HESI A2 study guide and study plan
The official HESI A2 study guide is Elsevier’s Admission Assessment Exam Review, written by HESI: 192 pages covering math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology, with a pre-test, a post-test and over 200 practice questions online. The 6th edition costs $45.99 in print.
Get notified when the HESI A2 question bank launches →
The Elsevier HESI A2 study guide
The Elsevier HESI A2 study guide is the Admission Assessment Exam Review, 6th edition, published in June 2024. It comes from the testing experts at HESI and walks you through the topics and question types of the HESI Admission Assessment exam, with sample questions in every section and HESI Hints boxes with test-taking tips.
Its math chapter has step-by-step explanations and sample problems. A 25-question pre-test at the start shows your weak areas, and a 50-question comprehensive post-test at the back has rationales for correct and incorrect answers.
Source: Elsevier — Admission Assessment Exam Review, 6th Edition (HESI). Checked 18 October 2026.
The HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review book: format and price
The HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review book has 192 pages and costs $45.99 in print; Elsevier also sells it as an eBook. The Evolve companion website adds comprehensive practice exams with over 200 questions and rationales.
If you search for a HESI book or a HESI A2 prep book, this is the one written by the exam’s publisher. Any other HESI A2 study material should be checked against the same seven subject areas.
Source: Elsevier — Admission Assessment Exam Review, 6th Edition (HESI). Checked 18 October 2026.
HESI A2 biology study guide and the science sections
Biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology are separate subject areas in Elsevier’s review book. A HESI A2 biology study guide on its own only helps if your school includes biology; many schools list anatomy and physiology but not every science section.
Check your school’s list first. Example: Gwinnett Technical College has its nursing applicants take all sections, while dental hygiene applicants take only reading, vocabulary, and anatomy and physiology.
Source: Example school: Gwinnett Technical College — HESI A2. Checked 18 October 2026.
A HESI A2 study plan built on your sections
A HESI A2 study plan starts with the sections your school requires and the score it expects in each. Take the review book’s pre-test, rank the sections by how far you are from your school’s minimum, and study the weakest first. Finish with the 50-question post-test and the Evolve practice exams under timed conditions.
Use your school’s pacing guidance if it publishes any. Example: Gwinnett Technical College suggests 60 minutes for reading, 50 each for vocabulary, grammar and math, and 25 for anatomy and physiology, as a pacing guideline only.
Source: Example school: Gwinnett Technical College — HESI A2. Checked 18 October 2026.
HESI study guide, HESI exam study guide or HESI A2 test study guide?
Elsevier’s HESI family includes the Admission Assessment, Specialty Exams, the Exit Exam, Case Studies and Practice Tests. A general HESI study guide or a study guide for the HESI exam at the end of nursing school is not the same as a HESI A2 exam study guide. Make sure the HESI exam study guide you buy names the Admission Assessment or A2 on the cover.
A HESI A2 test study guide should cover math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology, because those are the areas in Elsevier’s own review.
Source: Elsevier — HESI Review Solutions for Nursing. Checked 18 October 2026.
HESI case study on COPD with pneumonia: not part of the A2
Searches like HESI case study on COPD with pneumonia refer to HESI Case Studies, an Elsevier product for nursing students: unfolding patient care scenarios that challenge students to manage complex conditions. They are used during nursing school, not to prepare for the admission exam.
Elsevier’s case study topic lists were not readable on the pages we checked, so we do not list them here. For the HESI A2, stay with the review book and the A2 subject areas.
Source: Elsevier — HESI Review Solutions for Nursing. Checked 18 October 2026.
From study guide to readiness
A study guide teaches the content; exam-style practice shows whether it holds under time pressure. Certsqill’s HESI A2 question bank has expert-developed questions, an explanation for every answer option and a readiness score per section.
HESI A2 study guide: questions people ask
What is the official HESI A2 study guide?
Elsevier’s Admission Assessment Exam Review by HESI, 6th edition. Source: Elsevier, checked 18 October 2026.
How much is the HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review book?
$45.99 in print. Source: Elsevier Health, checked 18 October 2026.
What does the HESI A2 study guide cover?
Math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology. Source: Elsevier, checked 18 October 2026.
Does the HESI A2 study guide include practice tests?
Yes: a 25-question pre-test, a 50-question post-test with rationales, and over 200 practice questions on the Evolve companion site. Source: Elsevier, checked 18 October 2026.
Do I need to study every HESI A2 section?
Only the ones your school requires. Example: Gwinnett Technical College dental hygiene applicants take three sections. Source: GTC, checked 18 October 2026.
Are HESI Case Studies part of the HESI A2?
No. Elsevier sells HESI Case Studies as unfolding patient care scenarios for nursing students. Source: Elsevier, checked 18 October 2026.
