sum/count; middle of ordered list; most frequent; max − min
Length, capacity, time
1 km = 1000 m, 1 m = 100 cm, 1 ft = 12 in, 1 yd = 3 ft, 1 mi = 5280 ft, 1 gal = 4 qt = 16 cups, 1 h = 60 min
Temperature
°F = °C·9/5 + 32, °C = (°F − 32)·5/9; a change of 1 °C = 1.8 °F
Area
rectangle l·w, triangle ½·b·h, circle π·r²
Perimeter and circumference
rectangle 2l + 2w, circle π·d = 2π·r
Volume
box l·w·h, cylinder π·r²·h; 1000 cm³ = 1 L
Speed
distance ÷ time (time in hours for mph or km/h)
Method
Read the last sentence first: what exactly is asked, and in which unit or form (lowest terms, nearest cent, one decimal place)?
Write the numbers in one form: turn mixed numbers into improper fractions, percents into decimals, and hours and minutes into one unit.
Pick the method: PEMDAS for expressions, a common denominator for adding fractions, part ÷ whole × 100 for percents, cross-multiplying for proportions, inverse operations for equations.
Work one step at a time and write each line down; round only at the very end.
Check the size of the answer with an estimate, and put an equation’s answer back in.
Nursing math & unit conversions
Metric steps
1 kg = 1000 g, 1 g = 1000 mg, 1 mg = 1000 mcg, 1 L = 1000 mL
Weight and length
1 kg = 2.2 lb, 1 lb = 16 oz, 1 in = 2.54 cm, 1 ft = 12 in
Household measures
1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 fl oz = 30 mL, 1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL
Write the given quantity with its unit and the unit you want.
Pick the equivalent: 1000 between kg, g, mg and mcg or L and mL; 1 kg = 2.2 lb; 1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 fl oz = 30 mL, 1 cup = 240 mL.
Write it as a fraction so that the unwanted unit cancels; for a rate, use one fraction per unit that changes.
Check the direction: a smaller unit gives a bigger number.
Round only the final answer, to the precision the question names.
Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Method
Read the question first so you know what you are looking for.
Skim the passage for its topic and main point; the first or last sentence often states it.
Go back to the exact lines that answer the question.
For inferences, choose the option the clues most strongly support, not one that goes further.
For labels and tables, apply every rule that fits the case and do the small calculation carefully.
Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Method
Read the whole sentence and look for a context clue: a definition, a contrast, an example or a cause and effect.
Split an unfamiliar word into prefix, root and suffix and translate each part.
Read a medical term from the suffix back to the start (hepat-itis: inflammation of the liver).
Put each option into the sentence and check that the meaning still fits.
Choose the meaning used in this sentence, even if the word has another everyday meaning.
English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Method
Find the subject and the verb of the sentence before choosing a form.
Strip away phrases (of the …, along with …) and extra people (you and …) to test agreement and pronoun case.
Check each clause: can it stand alone? Join independent clauses with a comma + conjunction or a semicolon.
Check modifiers and lists: the describing phrase next to its word, items in the same form.
For word choice and register, pick the precise, formal and concise option.
Biology for nursing entrance exams
Method
Name the topic of the question: cell parts, transport, division, DNA and protein synthesis, inheritance, biomolecules, microorganisms or experimental design.
Recall the key rule: A–T and G–C, diffusion from high to low, water moves towards more solute, mitosis keeps and meiosis halves the chromosome number.
For crosses, write the parents’ genotypes, list the gametes and fill a Punnett square before counting.
For experiments, label the independent, dependent and controlled variables, and ask whether the evidence supports or only suggests the conclusion.
Check each option against the question asked, not just whether it is a true statement.
Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Method
Identify what is given and asked: particles, a formula, a state change, a concentration, a pH or a mass.
Use the periodic table: the atomic number gives protons, the group gives valence electrons and the usual ion charge.
Balance equations with coefficients only, element by element, oxygen and hydrogen last.
For amounts, go mass → moles → mole ratio → moles → mass, and for solutions use M = mol/L and C₁V₁ = C₂V₂.
Remember that pH is logarithmic: one unit is a factor of 10.
2Practice problems
1.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Medium
A pair of shoes costs $89.25. It is on sale at 20% off, and a sales tax of 6% is added to the sale price. What is the final price P? Round to the nearest cent.
$89.25−20%+6%
P = $
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Hard
Solve for x: 2(x − 5) = 3x − 18.
