The HESI A2 examination stands for Heath Education Systems Incorporated Admissions Assessment and acts as a way to test a student’s potential success in an intense nursing program. Orvis School of Nursing uses the scores from the exam toward the end of the selection process; while your GPA earns you an interview spot, ultimately, the result of your interview and your HESI score determine whether or not you get into the nursing program. Half of the points in the exam focus on English skills based around your ability to read critically and to correct grammar mistakes. This may seem daunting to STEM students, but the Writing & Speaking Center is here to help.
Keep the main idea in mind when you are practicing passages in the practicing Comprehension section. You may be asked to identify this main idea. To clarify, the main idea of the passage is what the passage is trying to say overall; a statement about the main idea is usually included in the thesis or the argument. It might help to also think about the writer's tone and purpose.
Why is the author writing this? Are they trying to persuade, to argue, or to propose? Or maybe to advertise? What is the author trying to get from their audience? You can start by looking at their tone or how the passage is written. Are they using any rhetorical tools, like pathos or logos? How are they presenting the information? Is it purely factual, or are they calling attention to emotional facets of the information? The language an author uses can deliver you a lot of insight as to why they might be writing a passage. Look out for any rhetorical devices that might be present and think about why that author is using them. Once you've figured out the tone of the passage overall, you can begin to guess at why the author may have written that way.
If you’re having trouble deciding what the tone and the main idea are, a good strategy is to summarize. Try marking important information in the passage so that you can bullet point a quick summary that most accurately describes those key points. Be careful with how general or specific the summaries are--a summary is usually somewhere in the middle.
In addition to the main idea, try to make note of any important supporting details or evidence. Look for details that enhance, add context to, or otherwise complicate the main point of the section. Look for analogies, examples, and synthesis of outside sources. There will often be questions related to details that are found throughout the passage, and it can save time if you identify supporting details as you go rather than having to look back through the passage again.
Some questions will ask you to define a word in context, meaning that you are defining the word relative to the rest of the information. This can be tough because the words chosen are often ones with multiple (and sometimes unrelated) definitions. Try to think of how and why the word is used in this context. For example, if you were practicing about a "disease evolving," the test evaluators probably aren't talking about Darwin's specific theory of evolution but of the idea of gradually developing.
Part of your task is to make inferences about a text. Based on the information you read, you may have to make an "educated guess" about facts not included in the passage. For instance, if you were practicing about the negative effects of coffee, you might have to infer that people who drink a lot of coffee are at a higher risk of disease. When looking at test choices, think about related information from the passage to see if there is any support for your inference.
With these categories in mind, let's take a look at what a demo passage might look like.
Imagine that you're watching a volcano erupt while standing at a safe distance when, suddenly, you see flashes of lightning through the immense ash cloud spreading in front of you. You're confused, as it was a nice day today with no clouds. Wouldn't it be strange to witness this phenomenon? What you would be seeing is called volcanic lightning, also referred to as dirty lightning.
Volcanic lightning rarely begins right when an explosion starts, and it doesn't always happen in volcanic eruptions. Lightning usually forms when particles separate, doing so as a result of a collision or a larger particle breaking apart. Afterwards, a difference in the aerodynamics of these particles separates positive and negative charges. When the separation between these positive and negative charges grows, the air can't resist the flow of electricity, and lightning is created. However, the cause of volcanic lightning is still debated, but many scientists have speculated the way the process starts. Instead of positive and negative charges, some scientists have indicated that electrical charges occur when debris (like rocks and ash) make static charges by crashing into each other. The amount of water released during a volcanic eruption can also spur this lightning. So if you're ever near a volcano, or even if you can see an eruption off in the distance, make sure you look for lightning bolts in the plume.
Here are some questions you might see.
Ask yourself this question when you're thinking of the main idea. What's the most prominent idea in the passage above? It probably has something to do with the formation of volcanic lightning, and how that process might be different from normal lightning. Notice we don't need all the detail in the world--all we need is what the biggest, most important idea is.
If we look at the tone of the passage overall, it's pretty informative. It's clear the author isn't trying to manipulate or persuade us--the passage lacks any emotion at all, nor does it have directly address the reader except to have them imagine the phenomenon.
These questions can be really tricky because although the correct answer may be related to the passage, inference means that the passage does not directly have any information stated about it. For example, something that may not be implied in this passage is the statement “volcanoes are dangerous to humans.” While the narrative at the beginning may elicit emotions of fear and confusion, and previous knowledge may tell you that you shouldn’t get close to a volcano, nowhere does the passage talk about the effects of touching lava, the consequences of witnessing dirty lightening, or reasons why eruptions may be bad.
Contributor: Aly Sicat
Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) is computer-based, scholastic aptitude test that is used as one component of the selection process for the admission of students into the University of North Georgia's Department of Nursing.
