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
Work out 3 3/4 ÷ 1/2. Click the answer in lowest terms.
3 3/4 ÷ 1/2
11 1/2
21 7/8
32/15
47 1/2
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Hard
Use the order of operations to find the value of x: x = −5² + 9 × 5.
x = −5² + 9 × 5
x =
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A newborn weighs 8 lb 11 oz. Using 1 lb = 16 oz and 1 kg = 2.2 lb, find the weight m in kilograms. Round to two decimal places.
8 lb 11 oz1 lb = 16 oz1 kg = 2.2 lb
m = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An infusion starts at 19:05 and finishes at 00:05 the next morning (24-hour clock). How many hours t did it run? Give the answer in hours as a decimal, rounded to two decimal places.
19:0500:05
t = h
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Medium
“By the end of the first week, Aisha had memorised the names of all thirty children in her class. By the end of the month, she knew which of them liked maths and which loved drawing.” What can you infer about Aisha?
AShe is a teacher who takes an interest in her pupils.
BShe is a nurse checking the health of the children.
CShe is a parent helping out at the school for one day.
DShe is a new pupil who keeps forgetting names.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Hard
In the sentence “The patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly overnight, so the team moved her to intensive care,” what does “deteriorated” most likely mean?
AWas measured
BImproved
CStayed the same
DBecame worse
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease.”
AHealthy and balanced
BStressful
CInactive, with much sitting
DVery active
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Hard
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “Severe dehydration can be fatal.”
ACausing death
BShort-lived
CPainful
DEasily treated
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the correct word: “The thermometer, ___ was new, broke on the first day.”
Awho
Bwhich
Cwhom
Dwhose
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Hard
Choose the correct verb for formal (especially American) English: “The policy requires that every visitor ___ a mask.”
Awearing
Bwear
Cwears
Dwore
11.Human anatomyMedium
Which muscle is the main extensor of the elbow?
ATriceps brachii
BCoracobrachialis
CBiceps brachii
DBrachialis
12.Human anatomyHard
A footballer takes a blow to the outside of the planted knee. Which combination of injuries is classically called the "unhappy triad"?
AMedial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament and patella
BAnterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and patellar ligament
CAnterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus
DPosterior cruciate ligament, lateral collateral ligament and lateral meniscus
13.Human physiologyMedium
During which phase of the cardiac cycle are all four heart valves closed while ventricular pressure rises?
ARapid filling
BIsovolumetric contraction
CAtrial systole
DRapid ejection
14.Human physiologyHard
In the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, where is angiotensin I mainly converted to angiotensin II?
AIn the kidneys' juxtaglomerular cells
BIn the adrenal cortex
CIn the lungs
DIn the liver
15.Biology for nursing entrance examsMedium
What do the spindle fibres do during cell division?
AThey attach to chromosomes and move them to the poles
BThey digest the old cell membrane
CThey make the new nuclear envelope
DThey copy the DNA of each chromosome before the cell divides
16.Biology for nursing entrance examsHard
Two parents are both carriers of cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive disorder. They have three children. What is the probability that none of the three is affected?
A27/64
B9/16
C1/64
D3/4
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsMedium
A reaction is at equilibrium. More of one reactant is added. According to Le Chatelier's principle, what happens?
AThe reaction stops completely
BNothing changes
CThe equilibrium shifts toward the products
DThe equilibrium shifts toward the reactants
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsHard
A sealed bag of crisps (potato chips) packed at sea level looks puffed up when it is carried to a high mountain. Why?
AThe bag becomes thinner and weaker at altitude
BThe gas inside the bag is heated strongly by the mountain sunlight
CThe outside air pressure is lower, so the gas inside expands
DMore gas is produced by the crisps at altitude
3Solutions
1.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: 7 1/2
Multiplying and dividing fractions: first turn mixed numbers into improper fractions (2 1/3 = 7/3). To multiply, multiply the numerators and the denominators. To divide, keep the first fraction, change ÷ to ×, and flip the second fraction (multiply by its reciprocal). Cancel common factors and write the result in lowest terms as a mixed number.
Improper fractions
3 3/4 = 15/4
1/2 = 1/2
Multiply by the reciprocal
15/4 ÷ 1/2 = 15/4 × 2/1 = 30/4
Simplify
30/4 = 7 1/2
Answer
7 1/2
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: x = 20
Order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS): work inside parentheses first, then exponents (powers), then multiplication and division from left to right, and last addition and subtraction from left to right. Multiplication does not come before division, and addition does not come before subtraction: each pair is done in the order it appears. A negative number in parentheses keeps its sign when squared: (−3)² = 9, but −3² = −9.
