HESI A2 Practice Questions

Determining academic preparation for success as a nurse is critical. If a candidate has deficiencies in math, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, reading comprehension, and grammar, he or she will have a difficult time mastering the required academic course content. The following are HESI A2 practice questions with an explanation of the answer.

Practice Question 1

Areas of mathematics include:

A. Algebra and geometry
B. Probability and statistics
C. Trigonometry and calculus
D. All of the above

D: Mathematics is a formal science of structure, order, and relationships and is considered the basic language and foundation of all the other sciences. It evolved from counting, measuring, and describing shapes.

Practice Question 2

Which of the following is not a discipline in biology?

A. Botany
B. Ecology
C. Zoology
D. Microbiology

B: Life science, or biology, is the study of living organisms, their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution. This science studies how living things began, divides them into species, and describes what they do, as well as how they interact with and relate to each other and the rest of the natural world. Disciplines in the life sciences are grouped by the organisms they study.

Practice Question 3

What are context clues?

A. Indirect learning hints
B. Nouns and verbs
C. Modifiers
D. Titles

A: These indirect learning hints include definitions, descriptions, examples, and restatements. Since most words are learned by listening to conversations, people use this tool all the time, even if they do it unconsciously. But to be effective when reading, context clues must be used judiciously because the unfamiliar word may have several subtle variations, meaning the context clues could be misinterpreted.

Practice Question 4

According to Erik Erikson, what is the major task of adolescence?

A. Trust versus mistrust
B. Initiative versus guilt
C. Identity versus role confusion
D. Intimacy versus isolation

C: Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development with the major task of each are: