A 2024 Study Guide for the HESI A2 Math Test: with Examples

A HESI Math Test can be daunting, and even though the assessment is on basic math skills, the pressure of the test environment can force you into mistakes.

A math HESI A2 practice test – both online and on paper – will get you familiar with taking the test. You will know the structure and layout of the assessment, as well as the type of questions that you will face.

When taking a HESI math practice test with answers, you can use the results to help you focus your revision.

For example, if you notice that your performance on percentage-related questions is weaker than elsewhere, you can work on practicing solving percentage questions.

Before you start revising your math knowledge from high school, take a practice test so that you can use your revision time wisely – and take another one later so you can witness your improvement for an extra confidence boost.

When taken as a complete test, the three-plus hours of the HESI A2 assessment can feel like a lifetime, but in reality, you will have less than a minute to answer each question, and that makes it a real challenge if you get stuck on something.

With this in mind, you will want to practice your timing. Answering HESI Math Test questions quickly and accurately is essential for good performance in the HESI A2 Math Test, and you can give yourself the best chance for success by finding solving strategies for different types of questions.

These strategies might be as simple as refreshing your memory on how to multiply fractions or using a calculator to solve percentage problems.

Remember that in the test, you will be able to go back to questions that you are unsure of at the end if you have time.

You can mark questions with a button on the screen to remind yourself of the ones that need checking and skip ahead to the questions that you find easier so that you aren’t wasting time.

When you are taking the practice tests, make sure that you use a timer, preferably on screen, so that you are aware of time passing.

You already know the caliber of math questions that you are going to face, so you’ve got an idea of what you need to revise.

Basic math skills are things that you might use in everyday life, whether it is calculating sales tax or working out the sale price of something in a shop, converting kilograms to pounds when baking a cake, or just working out how much pie to serve the family.

These are all things that you will have learned and revisited in school, and if there is anything that you need some more help with, there are plenty of resources available online to help – even those that are aimed at teenagers will be excellent resources because they will be explained in the simplest terms.

You will probably already know what your weaknesses are, and with the information from the practice tests to hand, you can structure your own revision schedule that considers what you need to learn yourself.

When you are gearing up for any sort of assessment, nerves can be an important factor – but you need to get sleep as this can make such a difference in your performance.

Numerous studies have found that not getting the right amount of sleep can be hugely detrimental to cognitive function.

In the run-up to the test, you want to be aiming for 6-8 hours of sleep a night so that your brain can function at its absolute best.

As much as adequate rest is needed for performance, nutrition and hydration should not be ignored. Nerves might make you feel like eating is impossible, but your brain needs fuel to perform well – and that means focusing on healthy and balanced meals.

You’ll want to try and eat a nutritious breakfast at the very least on test day and consider bringing some healthy snacks to top up with should you need them.

Being hungry will be a distraction and could make it harder for you to focus.

Hydration is also key to success, and a few sips of water can help give you a moment to relax and get focused before you start the assessment, as well as help you stay lubricated while you are answering the questions.

In the real assessment, you will be in a room with a proctor and will not be allowed to bring anything into the room with you. You’ll be provided with some scratch paper and a pen or pencil.

This lack of possible distractions will help you focus on the assessment, and it is something that you want to try and replicate while you are practicing to give the best impression of what the test will be like.

Turn your phone off or, at the very least, on silent, and make sure any notifications on your PC or laptop are turned off too.

Make sure that anyone you live with knows that you are taking a practice test so that they do not disturb you either.

This is important at home, of course, but it is even more important in the test center.

The test proctor will be on hand to help you if you run into a technical issue when you are taking the test, but before you get started, you will want to be sure that you can use the keyboard, the mouse is responsive, and you can see the screen well.

You will want to adjust your seat, if possible, to make sure that you are comfortable – sitting still for more than three hours in a poor position is not ideal.