A HESI practice test prepares you for the HESI A2, the entrance exam Elsevier makes for nursing and health programs, and the most useful one covers only the sections your program requires. Jungle turns what you are already studying (your HESI review book chapters, prerequisite course notes and class slides) into practice questions with explanations, then brings back the ones you miss every day until test day.
Below: what the A2 contains, how long it is and how it is scored, using Elsevier's descriptions and five schools' official HESI pages as examples (each school sets its own rules), how it differs from the HESI Exit exam, and how to build your practice in Jungle.
What is on the HESI A2?
The HESI Admission Assessment, or HESI A2, is Elsevier's entrance exam for nursing programs and for health professions programs such as dental hygiene and radiographic technology. Elsevier describes it as a way for programs to evaluate applicants' existing knowledge in the areas most important for success in the program.
The A2 is a set of separate exams rather than one long test. Allegany College of Maryland's HESI page lists seven academic exams in three areas, plus a learner profile:
| Area | Exams | What they cover, per Allegany's page |
|---|---|---|
| English language | Reading comprehension; vocabulary and general knowledge; grammar | Reading passages (main idea, words in context, inferences); vocabulary used in everyday English and in health care; parts of speech and common grammar errors |
| Math | Basic math skills | Fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures and other math used in health care |
| Science | Biology; chemistry; anatomy and physiology | Biology basics and cells; matter, reactions, the periodic table and bonding; general terminology and anatomical structures and systems |
| Learner profile | Learning style; personality profile | Your preferred learning style and personality, with study tips based on them |
Allegany adds that there is no physics section on its exam: physics appears in the study guide, but that version is only used for radiology programs. Elsevier also offers versions of the A2 with a critical thinking exam added, for RN, PN and health professions programs, according to its A2 faculty guide.
Which HESI A2 sections does your school require?
Your program, not Elsevier, decides which of those exams you take. When a school schedules the A2, it selects the exam sections, and the estimated exam time changes with what it picks. That is why official requirements differ from one program to the next:
| School and program | Sections it uses | Minimum score it publishes |
|---|---|---|
| Temple College, ADN | Reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, math; also the personality profile and learning style, which are not scored | 80 in each of the three scored sections |
| University of Arizona, MS-MEPN | Math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, biology | 75% or higher, averaged across the four |
| Lamar State College Orange, ADN or RN transition | Its composite score comes from reading, vocabulary, grammar, math, and anatomy and physiology | A composite of 75, at least 75% in anatomy and physiology and in math, and 80 in reading comprehension |
| Gateway Technical College, nursing and practical nursing | Reading, vocabulary, grammar, math, anatomy and physiology, critical thinking, personality profile, learning style | On a separate eligibility page |
| Gateway Technical College, dental hygiene | Reading, vocabulary, anatomy and physiology | On a separate eligibility page |
Before you study, find your own program's HESI page and write down three things: the sections, the minimum score for each, and how many attempts you get. Then skip what isn't tested. The University of Arizona, for example, says extra sections such as chemistry are not used in its score average.
How many questions are on the HESI A2, and how long is it?
It depends on the sections your school gives, and schools' pages don't publish identical counts. Two examples, as each school lists them:
| Section | Temple College (page dated April 14, 2026) | Gateway Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension | 47 questions, 60 minutes | 55 questions, 60 minutes recommended |
| Vocabulary and general knowledge | 50 questions, 50 minutes | 55 questions, 50 minutes recommended |
| Grammar | Not required | 55 questions, 50 minutes recommended |
| Math | 50 questions, 50 minutes | 55 questions, 50 minutes recommended |
| Anatomy and physiology | Not required | 30 questions, 25 minutes recommended |
| Critical thinking | Not required | 30 questions |
| Personality profile | Required, not scored | 15 questions |
| Learning style | Required, not scored | 15 questions |
Allegany College of Maryland notes that each of its 55-item sections is 50 scored items plus 5 pilot items, and each 30-item science section is 25 scored items plus 5 pilot items. Total time is set per program as well: Gateway allows 4.5 hours for nursing and 3.5 hours for dental hygiene, and the University of Arizona allows 4 hours.
Temple lists its sections as multiple choice, with fill-in-the-blank questions in math too, and says an online calculator is available in math. Whether you get a calculator is a setting your school turns on or off.
How is the HESI A2 scored?
Allegany says you get a score for each academic exam you take, and that those scores are also combined into sub-scores by area, and Lamar State College Orange builds a composite score from reading, vocabulary, grammar, math, and anatomy and physiology. Temple says the learning style and personality profile are not graded.
Temple, Arizona and Lamar State College Orange publish their own minimum scores, and they differ (see the table of requirements). Temple also won't combine scores from different testing sessions: a qualifying score has to come from a single sitting.
Your school controls when you see results, too. Elsevier's faculty guide lets a program show scores after each section, only after all sections, or not at all during the exam, and set a benchmark score: for any concept where you score below it, you receive personalized study content.
Can you retake the HESI A2?