The UNG nursing department requires that the HESI exam be taken at one of our testing locations or through a Prometric Exam Center which can be located anywhere around the country.
✔ You must provide a valid government issued photo ID.
✔ If you arrive fifteen minutes after your scheduled appointment time, you may not be allowed to test.
✔ Length of Exam: 3 hours 35 minutes
✔ Personal calculators are not permitted.
You will use your Evolve account username and password for registration and on the day of the exam.
Please register and pay your $94 administration fee payable by credit/debit card. If you have any questions, please contact your testing center’s office directly. All testing fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Note: You must use a different web browser other than Internet Explorer.
Prices/fees are subject to change without notice.
Establishing Connection...
The HESI A2 examination stands for Heath Education Systems Incorporated Admissions Assessment and acts as a way to test a student’s potential success in an intense nursing program. The Orvis School of Nursing uses the scores from the exam in their selection process; while your GPA earns you an interview spot, ultimately, the result of your interview and your HESI score determine whether or not you get into the nursing program.
This resource will explain some of the grammatical concerns that are important for you to know on the English portion of the HESI A2. While most people use these points of grammar every day, some people are not confident identifying or putting names to them. That’s why we’re here—through practice and seeing examples of grammar in action, you can become a pro at understanding and naming any type of grammatical function. With that in mind, you can use this resource to:
On the HESI A2, you may be asked to identify which part of a sentence is the subject and which part of a sentence is the predicate. Notice that the subjects in each example are in bold, while the verbs (which are part of the predicate) are underlined.
Most people understand the subject of the sentence as the person/place/object that is undergoing or doing some action. Sometimes the HESI A2 will ask you to identify the subject noun (or noun phrase) in a sentence. When asked to find the subject, look for who or what is “doing” the action in the sentence. Seek out the verb, and then you can figure out which noun attaches to that verb.
Because verbs are technically part of the predicate, it may seem useful to find that first, but once you’ve figured out the subject and verb of the sentence, finding the predicate phrase becomes simple. With the subject in hand, you can reliably assume that the predicate will follow.
Here are some common types of sentences you may see with a variety of subject nouns and phrases.
Now that we’ve found the subject, we can look for the predicate in these sentences.
The predicate tells us about the action of our subject. With the subject, we ask “who” is doing the action, but with the predicate we ask “what” and “how.”
Let’s take a look at our previous sentences to identify the predicate. The verb half of the predicate is bolded, while the actual predicate phrase is underlined.
In sentence 1, the subject “Robert” is completed by the predicate “opened a checking account…” because that last phrase gives us information about “what” action Robert is doing and “how” he is accomplishing the action.
While some sentences, like the first one, will be fairly straightforward, remember that groups of people or things can also be subjects (as in sentence 2), or even inanimate objects like foods, buildings, or locations (as in sentence 3).
Parts of speech
It is also important on the HESI A2 to understand the parts of speech and to understand the different variations within those parts of speech. This section will provide an overview of the different parts of speech.
Some of the following explanations are complex. While you might not be tested on each part of speech, you can assume that you will see some of them in the detailed way they are explained below. It’s useful to have these longer descriptions, then, because they will prepare you for most grammatical situations on the HESI A2.
As a last category to watch out for on the HESI A2, there may be questions asking you to choose between words that are commonly mistaken for other words. We’ve included some of the common mistakes that you might see on the grammar section.
The important thing is to remember the function of these words. “Their” is a possessive pronoun, meaning that it indicates who owns something—an easy mnemonic is to look for the “I,” because if an object belongs to me (or “I”), then it would be referred to as “their object.” “They’re,” on the other hand, is a contraction for “they are,” which can be simple if you remember that the “are” is just tacked on the end of the word (they’re). Lastly, “there” refers to a vague location, but it is easy to remember if you can distinguish the other two first.
”"It’s” is a contraction, short for “it is.” “Its” is a possessive pronoun. With just an apostrophe standing between these two forms, try to remember it like this: just like other possessive words (“mine” or “my”), “its” is a singular word with no conjunction or apostrophe. However, because the word “it’s” has an apostrophe to break it up, we can understand that it is two words connected together by that apostrophe.
This is a common mistake at all levels of education, but you can use this neat mnemonic to remember the distinction: “affect,” the word that begins with A, is the action, or the verb form. If you can remember that, then you can also remember that “effect” must be the noun version.
This one can be tricky, but it comes down to where the direct object (the thing being acted upon) is. If no object is being set down, then “lie” is the word you want (e.g. “He lies down on the sofa”). If there is an object that is being placed on something, then “lay” is the correct choice (e.g. “He lays the poster on the table.”).
Contributor: Aly Sicat
What entrance exams do you need to take to get into college? Most colleges or universities, including Saint Louis University, accept the SAT or ACT. Many, SLU included, are now test optional.
