Nursing (ADN)/Nursing Transition (LVN to ADN)

HESI A2 Exam

Preparation Resources and Exam Information

HESI Exam Information

HESI Workshops Spring 2026

HESI-A2 TEST INFORMATION
• Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) is a company that produces tests which evaluate whether nursing applicants have the knowledge and skills to be successful in nursing school.
• Alvin College nursing programs require applicants to make a high enough score on the HESI Admission Assessment Exam (HESI A2 test) in order to be considered for admission. An acceptable HESI A2 test score is mandatory for all nursing applicants regardless of educational background, no exceptions. You may not substitute any other test scores for HESI test scores.

HESI A2 DATES & REGISTRATION
• Register for the HESI A2 at Alvin College - go to www.alvincollege.edu, click on "Marketplace" at the top of the screen, click on "Testing Center'' near the bottom of the screen, then click on the "HESI" icon for open test dates and instructions for registering for HESI-A2. The test date you select MUST BE ON OR BEFORE THE NURSING APPLICATION DEADLINE.
• HESI A2 test dates at Alvin College - If you don't see a test date in the time range that you want at the above web page, either those dates are already full, or dates in that time range have not yet opened. Test dates are released the last week of the month for the following month. Tests are generally scheduled weekly each month. Check back later to see if desired dates show up on the web page or call the Testing Center to find out whether they will offer the HESI on desired dates 281-756-3526.
• HESI A2 at other locations - Applicants who are unable to take the HESI A2 exam at Alvin College may test at another location. Prometric exams are acceptable but must be arranged through another school that offers that option. Be sure to take all five sections required by Alvin College Nursing.

HESI A2 DEADLINE
• If you take the HESI A2 at Alvin College, the deadline to take the exam is the nursing application deadline. The nursing office gets your scores within two days after you take the test. If you take the test at Alvin College on the deadline or close to the deadline, it is okay if your scores come back after the deadline.
• If you take the HESI A2 elsewhere, the score report must reach the nursing office by the nursing application deadline. It could take the HESI company a week or longer to send the report, so make sure you take the HESI early enough that the report has time to reach the nursing office by the deadline. HESI tests taken at locations other than Alvin College arriving after the nursing application deadline will not be accepted.

HESI A2 TEST SCORE CRITERIA
• You must take all these five sections of the HESI-A2 test:
Math, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary & General Knowledge, Grammar, and Anatomy & Physiology.
• Minimum required scores:
(1) at least 78 on the Reading Comprehension section; and
(2) at least 78 for the Cumulative score, which is the average of the above section scores.
These minimums are ABSOLUTE CUTOFFS - we do NOT round up scores to meet these minimums.
• The nursing department does not count any other sections and does not count the Critical Thinking test.
• Section scores may be combined from two or more tests subject to the waiting period for any re-takes of individual sections described under "Re-Taking the HESI A2".
• Scores must be from HESI A2 tests taken no more than 5 years ago as of the nursing application deadline; otherwise the scores are expired and you will have to re-take the sections.

RE-TAKING THE HESI A2
• You may re-take sections you want to improve. For exams taken January 1, 2022 and after, two exams from a twelve-month period may be submitted. Each exam submitted must be at least 90 days from any prior HESI exam section attempt for the new section scores to be considered.
• HESI sections retaken 90 or more days apart: the highest score of all retakes of that section will be used when we calculate your cumulative score.
• HESI sections retaken less than 90 days apart: the earlier section score will be used regardless of which score is the highest.
• All retakes must comply with the "HESI A2 deadline" and "HESI A2 test score" paragraphs.

COST OF THE HESI A2 TEST
• It costs $74 (price subject to change without notice} to take the HESI A2 at Alvin College regardless of how many sections of the test you take.
• The cost is set by each testing location, so it may cost more or less to take the HESI A2 elsewhere. But if you take the HESI elsewhere, you will have to pay the Evolve company a fee to email an official score report to the Alvin College nursing department.

GETTING YOUR HESI SCORES TO THE ALVIN COLLEGE NURSING DEPARTMENT
• If you take the HESI A2 at Alvin College, the nursing department automatically gets your scores 2 days later. DO NOT PAY TO HAVE ALVIN COLLEGE SCORE REPORTS SENT because we will automatically get those.
• If you take the HESI A2 elsewhere, you must pay a fee to have the company email the official score report (called a "HESI transcript") to the nursing office at nursing@alvincollege.edu
• Click here for instructions.
• It could take a week or longer for the company to email the score report, so be sure you request the report in time for it to get to the nursing office by the nursing application deadline. Score reports arriving after the nursing deadline will not be accepted.
• WE DO NOT ACCEPT HESI SCORE REPORTS DIRECTLY FROM NURSING APPLICANTS.

PREPARING FOR THE HESI A2 TEST
• A good way to prepare for the HESI A2 is to buy a study guide specifically for this exam. One such guide is HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review, 5th edition. You can buy this from the college book store (http://www.alvinccstore.com) or online at sites such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble by searching on "HESI A2".
• The study guide will include samples of test questions as well as information regarding test question formats. It will highlight important concepts and provide tips for studying and test-taking.
• There are online tools available through Apple's iTunes App Store that some people have found beneficial (such as pocketprep ™)

Click Handout for information on the format of the test and tips on testing.

OTHER HESI INFORMATION
• To find out if there are additional HESI A2 test dates at Alvin College or whether a test date is still open, or details about HESI testing procedures, or payment/cancellation/refund procedures, call the Testing Center 281-756-3526.
• If you have a documented disability and may need accommodations for testing, contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services 281-756-3533 or SAS@alvincollege.edu BEFORE registering for or taking the HESI A2.
• IF YOU INTEND TO USE YOUR HESI SCORES TO APPLY TO MORE THAN ONE NURSING SCHOOL,
o You need to find out whether the other nursing school requires the HESI to be taken on their campus (some schools will not accept HESI scores taken off-campus).
o If they do require the HESI to be taken at their campus, you should take the HESI there and then pay to have an official score report emailed to the Alvin College nursing office. Then you can use your HESI scores to apply to both Alvin College and to the other nursing school.
o Note - if the HESI you take at the other college does not include some of the sections we require, you will have to take those sections either at Alvin College or another school that offers those sections.