HESI A2 Study Guide: How to Prepare for Your Required Subjects

Confirm your school’s requirements

Ask the admissions office which sections count toward your application and whether it uses a minimum composite score, section minimums, or both. Also confirm calculator rules and the waiting period for a retake.

• Required test sections

• Minimum score policy

• Testing deadline and accepted dates

• Retake and score-submission rules

Diagnose each required subject

Complete a short baseline set in every required subject. Track accuracy and time separately: low accuracy signals a knowledge gap, while good accuracy with slow pacing calls for repeated, timed application.

Rank topics as urgent, developing, or secure. Spend most of the week on urgent skills, but retain short mixed reviews so secure topics stay fresh.

Strengthen the core skills

Math practice should emphasize fractions, ratios, proportions, percentages, conversions, and multi-step word problems. Reading answers should be supported by the passage rather than outside knowledge. Build vocabulary through context and word parts, then apply grammar rules in complete sentences.

For anatomy and physiology, organize study by body system and trace how systems interact. In biology and chemistry, connect definitions to processes, diagrams, and simple applications.

Build a repeatable weekly rhythm

Rotate two subjects per study day: one demanding topic and one shorter review. Use the final part of each session to answer questions without notes, then schedule missed concepts for another attempt later in the week.

• Two focused content sessions

• One mixed-question session

• One error-log review

• One timed checkpoint each week

Approach test day calmly

Read every unit and qualifier carefully, eliminate choices that conflict with the passage or calculation, and move on when one item starts consuming the time needed for several others. Your preparation should make the process familiar, not make every question feel easy.