HESI A2 Study Guide: Subjects and Study Plan

Where to Start With HESI A2 Prep

Start your HESI A2 study plan by confirming which subjects your nursing or healthcare program requires. Take a baseline practice set in each required subject, group mistakes by topic, review the weakest concepts, and retest with new questions. Add timed practice only after your accuracy improves.

What Subjects Should You Study?

The HESI Admission Assessment evaluates academic knowledge used by nursing and healthcare programs. Programs can base admission decisions on different subject combinations, so use your school’s current admissions instructions—not a generic online checklist—to determine what you must prepare for.

Elsevier’s current HESI Admission Assessment review covers seven core academic subjects:

Mathematics

The Mathematics assessment focuses on foundational calculations used in healthcare education. Review fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, conversions, and multi-step problems, then use HESI A2 Math practice to check whether you can apply each process without notes.

Reading Comprehension

Reading questions assess your ability to identify main ideas and supporting details, interpret meaning in context, and make logical inferences from a passage. Use HESI A2 Reading practice to distinguish comprehension errors from rushed reading.

Vocabulary and General Knowledge

This subject covers word meaning, context clues, spelling, and vocabulary commonly encountered in health-science education. When using HESI A2 Vocabulary practice, record unfamiliar terms and revisit them in different contexts instead of memorizing one answer choice.

Grammar

Grammar preparation should cover parts of speech, sentence structure, agreement, punctuation, and common usage errors. After completing HESI A2 Grammar practice, review the rule behind each mistake so you can apply it to a new sentence.

Biology

Biology review may include cells, biological molecules, metabolism, cellular respiration, and other foundational life-science concepts. Use HESI A2 Biology practice to identify whether you need more work on terminology, processes, or relationships between concepts.

Chemistry

Chemistry topics include matter, atomic structure, bonding, chemical equations and reactions, and the periodic table. HESI A2 Chemistry practice is most useful when you separate calculation mistakes from gaps in the underlying concept.

Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy and Physiology assesses terminology, body structures, organ systems, and how those systems function. Use HESI A2 Anatomy and Physiology practice to find the specific systems that require further study rather than reviewing the entire subject equally.

Step 1: Confirm Your Program Requirements

Before studying, find the HESI A2 requirements published by every program where you intend to apply. Record:

• the required subject exams;
• any minimum composite or subject scores;
• testing and retake rules;
• the deadline by which scores must be submitted;
• whether the program provides its own timing or testing instructions.

There is no single passing score that applies to every institution. Your target should come from the program’s published requirement, with enough preparation to perform consistently above that threshold.

Step 2: Establish a Baseline

Complete a focused set of questions in each required subject without notes. The purpose is not to predict your final result from one attempt. It is to identify which topics need the most work.

For every missed or uncertain answer, record whether the cause was:

• a missing fact, rule, formula, or concept;
• a misunderstanding of the question;
• an incorrect process or calculation;
• rushed work or poor pacing;
• guessing between similar choices.

This produces a useful study list. A total score alone does not explain what to review next.

Step 3: Review the Weakest Topics

Prioritize repeated weaknesses instead of giving every subject equal study time. Use the HESI A2 study-guide hub to review the underlying concept, then answer a new set of questions on that topic.

A productive review cycle is:

1. Study one narrowly defined concept.
2. Explain the concept or process without looking at your notes.
3. Answer unfamiliar questions.
4. Review both wrong answers and correct guesses.
5. Retest later to confirm that the improvement lasts.

Avoid repeatedly taking the same memorized set. Recognition is not the same as being able to solve a new question.

Step 4: Combine Subject Practice With Timed Work

Use untimed questions while learning or correcting a weak concept. Once your accuracy becomes consistent, introduce timing to evaluate pacing and concentration.

Move through these stages:

• focused questions in one weak topic;
• mixed questions within one subject;
• a timed subject set;
• a longer HESI A2 practice exam covering the subjects you are required to take.

After timed practice, identify where time was lost. Slow recall, rereading, calculation setup, and getting stuck on one question require different corrections.

Step 5: Use a Weekly HESI A2 Study Plan

Build each week around your baseline results:

• Early week: Review the two weakest concepts.
• Midweek: Complete focused practice and analyze mistakes.
• Later week: Retest those concepts with unfamiliar questions.
• End of week: Complete a mixed or timed set and update the next week’s priorities.

Continue reviewing stronger subjects periodically so they do not decline while you focus on weaker areas.

How to Know When You Are Ready

No study guide or practice test can guarantee a particular admission result. Look for consistent evidence instead:

• Your practice performance is above your program’s published requirement.
• Weak topics improve across unfamiliar question sets.
• You can explain why incorrect options are wrong.
• Your accuracy remains stable when practice becomes timed.
• You can complete calculations and reasoning steps without notes.

If one required subject remains inconsistent, return to focused review before taking another full simulation.

Start Your HESI A2 Review

Begin with the HESI A2 preparation hub, choose the subjects required by your program, and use your results to decide what to study next.

Official HESI References

• Elsevier HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review
• Elsevier HESI Admission Assessment scoring guide