HESI A2 Version 2
Comprehensive Examination Review
Galen College of Nursing
Prepared for Academic Success
255 Multiple-Choice Questions • 8 Reading Comprehension Passages • 7 Content Domains
This document is for educational and examination preparation purposes only.
,Table of Contents
Examination Overview
Answer Key Structure
Domain Score Tracker
Section 1: Grammar (Q1–Q40) (40 Questions)
Section 2: Mathematics (Q41–Q90) (50 Questions)
Section 3: Reading Comprehension (Q91–Q130) (8 Passages, 40 Questions)
Section 4: Vocabulary & General Knowledge (Q131–Q180) (50 Questions)
Section 5: Biology (Q181–Q205) (25 Questions)
Section 6: Chemistry (Q206–Q230) (25 Questions)
Section 7: Anatomy & Physiology (Q231–Q255) (25 Questions)
Complete Answer Key (Q1–Q255)
Examination Overview
Domain # Questions Time Allocation Description
Grammar 40 50 minutes Parts of speech, sentence
structure, subject-verb
agreement, punctuation, verb
tenses, modifiers
Mathematics 50 50 minutes Fractions, decimals,
percentages, ratios, algebra,
measurement conversions,
geometry, statistics, dosage
calculations
Reading Comprehension 40 60 minutes 8 passages with contextual
questions testing inference,
main idea, detail recall, and
vocabulary in context
Vocabulary & General 50 50 minutes Medical terminology,
Knowledge prefixes/suffixes,
synonyms/antonyms, context
clues, nursing vocabulary
Biology 25 25 minutes Cell biology, genetics,
evolution, ecology,
DNA/RNA, cellular
respiration, photosynthesis,
kingdoms of life
Chemistry 25 25 minutes Atomic structure, periodic
table, chemical bonds,
reactions, acids/bases,
solutions, organic chemistry,
pH
Anatomy & Physiology 25 25 minutes Body systems, directional
terms, body cavities, tissue
types, organ function
TOTAL 255 285 minutes Comprehensive nursing
entrance examination
,Section 1: Grammar
Questions 1–40 • Grammar, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, and Usage
Q1. Grammar
Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The group of students are studying for their exams.
B) The group of students is studying for their exams.
C) The group of students were studying for their exams.
D) The group of students have been studying for their exams.
Correct Answer: B) The group of students is studying for their exams.
Rationale: "Group" is a collective noun taking a singular verb in American English when the group acts
as one unit. "Is" is correct; "are," "were," and "have been" use plural verbs incorrectly.
Q2. Grammar
Identify the sentence with correct punctuation:
A) The nurse, who was on duty, helped the patient.
B) The nurse who was on duty helped the patient.
C) The nurse, who was on duty helped the patient.
D) Both A and B are correct.
Correct Answer: D) Both A and B are correct.
Rationale: A uses commas for a non-restrictive clause (extra info); B uses no commas for a restrictive
clause (identifying which nurse). Both are grammatically correct depending on intent. C is missing a
closing comma.
Q3. Grammar
Which word in the following sentence is an adverb? "The patient recovered quickly after
the surgery."
A) patient
B) recovered
C) quickly
D) surgery
Correct Answer: C) quickly
Rationale: "Quickly" is an adverb modifying the verb "recovered," describing how the recovery
happened. "Patient" is a noun, "recovered" is a verb, and "surgery" is a noun.
Q4. Grammar
Choose the sentence that uses the correct form of the pronoun:
A) Him and I went to the clinic.
B) He and I went to the clinic.
C) Me and him went to the clinic.
D) Him and me went to the clinic.
Correct Answer: B) He and I went to the clinic.
Rationale: "He and I" are subject pronouns required as sentence subjects. "Him" and "me" are object
pronouns and cannot serve as subjects.
Q5. Grammar
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
A) Walking through the park, the flowers smelled wonderful.
B) After finishing dinner, we watched a movie.
C) Having studied all night, she felt prepared for the exam.
