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HESI Frequently Asked Questions
HESI Exam Frequently Asked Questions
The HESI Admission Assessment (A2) is designed to assess the academic and personal readiness of prospective students for higher education. It is particularly well suited for prospective students in the health science fields, though it is applicable to basic skills for all potential students. The HESI A2 consists of nine different exams, seven of which focus on academic subject areas and two on personal assessment.
Individual component scores as well as composite scores are provided for the total number of academic exams that are administered.
These academically oriented subjects include:
- Basic Math
- Reading Comprehension
- Vocabulary and General Knowledge
- Grammar
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Anatomy and Physiology
The Learning Style and Personality Profile exams are available for the purpose of offering insights about student study habits, learning preferences, and dispositions as they relate to academic achievement. Schools of nursing decide which HESI A2 components will be required for their own applicants to complete.
These requirements as well as minimum cut scores are also decided by faculty who are guided by research and data. These requirements can change from one year to the next and from school to school, so be sure to carefully read your program’s requirements.
Many schools of nursing also include HESI’s Critical Thinking exam as an additional requirement of the entrance exam.
Applicants to the UTRGV nursing program must achieve 75% or higher on the required individual components of the HESI A2 Exam and a 750 or higher in Critical Thinking.
The UTRGV School of Nursing requires:
- Reading Comprehension
- Grammar
- Vocabulary and Knowledge
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Basic Math
- Critical Thinking
Applicants must also submit a valid comprehensive exam score where all sections above were taken in one sitting (only Critical Thinking may be taken in separate sitting). Cumulative HESI scores will not be valid or considered if a student did not take all sections (except Critical Thinking) in one sitting. There is no minimum comprehensive score, but it counts 20% of an applicant's rank points.
Applicants not meeting the minimum score requirements in any section are not considered or processed. Applicants submitting invalid exams and/or scores are not considered or processed.
See "HESI Requirements and Information" on the SON website for information regarding invalid score results for more details.
Students can prepare for HESI using the HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review Manual. The Review Manual contains a pre-test at the beginning of the text which helps you assess your areas of strength and weakness before using the text. Applicants also can practice on a comprehensive post–test is included at the back of the text and covers all of the subject areas included on the exam. The questions will also include rationales for correct/incorrect answers. There is also an Evolve companion site with two comprehensive practice exams to further assist your review and preparation for the HESI Admission Assessment Exam. Applicants may purchase this manual either from the UTRGV bookstore or directly online by following this link:
Yes, applicants may retest on Version 2 of the HESI Admission Assessment Exam for any components where the minimum score was not achieved after waiting three weeks between exams. Applicants may retake the exam or any section a total of two times in each academic year (September 1-August 31). Exam scores are only valid one year from the date of submission.
While there is no minimum for the Cumulative score, it counts 20% of your rank points. To obtain a new Cumulative score, all components except Critical Thinking must be taken in one sitting again.
HESI scores are only accepted until the application cycle closes; late scores are NOT accepted.
Applicants choosing to retest only need to test on the sections where the minimum score was not achieved. However, remember that to improve a cumulative score, all sections (except Critical Thinking) must be taken again. The School of Nursing will take the highest score from the valid exams that have been submitted. Exams scores that are over one year old from the date of submission are not considered and are invalid.
The HESI A2 Exam cannot be split into individual parts, so the exam is delivered with all components in-tact and the cost remains the same regardless of how many components you are testing on.
Yes, late scores are NOT accepted after the cycle closes. Applicants should plan accordingly. There is a three-week waiting period before retesting.
HESI policy requires a waiting period of three weeks before students are allowed to retest. UTRGV SON applicants are allowed ONLY two HESI exam attempts during an academic year (September 1-August 31). Version 1 is first attempt and Version 2 is for a second attempt.
HESI scores are only accepted until the application cycle closes; late scores are NOT accepted.
Applicants may schedule a second attempt three weeks after your original test date. Use your time between attempts to complete meaningful remediation by targeting your knowledge gaps. Make use of the online content provided on Evolve by reviewing missed content and completing the online item banks.
HESI scores are only accepted until the application cycle closes; late scores are NOT accepted under any circumstances.
Yes, since the HESI A2 is a weighted percentage of the admission criteria, some students choose to retest even when the 75% minimum or 750 for Critical Thinking is met. Retesting in these cases is not required. 20% of your rank points come from your Cumulative score. 20% of your rank points come from your Critical Thinking score. To obtain a new Cumulative score, all components except Critical Thinking must be taken in one sitting again.
HESI scores are only accepted until the application cycle closes; late scores are NOT accepted.
Per UTRGV admission policy, HESI A2 scores are valid for one year from the date of testing. HESI Scores must be less than one year old from the date you submit your application.
There is no minimum requirement for the Cumulative score. However, the Cumulative score counts for 20% of an applicant’s rank points.
To obtain a new Cumulative score, all components except Critical Thinking must be taken in one sitting again.
Access content relevant to your missed test items on the HESI A2 through your HESI Student Access link on Evolve.
You may review the HESI FAQs , or you may contact the UTRGV Edinburg/Brownsville Testing Centers :
- Edinburg Testing Services: testing@utrgv.edu or call (956) 665-7570
- Brownsville Testing Services: brtesting@utrgv.edu or call (956) 882-8875
As per the UTRGV Application Eligibility and Admission Requirements, applicants must achieve a 75% or higher on the (Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Math, Anatomy and Physiology) and a score of 750 on the Critical Thinking component. And submit a valid cumulative score where all sections were taken in one sitting (except Critical Thinking may be taken at a different time). There is no minimum cumulative score, but it counts 20% of your rank points.
HESI policy requires a wait period of three weeks before students are allowed to retest. UTRGV SON applicants are allowed two attempts at the HESI exam during an academic year (September 1-August 31).
Applicants choosing to retest only have to test on the sections where 75% was not achieved. However, to obtain a new cumulative score all sections (except Critical Thinking) must be taken again. The Cumulative Score counts 20% of the rank points Applicants may also retake Critical Thinking if they would like to improve that score. Critical Thinking is not averaged into the cumulative score, but it counts 20% of an applicants rank points.
Applicants choosing to retest will be tested on an alternate version of the HESI A2. Same content but different test items.
Be advised that the Admission Assessment Exam cannot be split into individual parts, so the exam is delivered with all components in-tact and the cost remains the same regardless of how many components you are testing on.
There are two HESI score sheets that you must download as PDFs:
- HESI scores for Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary & Knowledge, Anatomy and Physiology, and Math
- HESI Critical Thinking
Steps to Download:
- Log on to Evolve Elsevier
- Click on Student Access
- Click on Admission Assessment Report under Exam History (this is for the bar graph page of the HESI—save this document as a PDF)
- Go back to My Exams
- Click on the plus sign (+) next to Admission Assessment Report
- Critical Thinking will appear in the drop-down list. Click on View Results
- Click on Results Report.pdf under “View Your Detailed Scoring Report” on the right (save this document as a PDF)
HESI can be taken in person only at an authorized Prometric Test Center via a proctor at a physical location.
APPLICANTS WHO ELECT TO TAKE THE HESI EXAM VIA DISTANCE TESTING, MUST SIGN UP THROUGH UTRGV TESTING CENTER ONLY. Distance exams taken via Prometric or via distance testing at another university are not accepted by the UTRGV School of Nursing.
UTRGV will not accept any HESI Score results that are administered via Prometric (or other company) "at home". All HESI exams taken via Prometric must be taken in person at an authorized Prometric Center utilizing the instructions on the UTRGV Testing Center's webpage.
See instructions for HESI Distance Testing via Prometric utilizing the UTRGV Testing Center webpage instructions only. Applicants must use the UTRGV Department ID on the instructions.
Applicants may only take the HESI Exam twice in each academic year (no matter what method is selected). Applicants testing more that twice in the academic year, will need to reapply the next cycle.
Yes, but only if you take it in person at another college or university Testing Center, However, applicants are responsible for taking the sections required by UTRGV, including Critical Thinking. All UTRGV School of Nursing HESI requirements must be followed.
The UTRGV School of Nursing does not accept HESI exams taken VIA distance testing that were signed up for via another college or university.
If an applicant wants to take the exam via distance testing it must be taken via UTRGV Testing Center's instructions. Applicants must sign up through a UTRGV link to take it in person at an authorized testing center.
Applicants may only take HESI twice in each academic year whether taking the exam at a Testing Center or in person at a Prometric Center via UTRGV Testing Center.
Applicants must reapply for the next cycle if they took the exam more than twice in an academic year no matter where or what method of testing was selected.