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
The line graph shows the number of people in a waiting room every 2 hours, from hour 0 to hour 10. By how much Δ did the value change from hour 0 to hour 4? Use a negative number for a decrease.
Δ =
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)Hard
A box of 30 gloves is shared between three wards in the ratio 2 : 1 : 3. How many gloves x does the first ward get?
302 : 1 : 3
x =
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A newborn weighs 8 lb 14 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 14 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 delivers 1.5 mg/h. Express this dose rate D in mcg/min. Round to one decimal place.
1.5 mg/h1 mg = 1000 mcg1 h = 60 min
D = mcg/min
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Medium
“The new phone is lighter, has a bigger screen and lasts longer on a single charge than the old model. It also costs more.” Which is a disadvantage of the new phone?
AIt costs more.
BIt has a bigger screen.
CIts battery lasts longer.
DIt is lighter.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Hard
“The writer describes the city at rush hour as ‘a river of cars that hardly moved’.” What does this metaphor suggest?
AThe city has many bridges.
BThe traffic was heavy and slow.
CThe road was flooded with water.
DThe cars were moving very fast.
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “The patient was cooperative during the examination.”
AVery sleepy
BConfused and lost
CWilling to follow instructions
DRefusing all care offered by the staff
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Hard
What does the term endometriosis mean?
ATissue like the uterine lining growing outside the uterus
BSurgical removal of the uterine lining
CCancer of the neck of the uterus
DInflammation of the lining inside the uterus after childbirth
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Medium
Which is the correct plural of “crisis”?
Acrisises
Bcrisi
Ccrises
Dcrisis’s
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Hard
Which revision corrects the fragment? “The nurse who works on the third floor.”
AThe nurse, who works on the third floor.
BWho works on the third floor, the nurse.
CThe nurse who works on the third floor, and my aunt.
DThe nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
11.Human anatomyMedium
Which is the largest nerve in the human body?
AVagus nerve
BFemoral nerve
CMedian nerve
DSciatic nerve
12.Human anatomyHard
Why is the proximal pole of the scaphoid at risk of avascular necrosis after a waist fracture?
AIts blood supply enters mainly from the distal end
BIt is drained by a single vein that clots easily
CIts only artery runs through the lunate
DIt has no blood supply at all
13.Human physiologyMedium
Which ion enters the cell to cause the depolarisation phase of a typical neuronal action potential?
APotassium (K⁺)
BSodium (Na⁺)
CChloride (Cl⁻)
DCalcium (Ca²⁺)
14.Human physiologyHard
In pernicious anaemia, autoimmune destruction of gastric parietal cells leads to anaemia because:
AGastrin is lost, so the bone marrow is no longer stimulated
BPepsin is lost, so haemoglobin cannot be made
CAcid is lost, so iron is never absorbed in any form
DIntrinsic factor is lost, so vitamin B12 is not absorbed
15.Biology for nursing entrance examsMedium
What happens during telophase of mitosis?
AThe DNA is copied for the next division
BThe sister chromatids are pulled apart
CA nuclear envelope forms around each set of chromosomes
DThe chromosomes line up across the middle of the cell
16.Biology for nursing entrance examsHard
The wings of a bat and the wings of a butterfly are used for flying but have very different structures. What are they called, and what does this show?
AHomologous structures, which have the same bones inside
BVestigial structures, which no longer have a function
CHomologous structures, which were inherited from a shared ancestor
DAnalogous structures, which evolved separately for the same job
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsMedium
How does evaporation differ from boiling?
AEvaporation happens only at the surface and at any temperature; boiling happens throughout the liquid at a set temperature
BEvaporation produces a solid, while boiling produces a gas
CEvaporation needs a higher temperature than boiling
DEvaporation happens throughout the liquid at a set temperature; boiling happens only at the surface
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance examsHard
A scuba diver breathes compressed air deep underwater. Why must the diver breathe out while swimming up to the surface?
AOxygen turns to liquid at the surface
BThe water gets warmer near the surface
CThe air in the lungs expands as the outside pressure falls
DThe air in the lungs shrinks as the outside pressure falls
3Solutions
1.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: Δ = 40
Reading charts and tables: read the title, the categories and the scale first. On a bar chart or line graph, follow the top of the bar or the point across to the vertical axis; every gridline is one step of the scale. A pie chart shows parts of a whole: a sector of p% stands for p% of the total and has an angle of p% of 360°.
