HESI A2-style practice: math, English, A&P, biology and chemistry: cram pack

Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)

Order of operations

parentheses → exponents → × ÷ (left to right) → + − (left to right)

Fractions

a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd, a/b × c/d = ac/bd, a/b ÷ c/d = a/b × d/c

Percent

p% of N = (p/100)·N; percent = part/whole × 100

Percent change

(new − original)/original × 100

Discount, then tax

price × (1 − d/100) × (1 + t/100)

Proportion

a/b = c/d → ad = bc

Mean, median, mode, range

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

1. Read the last sentence first: what exactly is asked, and in which unit or form (lowest terms, nearest cent, one decimal place)?
2. Write the numbers in one form: turn mixed numbers into improper fractions, percents into decimals, and hours and minutes into one unit.
3. 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.
4. Work one step at a time and write each line down; round only at the very end.
5. 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

Temperature

°C = (°F − 32)·5/9, °F = °C·9/5 + 32

24-hour clock

PM hours 1–11: add 12; 12 AM = 00:xx; 12 PM = 12:xx

Dose rate

mcg/min × 60/1000 = mg/h

Laboratory factors

glucose 1 mmol/L = 18 mg/dL; creatinine 1 mg/dL = 88.4 µmol/L; Hb 1 g/dL = 10 g/L

Method

1. Write the given quantity with its unit and the unit you want.
2. 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.
3. Write it as a fraction so that the unwanted unit cancels; for a rate, use one fraction per unit that changes.
4. Check the direction: a smaller unit gives a bigger number.
5. Round only the final answer, to the precision the question names.

Reading comprehension (entrance exams)

Method

1. Read the question first so you know what you are looking for.
2. Skim the passage for its topic and main point; the first or last sentence often states it.
3. Go back to the exact lines that answer the question.
4. For inferences, choose the option the clues most strongly support, not one that goes further.
5. For labels and tables, apply every rule that fits the case and do the small calculation carefully.

Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)

Method

1. Read the whole sentence and look for a context clue: a definition, a contrast, an example or a cause and effect.
2. Split an unfamiliar word into prefix, root and suffix and translate each part.
3. Read a medical term from the suffix back to the start (hepat-itis: inflammation of the liver).
4. Put each option into the sentence and check that the meaning still fits.
5. Choose the meaning used in this sentence, even if the word has another everyday meaning.

English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)

Method

1. Find the subject and the verb of the sentence before choosing a form.
2. Strip away phrases (of the …, along with …) and extra people (you and …) to test agreement and pronoun case.
3. Check each clause: can it stand alone? Join independent clauses with a comma + conjunction or a semicolon.
4. Check modifiers and lists: the describing phrase next to its word, items in the same form.
5. For word choice and register, pick the precise, formal and concise option.

Biology for nursing entrance exams

Method

1. Name the topic of the question: cell parts, transport, division, DNA and protein synthesis, inheritance, biomolecules, microorganisms or experimental design.
2. 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.
3. For crosses, write the parents’ genotypes, list the gametes and fill a Punnett square before counting.
4. For experiments, label the independent, dependent and controlled variables, and ask whether the evidence supports or only suggests the conclusion.
5. Check each option against the question asked, not just whether it is a true statement.

Chemistry for nursing entrance exams

Method

1. Identify what is given and asked: particles, a formula, a state change, a concentration, a pH or a mass.
2. Use the periodic table: the atomic number gives protons, the group gives valence electrons and the usual ion charge.
3. Balance equations with coefficients only, element by element, oxygen and hydrogen last.
4. For amounts, go mass → moles → mole ratio → moles → mass, and for solutions use M = mol/L and C₁V₁ = C₂V₂.
5. Remember that pH is logarithmic: one unit is a factor of 10.