How long is the HESI A2 exam?
The HESI A2 takes about 4 to 5 hours, depending on which sections your school requires. The recommended times for the five core academic sections add up to 3 hours 55 minutes (Reading 60, Vocabulary 50, Grammar 50, Math 50, Anatomy and Physiology 25), and the learning style and personality profile add about 30 more. Schools usually cap the session somewhere between 4 hours and 4 hours 45 minutes.
In more detail
The time and the section list are not fixed. Elsevier, which makes the HESI A2, publishes recommended times per section, and each school picks which sections to require and how long to give you. Examples from nursing programs: one college allots 4 hours 15 minutes in total, another gives a maximum of 4 hours 45 minutes, and a third runs the exam under a four-hour limit. Some schools add Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Critical Thinking, which makes the session longer.
Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar and Math have 55 questions each, of which 50 count and 5 are unscored pilot questions. Anatomy and Physiology has 30. The learning style and personality sections are short and not graded. You sit all required sections in a single session, so plan for one long block with a clear head, and for check-in on top. Bring a government ID with your name exactly as it appears on your account.
Use the recommended times as a pacing guide. That works out to roughly one minute per question in every section. If a section runs long, move on from a hard question rather than losing minutes you need later. Ask your school how it handles breaks and any extra time for accommodations.
HESI A2 sections with recommended times
| Section | Questions | Recommended time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 55 | 60 minutes |
| Vocabulary and General Knowledge | 55 | 50 minutes |
| Grammar | 55 | 50 minutes |
| Basic Math Skills | 55 | 50 minutes |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Learning style and personality profile | About 30 | About 30 minutes, not graded |
Step by step
- 1
Ask your school which sections it requires and what total time limit it sets.
- 2
Add up the recommended times for those sections and keep a margin.
- 3
Practice at the right pace: roughly one minute per question.
- 4
Do at least one full-length practice run so the stamina does not surprise you.
- 5
On test day, bring the ID that matches your account name and arrive early.
How StudyPDF helps
StudyPDF cannot shorten the exam, but it can get you ready to run it at pace. Put your HESI A2 prep chapters, class notes and missed questions into a course, and it builds flashcards, quizzes and timed practice sets, then tracks per concept what still trips you up. Set the test date in the Plan tab for dated sessions up to the day. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card needed.
See also
More questions
How many questions are on the HESI A2?
The four English and Math sections have 55 questions each (50 scored, 5 pilot) and Anatomy and Physiology has 30, which makes 250 for the five core sections. Learning style and personality add about 30 ungraded questions.
Can you take the HESI A2 in more than one sitting?
Not for a single attempt. Schools run the required sections in one session. If you need to retake a section, you do that later under your school's retake rules.
Do it on your own course
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