, D) Running quickly, the athlete crossed the finish line first.
Correct Answer: A) Walking through the park, the flowers smelled wonderful.
Rationale: In A, "walking through the park" has no logical subject — flowers do not walk. The other
sentences correctly link the modifying phrase to the subject performing the action.
Q6. Grammar
What is the correct past tense of the verb "to lead"?
A) led
B) lead
C) leaded
D) leading
Correct Answer: A) led
Rationale: The past tense of "lead" is "led." "Leaded" means adding lead metal to something. "Lead" is
present tense; "leading" is the present participle.
Q7. Grammar
Which of the following is a compound-complex sentence?
A) The nurse checked the patient, and the doctor arrived shortly after.
B) Although it was raining, we went for a walk because we needed exercise.
C) She studied hard for the exam.
D) The medicine was effective, so the patient recovered quickly.
Correct Answer: B) Although it was raining, we went for a walk because we needed
exercise.
Rationale: A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one dependent
clause. B has "we went for a walk" (independent) plus "Although it was raining" and "because we
needed exercise" (dependent).
Q8. Grammar
Choose the correct completion: "The effect of the medication was _____ than expected."
A) more pronounced
B) most pronounced
C) pronounceder
D) much pronouncer
Correct Answer: A) more pronounced
Rationale: "More pronounced" correctly forms the comparative of "pronounced" (a multi-syllable
adjective requiring "more" rather than "-er").
Q9. Grammar
Which sentence correctly uses "their," "there," or "they're"?
A) The patients should take there medication on time.
B) The patients should take their medication on time.
C) The patients should take they're medication on time.
D) The patients should take their's medication on time.
Correct Answer: B) The patients should take their medication on time.
Rationale: "Their" is the possessive pronoun indicating ownership. "There" refers to a place, "they're" is
a contraction of "they are," and "their's" is not a valid word.
Q10. Grammar
What type of sentence is this? "Please submit the lab results by noon."
A) Declarative
B) Imperative
Comprehensive Examination Review
Galen College of Nursing
Prepared for Academic Success
255 Multiple-Choice Questions • 8 Reading Comprehension Passages • 7 Content Domains
This document is for educational and examination preparation purposes only.
,Table of Contents
Examination Overview
Answer Key Structure
Domain Score Tracker
Section 1: Grammar (Q1–Q40) (40 Questions)
Section 2: Mathematics (Q41–Q90) (50 Questions)
Section 3: Reading Comprehension (Q91–Q130) (8 Passages, 40 Questions)
Section 4: Vocabulary & General Knowledge (Q131–Q180) (50 Questions)
Section 5: Biology (Q181–Q205) (25 Questions)
Section 6: Chemistry (Q206–Q230) (25 Questions)
Section 7: Anatomy & Physiology (Q231–Q255) (25 Questions)
Complete Answer Key (Q1–Q255)
Examination Overview
Domain # Questions Time Allocation Description
Grammar 40 50 minutes Parts of speech, sentence
structure, subject-verb
agreement, punctuation, verb
tenses, modifiers
Mathematics 50 50 minutes Fractions, decimals,
percentages, ratios, algebra,
measurement conversions,
geometry, statistics, dosage
calculations
Reading Comprehension 40 60 minutes 8 passages with contextual
questions testing inference,
main idea, detail recall, and
vocabulary in context
Vocabulary & General 50 50 minutes Medical terminology,
Knowledge prefixes/suffixes,
synonyms/antonyms, context
clues, nursing vocabulary
Biology 25 25 minutes Cell biology, genetics,
evolution, ecology,
DNA/RNA, cellular
respiration, photosynthesis,
kingdoms of life
Chemistry 25 25 minutes Atomic structure, periodic
table, chemical bonds,
reactions, acids/bases,
solutions, organic chemistry,
pH
Anatomy & Physiology 25 25 minutes Body systems, directional
terms, body cavities, tissue
types, organ function
TOTAL 255 285 minutes Comprehensive nursing
entrance examination
,Section 1: Grammar
Questions 1–40 • Grammar, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, and Usage
Q1. Grammar
Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The group of students are studying for their exams.
