HESI A2 Basic Math: fractions, ratios, and nursing-school arithmetic
50 scored · about 50 minutes, about 50 minutes for 50 scored items
This guide covers Basic Math on HESI A2. Basic Math focuses on arithmetic you will use in dosage and science courses, often with a calculator. Use our HESI A2 Math Exams practice quizzes to rehearse with rationales.
Official HESI information: Elsevier (HESI). Your nursing program chooses which HESI A2 sections you take. Poker Exams HESI A2 Math Exams practice is not the live Elsevier exam.
How Basic Math fits HESI A2
HESI A2 is modular. Confirm required sections, time limits, and calculator rules with your school before you test.
- Reading Comprehension, 50 scored · about 60 minutes
- Vocabulary, 50 scored · about 50 minutes
- Grammar, 50 scored · about 50 minutes
- Basic Math, 50 scored · about 50 minutes (you are here)
- Anatomy and Physiology, 25 scored · about 25 minutes
- Biology, 25 scored · about 25 minutes
- Chemistry, 25 scored · about 25 minutes
Math skills Elsevier tests
Word problems are common. Translate words to operations before you touch the calculator.
High-yield Math topics
Core skills
- Adding and subtracting fractions in word problems
- Percent increase and decrease
- Ratio tables
Calculator habits
- Confirm whether your site allows a basic calculator
- Practice clearing entries to avoid typos
- Estimate before you compute
Dosage-ready arithmetic
- Set up equal ratios before cross-multiplying
- Convert mL, L, mg, and g when stems mix units
- Round only at the end unless the question specifies
On test day
Confirm calculator policy with your program. Most Math sites allow a basic four-function calculator.
- About 50 scored items in 50 minutes.
- Show work on scratch paper for multi-step problems.
Strategies for HESI Basic Math
- Write the units in every proportion.
- Convert before you combine unlike measurements.
- Sanity-check answers against the story in the stem.
Mistakes on HESI Math prep
- Jumping to the calculator without a plan
- Misplacing decimal points in division
- Confusing "total" vs. "part" in percent problems
Three-week Math plan
Week 1: Fractions and percents.
Week 2: Ratios and conversions.
Week 3: 50-question Math simulations with a calculator using the 4 HESI A2 Math Exams quizzes on this page (252 practice questions) ; review every missed rationale the same day.
HESI A2: Basic Math practice
4 quizzes for the HESI A2 Math Exams subject on this course (252 questions). Use them to rehearse Basic Math content before you sit the official exam, not as a substitute for ATI registration or policies.
HESI A2 Basic Math: frequently asked questions
- Is HESI Math the same as dosage calculation exams?
- Basic Math is broader arithmetic. Some programs add separate dosage exams later.
- Can I use a phone calculator?
- No. Use only what your testing center approves.