2(x − 5) = 3x − 18
x =
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 180 cm tall. Using 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in inches. Round to one decimal place.
180 cm1 in = 2.54 cm
h = in
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An infusion delivers 4 mcg/min. Express this dose rate D in mg/h.
4 mcg/min1 h = 60 min1 mg = 1000 mcg
D = mg/h
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Medium
Paragraph: “Many students struggle to focus at home. Phones buzz, family members talk, and the TV is often on. A quiet library can be a better place to study.” What is the author’s main point?
AA library may be a better place to study.
BStudents study best with friends at home.
CFamilies should watch less TV in the evening.
DStudents should turn off their phones at night.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Hard
The author writes: “Since the hospital started a quiet hour from 2 to 3 p.m., patients report sleeping better. However, the survey asked only patients on one ward, during one week.” What does the second sentence do?
AIt shows patients slept worse.
BIt limits how far the result can be applied.
CIt proves it works on every ward.
DIt explains why the quiet hour started.
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “The patient’s skin felt clammy.”
ARough and scaly
BItchy and red
CCool and damp
DHot and dry
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Hard
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “The patient’s decline was precipitous.”
ATemporary
BExpected and minor
CVery sudden and steep
DSlow and gradual
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the correct word: “All hospital ___ must complete the safety training.”
Apersonnel
Bpersonals
Cpersonal
Dpersons’
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Hard
Which sentence uses “e.g.” correctly?
ABring a healthy snack, eg. fruit or nuts.
BBring a healthy snack, e.g., fruit or nuts.
CBring e.g., a healthy snack, fruit or nuts.
DBring a healthy snack e.g fruit or nuts.
11.Human anatomyMedium
Which type of epithelium lines most of the trachea?
ASimple cuboidal epithelium
BStratified squamous epithelium
CTransitional epithelium
DPseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
12.Human anatomyHard
When inserting a chest drain or needle into the pleural space, why is it placed just above the upper border of a rib?
AThe lung does not reach the area above each rib
BThe intercostal muscles are absent above each rib
CThe pleura is thickest just above each rib
DThe intercostal vein, artery and nerve run along the lower border of each rib
13.Human physiologyMedium
What is the main effect of vagus nerve stimulation on the heart?
AIt constricts the coronary arteries
BIt increases the heart rate
CIt increases ventricular contractility strongly
DIt slows the heart rate
14.Human physiologyHard
Which substance's clearance is used as the gold standard to measure glomerular filtration rate?
ACreatinine
BUrea
CGlucose
DInulin
15.Biology for nursing entrance examsMedium
How does cytokinesis differ between animal cells and plant cells?
AAnimal cells pinch in with a furrow; plant cells build a cell plate
BOnly animal cells carry out cytokinesis
COnly plant cells carry out cytokinesis
DAnimal cells build a cell plate; plant cells pinch in with a furrow
16.Biology for nursing entrance examsHard
A pesticide that is not broken down is sprayed on crops. Later, hawks at the top of the food chain have much higher levels of it than the insects. Why?
AHawks eat the crops directly, so they take in the most pesticide of all
BThe pesticide is broken down faster in insects than in plants
CHawks make the pesticide in their own bodies
DEach predator eats many prey, so the pesticide builds up at each level
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsMedium
At constant temperature, the volume of a gas is halved. What happens to its pressure?
AIt stays the same
BIt halves
CIt becomes four times smaller
DIt doubles
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsHard
Steel can be protected from rusting by coating it with zinc (galvanising). Why does the steel stay protected even if the zinc coating is scratched?
AZinc turns the iron into a noble metal
BZinc is less reactive than iron, so it pushes oxygen and water away from the iron
CZinc absorbs all the water from the air
DZinc is more reactive than iron, so it corrodes instead of the iron
3Solutions
1.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: P = 75.68 $
Discounts and sales tax: a discount of d% leaves (100 − d)% of the price; a tax of t% adds t% of the discounted price. Work in that order: price × (1 − d/100), then × (1 + t/100). Round money to the nearest cent only at the end.
Sale price
$89.25 × 0.8 = $71.40
Add the tax
P = $71.40 × 1.06 = 75.684 ≈ $75.68
Answer
P = $75.68
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: x = 8
Solving equations: do the same thing to both sides until x stands alone. Undo operations in reverse order: first undo addition or subtraction, then multiplication or division. Clear parentheses with the distributive property, a(x + b) = ax + ab, and collect the x terms on one side. Check the answer by substituting it back.