If you choose to take a college admission tests the score it can increase your eligibility for merit scholarships. Here are our answers to the most common questions about college entrance exams.
While many universities will accept scores from either the SAT or ACT, some will only consider one, so start off by checking the admission requirements of the colleges that interest you. If, like at SLU, scores from both college admission exams are accepted, learn a little bit more about each test to see which is best suited to you.
Can't decide? It is becoming more common to take both the SAT and the ACT, but it is certainly not required. Consider your ability to prepare for tests while balancing your school work and other activities. It may go without saying, but you'll do best on a test you are ready to take.
College admission exams are usually given early in the morning, so you might want to choose a testing site close to home so you are able to get as much sleep as possible the night before. If your high school offers college admission exam testing, consider taking your SAT or ACT there; you already know how to get there and are familiar with the building, which can take some stress out of test day.
Hint: Your local college or university might also be a test site — SLU is. And as a bonus, taking the test on campus gives you another chance to see what college life is like outside of a campus tour. Find out where you can take the ACT and where you can take the SAT.
College admission exams are typically offered every few months. In order to be considered for scholarships at many colleges and universities, you'll need to apply for admission (and include your SAT or ACT test score) by Dec. 1 of your senior year.
Give yourself enough time to prepare for the test, but don't wait until the last minute in case you want to take the SAT or ACT a second time to try getting a better score. Check out the test requirements of the colleges or universities you're thinking about attending or learn about SLU's application deadlines and admission requirements.
There are lots of tools to help you with ACT and SAT preparation. Check to see if your high school offers a college admission exam prep course, or talk to your parents about investing in a review course or a tutor. It might also be helpful to take practice questions like the PSAT or PACT first to see which exam suits you best or in which areas of the test you need improvement.
No matter how you decide to prepare, make sure to understand the different parts of the exams and skills they test. Both the ACT and SAT websites offer demo questions.
There might be a few extra steps for you if you currently attend high school in a country other than the U.S. Learn about SLU's admission requirements for international students.
Keep Exploring Be A Billiken
Adam Johnson is the lead instructor for test preparation workshops at UTSA. Adam has over 20 years of experience teaching standardized test preparation classes.
After teaching for several years for a leading test-preparation company, Adam taught English and test-preparation in Valencia, Spain. He has consistently scored in the 99th percentile on standardized tests including perfect scores on the GRE and LSAT.
He's not only an expert on the tests that he teaches, but also a devoted and energetic instructor who can communicate strategies to help others Strengthen their scores.
In 2015, UMass Lowell was the first public school in New England to go test optional. Our No Test Option is available to students applying now.
It’s better for students. Standardized tests can provide a useful snapshot, but they are just one indicator of a student’s potential. The outcome of one test shouldn’t disqualify a great student from studying here.
Not even a little. UMass Lowell will continue to increase selectivity as we grow. We want to enroll the best students, and the No Test Option is in line with that philosophy.
We cannot deliver a one-size-fits-all answer here. Choose the option that best reflects you. If you aren’t sure, ask your college counselor for advice.
Applicants who scored a 1120 or higher on the SAT or 23 or higher on the ACT are good candidates to submit test scores as part of the application process.
Applicants applying under the No Test Option should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and evidence of outstanding academic success throughout high school.
Applicants with a 3.0 GPA or better, with SAT or ACT scores below our suggested minimum scores are strongly encouraged to consider applying as a No Test applicant.
Just choose the No Test Option on your application.
Students can complete a form in their applicant portal to request to change to the No-Test Option. Requests to change from a test submitting student to the No Test Option must be made prior to notification of an admission decision.
Our admissions committee would like to offer you an opportunity to support your No Test Option application by submitting an additional 250-550 word essay that offers insights into your personal experience and background. Although an additional essay is not required, we would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about you and your potential contributions to the university. You may choose one of the following options:
Yes. Students will be automatically considered for a scholarship when reviewed for admission.
Most applicants can, but test scores are required for some home-schooled and international applicants.
Home-school applicants with a minimum of 12 transferrable college credits are eligible to participate in No Test. Please visit our Transfer Dictionary for information on transferrable credits. Home-school applicants applying for fall 2021 admission with less than 12 transferrable college credits may appeal the test score requirement. These applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
International first-year applicants: You may use the No Test option and waive the SAT or ACT and English proficiency exams (TOEFL, Duolingo, IELTS, Pearson Versant) if your secondary school provides written verification that the means of instruction is in English, you are enrolled in an IB curriculum, attend an international American School, or are enrolled in a curriculum that leads to Cambridge International Examinations: IGCSE/O-Level and GCE/A level exam.
Yes, however, students must submit an English proficiency exam (TOEFL, Duolingo, IELTS or Pearson Versant) exam to demonstrate English proficiency before being considered for admission as a No Test applicant.