Read the points
0 h: 30, 4 h: 70
Change
Δ = 70 − 30 = 40
Answer
Δ = 40
2.Pre-nursing math (entrance exam)
Answer: x = 10
Ratios and proportions: a ratio a : b compares two amounts. In a proportion two ratios are equal, a/b = c/d, and you solve it by cross-multiplying: a·d = b·c. To share an amount in the ratio m : n, divide it into m + n equal parts; one share is m parts, the other n parts.
One part
30/6 = 5
Share
x = 2 × 5 = 10
Answer
x = 10
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: m = 4.03 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
14 oz/16 = 0.875 lb
8 + 0.875 = 8.875 lb
Pounds to kilograms
m = 8.875/2.2 = 4.034 ≈ 4.03 kg
Answer
m = 4.03 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: D = 25 mcg/min
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 = 1.5 mg/h × (1000 mcg/1 mg) × (1 h/60 min)
Calculate
D = 1500/60 = 25 mcg/min
Answer
D = 25 mcg/min
5.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: A · It costs more.
Why this is the answer
Being lighter, bigger-screened and longer-lasting are advantages. A higher price is the disadvantage the passage mentions.
Answer
A · It costs more.
6.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: B · The traffic was heavy and slow.
Why this is the answer
Comparing the traffic to a river shows how many cars there were, and “hardly moved” shows it was slow. There was no real water.
Answer
B · The traffic was heavy and slow.
7.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: C · Willing to follow instructions
Why this is the answer
Cooperative means willing to work with others and help.
Answer
C · Willing to follow instructions
8.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: A · Tissue like the uterine lining growing outside the uterus
Why this is the answer
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the endometrium grows outside the uterus; endometritis is inflammation of the lining.
Answer
A · Tissue like the uterine lining growing outside the uterus
9.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: C · crises
Why this is the answer
Nouns ending in -is form the plural by changing -is to -es: crisis → crises, analysis → analyses, diagnosis → diagnoses.
Answer
C · crises
10.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: D · The nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
Why this is the answer
“Who works” belongs to a relative clause, so the subject “The nurse” still needs its own verb. A adds the main verb “is”.
Answer
D · The nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
11.Human anatomy
Answer: D · Sciatic nerve
Why this is the answer
The sciatic nerve (L4–S3) leaves the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen and supplies the hamstrings and all the muscles below the knee. Skin on the inner side of the leg is supplied by the saphenous nerve instead.
Answer
D · Sciatic nerve
12.Human anatomy
Answer: A · Its blood supply enters mainly from the distal end
Why this is the answer
Branches of the radial artery enter the scaphoid mainly distally and flow backwards. A fracture through the waist can cut off the proximal pole, causing avascular necrosis.
Answer
A · Its blood supply enters mainly from the distal end
13.Human physiology
Answer: B · Sodium (Na⁺)
Why this is the answer
Voltage-gated Na⁺ channels open and Na⁺ rushes in, depolarising the membrane. K⁺ outflow then repolarises it.
Answer
B · Sodium (Na⁺)
14.Human physiology
Answer: D · Intrinsic factor is lost, so vitamin B12 is not absorbed
Why this is the answer
Parietal cells secrete intrinsic factor, needed for B12 absorption in the terminal ileum. B12 deficiency impairs DNA synthesis and causes megaloblastic anaemia.
Answer
D · Intrinsic factor is lost, so vitamin B12 is not absorbed
15.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: C · A nuclear envelope forms around each set of chromosomes
Why this is the answer
In telophase the chromosomes arrive at the poles and uncoil, and a new nuclear envelope forms around each set. Cytokinesis then completes the division into two cells.
Answer
C · A nuclear envelope forms around each set of chromosomes
16.Biology for nursing entrance exams
Answer: D · Analogous structures, which evolved separately for the same job
Why this is the answer
Analogous structures have similar functions but evolved independently in unrelated groups, a process called convergent evolution. Homologous structures share an origin, even if their functions differ.
Answer
D · Analogous structures, which evolved separately for the same job
17.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: A · Evaporation happens only at the surface and at any temperature; boiling happens throughout the liquid at a set temperature
Why this is the answer
In evaporation, fast-moving surface molecules escape at any temperature. In boiling, vapour bubbles form inside the liquid once its vapour pressure equals the outside pressure.
Answer
A · Evaporation happens only at the surface and at any temperature; boiling happens throughout the liquid at a set temperature
18.Chemistry for nursing entrance exams
Answer: C · The air in the lungs expands as the outside pressure falls
Why this is the answer
Water pressure decreases on the way up, so the gas in the lungs expands. If the diver holds their breath, the expanding air can over-stretch and injure the lungs.
Answer
C · The air in the lungs expands as the outside pressure falls
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