B) The group of students is studying for their exams.
C) The group of students were studying for their exams.
D) The group of students have been studying for their exams.
Correct Answer: B) The group of students is studying for their exams.
Rationale: "Group" is a collective noun taking a singular verb in American English when the group acts
as one unit. "Is" is correct; "are," "were," and "have been" use plural verbs incorrectly.
Q2. Grammar
Identify the sentence with correct punctuation:
A) The nurse, who was on duty, helped the patient.
B) The nurse who was on duty helped the patient.
C) The nurse, who was on duty helped the patient.
D) Both A and B are correct.
Correct Answer: D) Both A and B are correct.
Rationale: A uses commas for a non-restrictive clause (extra info); B uses no commas for a restrictive
clause (identifying which nurse). Both are grammatically correct depending on intent. C is missing a
closing comma.
Q3. Grammar
Which word in the following sentence is an adverb? "The patient recovered quickly after
the surgery."
A) patient
B) recovered
C) quickly
D) surgery
Correct Answer: C) quickly
Rationale: "Quickly" is an adverb modifying the verb "recovered," describing how the recovery
happened. "Patient" is a noun, "recovered" is a verb, and "surgery" is a noun.
Q4. Grammar
Choose the sentence that uses the correct form of the pronoun:
A) Him and I went to the clinic.
B) He and I went to the clinic.
C) Me and him went to the clinic.
D) Him and me went to the clinic.
Correct Answer: B) He and I went to the clinic.
Rationale: "He and I" are subject pronouns required as sentence subjects. "Him" and "me" are object
pronouns and cannot serve as subjects.
Q5. Grammar
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
A) Walking through the park, the flowers smelled wonderful.
B) After finishing dinner, we watched a movie.
C) Having studied all night, she felt prepared for the exam.
, D) Running quickly, the athlete crossed the finish line first.
Correct Answer: A) Walking through the park, the flowers smelled wonderful.
Rationale: In A, "walking through the park" has no logical subject — flowers do not walk. The other
sentences correctly link the modifying phrase to the subject performing the action.
Q6. Grammar
What is the correct past tense of the verb "to lead"?
A) led
B) lead
C) leaded
D) leading
Correct Answer: A) led
Rationale: The past tense of "lead" is "led." "Leaded" means adding lead metal to something. "Lead" is
present tense; "leading" is the present participle.
Q7. Grammar
Which of the following is a compound-complex sentence?
A) The nurse checked the patient, and the doctor arrived shortly after.
B) Although it was raining, we went for a walk because we needed exercise.
C) She studied hard for the exam.
D) The medicine was effective, so the patient recovered quickly.
Correct Answer: B) Although it was raining, we went for a walk because we needed
exercise.
Rationale: A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one dependent
clause. B has "we went for a walk" (independent) plus "Although it was raining" and "because we
needed exercise" (dependent).
Q8. Grammar
Choose the correct completion: "The effect of the medication was _____ than expected."
A) more pronounced
B) most pronounced
C) pronounceder
D) much pronouncer
Correct Answer: A) more pronounced
Rationale: "More pronounced" correctly forms the comparative of "pronounced" (a multi-syllable
adjective requiring "more" rather than "-er").
Q9. Grammar
Which sentence correctly uses "their," "there," or "they're"?
A) The patients should take there medication on time.
B) The patients should take their medication on time.
C) The patients should take they're medication on time.
D) The patients should take their's medication on time.
Correct Answer: B) The patients should take their medication on time.
Rationale: "Their" is the possessive pronoun indicating ownership. "There" refers to a place, "they're" is
a contraction of "they are," and "their's" is not a valid word.
Q10. Grammar
What type of sentence is this? "Please submit the lab results by noon."
A) Declarative
B) Imperative
