Which HESI A2 Sections Does My School Require?
7 min read · Updated
The single most useful thing to understand about the HESI A2 is that there is no such thing as 'the' HESI A2. Elsevier publishes up to ten possible sections, and each nursing program chooses which ones its applicants sit. Two people can both say they are taking the HESI next month and be sitting completely different exams.
This catches people out constantly. They buy a study book covering all ten sections, work through it for six weeks, and sit an exam with four. Or worse, they skip a section their program does require because a forum post said it was optional.
The ten possible sections
| Section | Typical questions | Typical time | How often required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 50 | 50 min | Almost always |
| Reading Comprehension | 47 | 60 min | Almost always |
| Vocabulary & General Knowledge | 50 | 50 min | Almost always |
| Grammar | 50 | 50 min | Almost always |
| Anatomy & Physiology | 25 | 25 min | Often |
| Biology | 25 | 25 min | Sometimes |
| Chemistry | 25 | 25 min | Rarely |
| Physics | 25 | 25 min | Very rarely |
| Critical Thinking | 30 | 30 min | Occasionally, often unscored |
| Personality / Learning Style | — | — | Not scored, nothing to study |
Question counts and timings vary slightly between test versions, and published sources disagree with each other. Treat the numbers above as the shape of the exam rather than a guarantee, and take your program's own documentation over anything else including this page.
The core four
Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar are required by the overwhelming majority of programs. If you are studying before you have confirmed your section list, start with these. You will not be wasting the time.
Together they run to roughly 197 questions and about three and a half hours, which is longer than the entire TEAS. People who assume the HESI is shorter because it is modular are usually wrong.
The science sections
Anatomy & Physiology is the fifth most commonly required section and the one most likely to be added on top of the core four. Biology appears reasonably often. Chemistry and Physics are unusual, and if your program requires either, it will say so prominently — these are not sections that get sprung on people.
The last two sections are not exams
The Personality Profile and Learning Style assessments are not scored and cannot be passed or failed. They exist so the program can advise you on how you learn. There is nothing to study and no wrong answers. Answer honestly and move on.
How to find out, in about ten minutes
- Search for your program's name plus 'HESI A2 requirements'. Most nursing programs publish the section list on their admissions page.
- If it is not there, look for the admissions handbook or the pre-nursing advising page — it is very often in a PDF rather than on the page itself.
- If you still cannot find it, email the admissions office and ask two specific questions: which sections are required, and what minimum score each one needs.
- Ask about the minimum in the same email. Schools that require the section almost always set a floor on it, and you need both numbers.
Ask about the score policy too
While you have their attention, ask whether they take your best score, your most recent score, or an average across attempts. Programs differ, and the answer changes whether a retake can help you or actively hurt you.
What to do once you know
Build your study plan around the sections you will actually sit, and weight it towards whichever is furthest from your school's minimum rather than whichever you find most interesting. Most programs score each required section separately, so your weakest section is the one that decides your application.
Our practice tests are built section by section for exactly this reason. Sit the four everyone needs, and add the sciences your program asks for.