Whether a student chooses to send scores or not, our decision process will be similar. We focus on academic achievement, rigor of high school coursework, and what we know about your personal qualities. We will make a decision based on your whole application.
Yes.
Technically, yes. Transfer counselors will work directly with applicants who fall into this category. Please contact Transfer Admissions by email at: transfer@uml.edu.
Admission for nursing is uniquely competitive, however we do accept No Test applications to our nursing program.
Given the competitive reality of nursing admission, we need to manage our application pool for nursing differently than the general application pool. One of the ways we do this is by requiring nursing applicants to apply by the January 5 Early Action II deadline.
Another way we manage this application pool is by elevating the criteria for admission based on the strength of the application pool and based on our enrollment goals. Because those variables change from year to year, we cannot provide a specific minimum threshold for GPA for consideration for nursing, but we can say that the suggested minimum of a 3.0 is likely to be significantly less than the actual GPA we will be able to consider for nursing. In prior years, a 3.5-3.75 has been a realistic range for minimum consideration as a No Test applicant. Nursing students can use this range as a reasonable expectation to help decide if applying No Test is right for you.
California Lutheran University is Test-Optional. Students seeking undergraduate admission are not required to submit standardized testing as a component of their application process.
This test optional policy aligns with the Office of Undergraduate Admission and its longstanding practice of holistic admissions. With an emphasis on student equity and access, the focus of evaluation will be based academic achievement, curriculum and rigor. This is further contextualized by letters of recommendation, access to resources and involvement beyond the classroom. The review process will also deliver consideration of the impact of an individual’s environment, community engagement and their ability to demonstrate success as a potential student at Cal Lutheran.
On the Common Application for Cal Lutheran, you will have the option to indicate if you wish for your test scores to be considered as part of your application.
If you indicate “No. I am applying test-optional,” we will not consider your ACT or SAT scores in your application review, regardless of how they are reported. For example, if you choose to apply test optional and will not be submitting test scores, and your scores appear on your high school transcript or in the self-reported score section of the Common Application, they will not be reviewed in the admission process. International students applying as test-optional will be contacted to complete an interview with an admission counselor.
You can change your Test-Optional status if your application has not been officially reviewed. Contact the Office of Admission to inquire about your application.
Regardless of test score submission, all students will be considered for admission scholarships up to $30,000, renewable annually. Students may also qualify for our Public Price Promise and Visual and Performing Arts Scholarships. View Scholarships
Students are still welcome to submit standardized testing if they believe it is an indication of their academic ability. They can either be submitted directly from ACT or College Board or using the Test score Form found in the Cal Lutheran application portal by the application deadline. Scores posted on the high school transcript or in the Common Application self-report section will not be considered.
Please note that your application will be considered complete once you have submitted all required materials and may be reviewed by our Admissions Committee even if your ACT/SAT scores have not been received.
Cal Lutheran's Test-Optional Policy is subject to change at the discretion of the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
When completing your Common Application, indicate that you want to apply as test optional.
Yes, but only if you contact us to update your test-optional status before your application has been officially reviewed.
As long as you indicate on your application that you are applying test optional, we will not use scores when reviewing your file.
Yes. All applicants are considered for most merit based and institutional scholarships.
No. Transfer students with less than 30 units are required to submit official high school transcripts and official transcripts for all college institutions attended.
Transfer students with more than 30 units will be evaluated on their college performance only.
Yes. If you have taken the SAT or ACT more than once, we will take the highest scores you earned in each section.
Yes, you can submit self-reported scores using the Test Score Form found in your Cal Lutheran application portal. We do not accept self-reported scores from the Common Application or transcripts. Enrolling students who were admitted with self-reported scores will be required to verify those scores by submitting an official score report prior to starting classes.
Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) is computer-based, scholastic aptitude test that is used as one component of the selection process for the admission of students into the University of North Georgia's Department of Nursing.
The UNG nursing department requires that the HESI exam be taken at one of our testing locations or through a Prometric Exam Center which can be located anywhere around the country.
✔ You must provide a valid government issued photo ID.
✔ If you arrive fifteen minutes after your scheduled appointment time, you may not be allowed to test.
✔ Length of Exam: 3 hours 35 minutes
✔ Personal calculators are not permitted.
You will use your Evolve account username and password for registration and on the day of the exam.
Please register and pay your $94 administration fee payable by credit/debit card. If you have any questions, please contact your testing center’s office directly. All testing fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Note: You must use a different web browser other than Internet Explorer.
Prices/fees are subject to change without notice.
Establishing Connection...
Admission and merit scholarship consideration for students who apply as test-optional is based on several factors, including high school GPA, grades in coursework required for university admission, and rigor/performance in advanced courses (AP, IB, Honors, etc.).
Consideration for students applying with a test score includes all the above plus their highest composite ACT or SAT score.
