1 | Page
PEDS HESI PRACTICE TEST 2026
ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS.
The nurse is giving preoperative instructions to a 14-year-old
female client who is scheduled for surgery to correct a spinal
curvature. Which statement by the client best demonstrates
that learning has taken place?
A. "I will read all the literature you gave me before surgery."
B. "I have had surgery before when I broke my wrist in a bike
accident, so I know what to expect."
C. "All the things people have told me will help me take care of
my back."
D. "I understand that I will be in a body cast and I will show you
how you taught me to turn." - ANSWER-D. "I understand that I
will be in a body cast and I will show you how you taught me to
turn."
To take the vital signs of a 4-month-old child, which order will
give the most accurate results?
A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
B. Heart rate, rectal temperature, then respiratory rate.
C. Rectal temperature, heart rate, then respiratory rate.
,2 | Page
D. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, then heart rate. -
ANSWER-A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal
temperature.
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope
examination of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that
is pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. What action
should the nurse take next?
A. No action required, as this is an expected finding for a
school-aged child.
B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any
ear pain lately.
C. Send a note home advising the parents to have the child
evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from
school for the rest of the day. - ANSWER-B. Ask the child if
he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate
repair?
A. Clove hitch.
B. Mummy.
C. Elbow.
D. Jacket. - ANSWER-C. Elbow.
,3 | Page
What preoperative nursing intervention should be included in
the plan of care for an infant with pyloric stenosis?
A. Monitor for signs of metabolic acidosis.
B. Estimate the quantity of diarrhea stools.
C. Place in a supine position after feeding.
D. Observe for projectile vomiting. - ANSWER-D. Observe for
projectile vomiting.
A six-month-old returns from surgery with elbow restraints in
place. What nursing care should be included when caring for
any restrained child?
A. Keep restraints on at all times.
B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
C. Remove all restraints simultaneously and provide play
activities.
D. Renew the healthcare provider's prescription for restraints
every 72 hours. - ANSWER-B. Remove restraints one at a time
and provide range of motion exercises.
A 2-year-old child with Down syndrome is brought to the clinic
for his regular physical examination. The nurse knows which
problem is frequently associated with Down syndrome?
, 4 | Page
A. Congenital heart disease.
B. Fragile X chromosome.
C. Trisomy 13.
D. Pyloric stenosis. - ANSWER-A. Congenital heart disease.
When assessing a child with asthma, the nurse should expect
intercostal retractions during
A. Inspiration.
B. Coughing.
C. Apneic episodes.
D. Expiration. - ANSWER-A. Inspiration.
When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip
repair, the nurse knows that crying should be minimized
because it
A. Increases salivation.
B. Increases the respiratory rate.
C. Leads to vomiting.
D. Stresses the suture line. - ANSWER-D. Stresses the suture
line.
PEDS HESI PRACTICE TEST 2026
ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS.
The nurse is giving preoperative instructions to a 14-year-old
female client who is scheduled for surgery to correct a spinal
curvature. Which statement by the client best demonstrates
that learning has taken place?
A. "I will read all the literature you gave me before surgery."
B. "I have had surgery before when I broke my wrist in a bike
accident, so I know what to expect."
C. "All the things people have told me will help me take care of
my back."
D. "I understand that I will be in a body cast and I will show you
how you taught me to turn." - ANSWER-D. "I understand that I
will be in a body cast and I will show you how you taught me to
turn."
To take the vital signs of a 4-month-old child, which order will
give the most accurate results?
A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal temperature.
B. Heart rate, rectal temperature, then respiratory rate.
C. Rectal temperature, heart rate, then respiratory rate.
,2 | Page
D. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, then heart rate. -
ANSWER-A. Respiratory rate, heart rate, then rectal
temperature.
During routine screening at a school clinic, an otoscope
examination of a child's ear reveals a tympanic membrane that
is pearly gray, slightly bulging, and not movable. What action
should the nurse take next?
A. No action required, as this is an expected finding for a
school-aged child.
B. Ask the child if he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any
ear pain lately.
C. Send a note home advising the parents to have the child
evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
D. Call the parents and have them take the child home from
school for the rest of the day. - ANSWER-B. Ask the child if
he/she has had a cold, runny nose, or any ear pain lately.
Which restraint should be used for a toddler after a cleft palate
repair?
A. Clove hitch.
B. Mummy.
C. Elbow.
D. Jacket. - ANSWER-C. Elbow.
,3 | Page
What preoperative nursing intervention should be included in
the plan of care for an infant with pyloric stenosis?
A. Monitor for signs of metabolic acidosis.
B. Estimate the quantity of diarrhea stools.
C. Place in a supine position after feeding.
D. Observe for projectile vomiting. - ANSWER-D. Observe for
projectile vomiting.
A six-month-old returns from surgery with elbow restraints in
place. What nursing care should be included when caring for
any restrained child?
A. Keep restraints on at all times.
B. Remove restraints one at a time and provide range of motion
exercises.
C. Remove all restraints simultaneously and provide play
activities.
D. Renew the healthcare provider's prescription for restraints
every 72 hours. - ANSWER-B. Remove restraints one at a time
and provide range of motion exercises.
A 2-year-old child with Down syndrome is brought to the clinic
for his regular physical examination. The nurse knows which
problem is frequently associated with Down syndrome?
, 4 | Page
A. Congenital heart disease.
B. Fragile X chromosome.
C. Trisomy 13.
D. Pyloric stenosis. - ANSWER-A. Congenital heart disease.
When assessing a child with asthma, the nurse should expect
intercostal retractions during
A. Inspiration.
B. Coughing.
C. Apneic episodes.
D. Expiration. - ANSWER-A. Inspiration.
When planning the care for a child who has had a cleft lip
repair, the nurse knows that crying should be minimized
because it
A. Increases salivation.
B. Increases the respiratory rate.
C. Leads to vomiting.
D. Stresses the suture line. - ANSWER-D. Stresses the suture
line.