One operation at a time
−5² means −(5²) = −25: the exponent comes before the minus sign.
x = −5² + 9 × 5
= −25 + 9 × 5
= −25 + 45
Result
x = 20
Answer
x = 20
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: m = 3.95 kg
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.
Ounces to pounds
11 oz/16 = 0.6875 lb
8 + 0.6875 = 8.688 lb
Pounds to kilograms
m = 8.688/2.2 = 3.949 ≈ 3.95 kg
Answer
m = 3.95 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: t = 5 h
24-hour clock: from 1 PM onwards add 12 to the hour (3:45 PM = 15:45). Midnight to 12:59 AM is 00:00–00:59, and 12:00–12:59 PM stays 12:00–12:59. Going back, subtract 12 from hours 13–23 and add PM; hours 00 become 12 AM. Count time across midnight in two parts: up to 24:00 (00:00), then from 00:00 on.
Before midnight
19:05 → 24:00 = 295 min
After midnight
00:00 → 00:05 = 5 min
Total
295 + 5 = 300 min
t = 300/60 = 5 h
Answer
t = 5 h
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: A · She is a teacher who takes an interest in her pupils.
Why this is the answer
“Her class” of thirty children and learning their interests suggest a teacher who cares about her pupils. A new pupil who keeps forgetting names does not fit, since she memorised them all in a week.
Answer
A · She is a teacher who takes an interest in her pupils.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: D · Became worse
Why this is the answer
Moving the patient to intensive care suggests her condition became worse.
Answer
D · Became worse
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: C · Inactive, with much sitting
Why this is the answer
Sedentary means involving little physical activity.
Answer
C · Inactive, with much sitting
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: A · Causing death
Why this is the answer
Fatal means causing death.
Answer
A · Causing death
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: B · which
Why this is the answer
“Which” is used for things in a nonessential clause. “Who” and “whom” refer to people.
Answer
B · which
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: B · wear
Why this is the answer
The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb, even with a singular subject: “that every visitor wear”. British English often uses “should wear” instead, but US-style exams expect the subjunctive.
Answer
B · wear
11.Human anatomy
Answer: A · Triceps brachii
Why this is the answer
Triceps brachii inserts on the olecranon of the ulna and extends the elbow. Biceps and brachialis are elbow flexors.
Answer
A · Triceps brachii
12.Human anatomy
Answer: C · Anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus
Why this is the answer
A valgus force with rotation tears the MCL, the ACL and the medial meniscus, which is firmly attached to the MCL.
Answer
C · Anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus
13.Human physiology
Answer: B · Isovolumetric contraction
Why this is the answer
After the AV valves close, the ventricles contract against closed semilunar valves. Pressure rises with no volume change until the aortic and pulmonary valves open.
Answer
B · Isovolumetric contraction
14.Human physiology
Answer: C · In the lungs
Why this is the answer
Renin (kidney) cleaves angiotensinogen (liver) to angiotensin I, which ACE, mainly on pulmonary capillary endothelium, converts to angiotensin II.
Answer
C · In the lungs
15.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: A · They attach to chromosomes and move them to the poles
Why this is the answer
Spindle fibres are microtubules that attach to the centromeres. They line chromosomes up at metaphase and then pull sister chromatids (or homologous chromosomes in meiosis I) to opposite poles.
Answer
A · They attach to chromosomes and move them to the poles
16.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: A · 27/64
Why this is the answer
For each child, P(unaffected) = 3/4. For three independent children, multiply: 3/4 × 3/4 × 3/4 = 27/64, about 42%.
Answer
A · 27/64
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: C · The equilibrium shifts toward the products
Why this is the answer
Le Chatelier's principle: a system at equilibrium shifts to oppose a change. Adding reactant is opposed by making more product.
Answer
C · The equilibrium shifts toward the products
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: C · The outside air pressure is lower, so the gas inside expands
Why this is the answer
The bag is flexible, so the gas inside expands until its pressure matches the lower outside pressure. Fewer collisions from the outside let the bag swell (Boyle's law).
Answer
C · The outside air pressure is lower, so the gas inside expands
This is independent practice material. ExamProblems is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organisation that runs this exam, and the exam name is used only to describe the content. HESI is a trademark of Elsevier, which is not affiliated with ExamProblems and does not endorse it or vouch for its accuracy.