

Retake rules are set by each school. Baylor, for example, allows at most three attempts with 60 days between them. Use the wait: work through that section's guide and drills, take one more full timed test, and rebook only when every required section clears the minimum with a margin. The HESI A2 exam guide covers how results are reported.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I study for the HESI A2?

Two weeks of about an hour a day suits most applicants who covered the subjects in school. Allow four weeks if your program requires all three sciences or it has been years since you studied them.

What is the hardest part of the HESI A2?

For most applicants it is whichever science section they have not studied recently, followed by reading under time pressure. Your own practice scores are the only reliable answer.

Can you pass the HESI A2 without studying?

Some applicants clear a 70% minimum cold, but per-section minimums of 75% to 80% rarely allow a weak section. A single practice test shows whether you need a week or a month.

What should I do the night before the HESI A2?

Check your ID, the testing site's rules and your route; review your conversion table and word-part list for 20 minutes; then stop and sleep. Last-minute cramming costs more in focus than it gains.

Should I guess on the HESI A2?

Yes. Scores are percent correct, so a blank and a wrong answer both score zero. Never leave a question empty.

Two weeks, every section above the line

8 full mocks, 28 section drills and every answer worked, in one payment with no subscription.