Distribute
2x − 10 = 3x − 18
Collect terms
-1x = −8
Divide
x = −8/-1 = 8
Answer
x = 8
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 70.9 in
Household measures and weight: nursing exams use rounded equivalents: 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 mL, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 mL = 3 tsp, 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 30 mL = 2 tbsp, and 1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL. For weight, 1 kg = 2.2 lb and 1 lb = 16 oz; for length, 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Set the conversion up so that the unit you do not want cancels out.
Centimetres to inches
h = 180/2.54 = 70.87 ≈ 70.9 in
Answer
h = 70.9 in
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: D = 0.24 mg/h
Dimensional analysis: write the given quantity, then multiply by conversion factors written as fractions (for example 60 min/1 h or 1 mg/1000 mcg) so that each unwanted unit appears once on top and once underneath and cancels. When only the wanted unit is left, calculate. Use the equivalents the question gives and round only the final answer.
Set up the chain
D = 4 mcg/min × (60 min/1 h) × (1 mg/1000 mcg)
Calculate
D = 4·60/1000 = 0.24 mg/h
Answer
D = 0.24 mg/h
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: A · A library may be a better place to study.
Why this is the answer
The details about phones, family and TV explain why home is distracting, which supports the main point that a library can be better for studying.
Answer
A · A library may be a better place to study.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: B · It limits how far the result can be applied.
Why this is the answer
The second sentence notes that the evidence comes from one ward over one week, so the result may not apply generally.
Answer
B · It limits how far the result can be applied.
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: C · Cool and damp
Why this is the answer
Clammy skin is cool and moist with sweat.
Answer
C · Cool and damp
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: C · Very sudden and steep
Why this is the answer
Precipitous means happening very suddenly or steeply, like a fall from a cliff.
Answer
C · Very sudden and steep
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: A · personnel
Why this is the answer
“Personnel” (stress on the last syllable) means the employees of an organisation. “Personal” is an adjective meaning private or belonging to one person.
Answer
A · personnel
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: B · Bring a healthy snack, e.g., fruit or nuts.
Why this is the answer
“e.g.” is written with two full stops, follows a comma and comes right before the examples. “i.e.” (that is) would restate rather than give examples.
Answer
B · Bring a healthy snack, e.g., fruit or nuts.
11.Human anatomy
Answer: D · Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Why this is the answer
Respiratory epithelium is pseudostratified ciliated columnar with goblet cells. Mucus traps particles and cilia move it up towards the pharynx.
Answer
D · Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
12.Human anatomy
Answer: D · The intercostal vein, artery and nerve run along the lower border of each rib
Why this is the answer
The intercostal neurovascular bundle (vein, artery, nerve from above down) lies in the costal groove under each rib. Going just above the rib below avoids it.
Answer
D · The intercostal vein, artery and nerve run along the lower border of each rib
13.Human physiology
Answer: D · It slows the heart rate
Why this is the answer
The vagus releases acetylcholine on muscarinic receptors in the SA and AV nodes, slowing pacemaker firing and AV conduction.
Answer
D · It slows the heart rate
14.Human physiology
Answer: D · Inulin
Why this is the answer
Inulin is filtered freely and is not reabsorbed or secreted, so its clearance equals GFR exactly. Creatinine is slightly secreted, so it overestimates GFR a little.
Answer
D · Inulin
15.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: A · Animal cells pinch in with a furrow; plant cells build a cell plate
Why this is the answer
In animal cells a ring of protein filaments pinches the cell in two along a cleavage furrow. Plant cells have a stiff wall, so they build a new cell plate across the middle, which becomes the new wall.
Answer
A · Animal cells pinch in with a furrow; plant cells build a cell plate
16.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: D · Each predator eats many prey, so the pesticide builds up at each level
Why this is the answer
A stable pesticide is stored in the body rather than excreted. Each organism at a higher level eats many organisms from the level below, so the concentration rises along the food chain. This is how DDT harmed birds of prey.
Answer
D · Each predator eats many prey, so the pesticide builds up at each level
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: D · It doubles
Why this is the answer
P₁V₁ = P₂V₂, so halving V doubles P. The same particles hit a smaller area more often.
Answer
D · It doubles
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: D · Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it corrodes instead of the iron
Why this is the answer
Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it is oxidised in preference and gives up electrons to protect the exposed iron. This is called sacrificial protection.
Answer
D · Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it corrodes instead of the iron
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