All four schools below describe retakes, each with its own limits. Elsevier offers two versions of the exam, one for first-time testers and one for second-time testers. The limits come from your program:
- Temple College: 2 attempts per academic year (September to August), repeating all 3 required sections each time. Scores from the past 2 years are accepted, from in-person testing only.
- University of Arizona: up to 2 attempts per application cycle; scores expire after 1 year.
- Lamar State College Orange: twice in an application period; scores are valid for one year.
- Gateway Technical College: at least 30 days between the first attempt and the retake.
HESI A2 vs the HESI Exit exam
They come at opposite ends of nursing school. You take the A2 to get in. The HESI Exit Exam is for nursing students getting ready for the NCLEX licensing exam: Elsevier says it measures readiness for the NCLEX with question formats and an exam blueprint matching the current NCLEX test plan, and that it includes online remediation. During the program, schools can also give HESI Specialty Exams on specific nursing content areas. Elsevier offers a similar admission, modular and exit lineup to health professions programs.
If you searched for a HESI practice test because your program gives the Exit or specialty exams, practice from your nursing course itself: see NCLEX practice questions from your own notes. Jungle has no HESI Exit template or question bank.
How to make a HESI A2 practice test with Jungle
1. Make one study set per required section
Start from your program's list. For each section, gather what you study from: the matching chapter of your HESI review book, your notes and slides from courses such as anatomy and physiology, biology or chemistry, and any grammar or math handouts. Leave out the sections your program doesn't use.
2. Upload each set
Upload a PDF, PowerPoint, Word file or photos of your pages, or a recorded class as an audio or video file. Links work too: a YouTube video, a web page or a Google Doc. Each question Jungle writes notes the page or minute of your material it came from, so you can look it up when an answer surprises you.
3. Match the questions to the section
- Vocabulary and grammar: multiple choice and true / false questions make quick drills on word meanings and rules. For long word lists, flashcards work too (see the AI flashcard maker).
- Math: Jungle can quiz you on the rules and steps in your notes; work the problems by hand as well. Add free response questions when you want to produce an answer rather than pick one.
- Science: multiple choice for terms and structures, and case questions (advanced difficulty) when you want to apply an idea to a short scenario.
- Reading comprehension: this section tests a skill more than content, so timed reading passages are the main practice. Jungle is more useful for the other sections.
Choose how many questions you want (low, medium or high, with an estimate first), basic or advanced difficulty, and the language of the questions.
For a long anatomy and physiology chapter, Jungle can also turn the document into notes with a chat beside them that gives a simpler version, an analogy or a mnemonic. More ideas: anatomy and physiology study tips.
4. Answer on your school's clock, then ask why
Use the minutes your program publishes. On Temple's numbers, math is 50 questions in 50 minutes, so a minute a question. When an answer surprises you, have Jungle explain the answer or the mistake you made. Free accounts get a set number of explanations per hour, and paid plans remove that limit.
5. Bring back your misses every day
Questions you get wrong come back in your daily review (spaced repetition), so the grammar rules from your first week of studying are still fresh on test day. In the last week, make a longer practice test from each required section's material with the practice exam generator (choose a high question count) and take them back to back on your school's clock.
Official HESI A2 practice material
Elsevier's review book, Admission Assessment Exam Review (6th edition, March 2024), covers math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology, with a 25-question pre-test at the start and a 50-question post-test at the end. Take the pre-test early to find your weak sections, then use Jungle for daily practice on those sections from the chapters and notes you are studying.
What Jungle doesn't do
- It has no HESI question bank or HESI template. Jungle has no questions from Elsevier; every question is written from the material you upload.
- It isn't connected to Elsevier or any school. Elsevier doesn't endorse Jungle, and only your program can tell you its sections, minimum scores and retake rules.
- Check what it writes. Its questions come from your material, and AI can get things wrong. If a question looks wrong, compare it with your book or notes, then edit or delete it.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free HESI practice test on Jungle?
Jungle doesn't come with a ready-made HESI test. On the free plan you can still make practice questions from your own material each month, with no ads, and everything you make stays available to study. See what the free plan includes and pricing.
How many questions are on the HESI A2?
It depends on your school's sections. Temple College lists 47 reading, 50 vocabulary and 50 math questions; Gateway Technical College lists 55 questions for each English and math section and 30 for anatomy and physiology.
What is a passing score on the HESI A2?
Your school sets it, and the numbers differ. Temple College asks ADN applicants for 80 in each of its three scored sections, and the University of Arizona asks for an average of 75% or higher across its four sections.
Can I take the HESI A2 online?
Elsevier offers HESI exams in person or with live remote proctoring, but your school decides what it accepts. Temple College, for example, no longer accepts scores from remotely proctored exams.
Is there a calculator on the HESI A2?
It's a setting your school chooses. Temple College and Lamar State College Orange both say a calculator is available in the math section.
What if my program asks for the ATI TEAS instead?
The same approach works: see the ATI TEAS practice test page.
Can I study on my phone?
Yes. Jungle runs on the web and has iPhone and Android apps, so a daily review fits into a break between classes.
