Overview
The HESI A2 (Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment) is a standardised, proctored entrance exam published by Elsevier on its Evolve platform. US nursing and other healthcare-education programmes use it to screen applicants before admission, checking whether a candidate has the academic knowledge the programme expects on day one.
Who can apply
The HESI A2 is taken by applicants to nursing and allied-health education programmes. A candidate does not approach Elsevier directly to decide whether to take it — the specific programme a candidate is applying to requires it as part of its own admissions process, and that programme also decides which of the component exams below its applicants must sit.
Exam pattern
The HESI A2 is a bank of separate component exams grouped into four areas. A programme chooses which components to require, so not every candidate sits every exam.
| Area | Component exams |
|---|---|
| English language | Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary & General Knowledge |
| Math | Basic Math |
| Science | Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics |
| Learning profile | Learning Style / Personality Profile |
Each science component runs about 25 minutes. A candidate taking the full battery of exams should expect the session to run around four hours in total.
Marking and results
Each component exam a candidate takes produces its own percentile score, and a composite score is calculated by averaging the scores of all the components completed. Elsevier's own research on the A2 treats a composite score of 75–79% as satisfactory academic preparation for applicants to associate's or bachelor's-level healthcare programmes, and 70–79% as satisfactory for applicants to certificate-level programmes such as practical nursing or medical assisting. The Learning Style / Personality Profile component is not scored for academic readiness. Individual programmes set, and may raise, their own required cutoff score.
Fees
Elsevier does not publish one fixed HESI A2 fee: the admitting programme sets and collects the fee through the candidate's Evolve account, so the amount (in USD) varies by institution.
How to apply
Registration is not done directly with Elsevier as a standalone purchase. A candidate's programme supplies the enrolment details (a course-specific link or code) needed to register. The candidate then creates or logs into an Evolve account, registers for the HESI A2 (or the specific à-la-carte exams the programme requires) under the HESI Secured Exams section, and completes payment — referencing the payment notification the programme's instructor sends, or using the codes the instructor provides. The programme also arranges where the exam is taken: at its own testing centre, or remotely through proctoring.
Preparation tips
Elsevier sells its own HESI A2 preparation materials through Evolve, including the Admission Assessment Exam Review title and the HESI Preparation Suite, covering the same topics the exam tests: math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, anatomy & physiology and physics. These include practice questions with explanations and instructional videos. After a candidate takes the real exam, Elsevier also offers remediation content aimed at the specific content areas where that candidate scored weakest.
Who needs to take the HESI A2?
Applicants to nursing and other healthcare-education programmes in the US, when the specific programme they are applying to requires it as part of admissions.
Do I register for the HESI A2 directly with Elsevier?
No. A candidate registers through an Evolve account using enrolment details supplied by the programme they are applying to, not as a standalone purchase from Elsevier.
What does the HESI A2 cover?
A bank of component exams across four areas — English language (Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary & General Knowledge), Math, Science (Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and a Learning Style / Personality Profile. Each programme chooses which components its applicants must take.
How is the HESI A2 scored?
Each component exam gives a percentile score, and a composite score averages the components a candidate completed. Elsevier's research treats 75–79% as satisfactory for associate's/bachelor's-level programmes and 70–79% for certificate-level programmes, but each programme sets its own required cutoff.