What’s on the HESI A2? Subtests and How Programs Use Them (2026)
Elsevier does not publish a single national blueprint for the HESI A2, the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment Exam that nursing and allied health programs use to screen applicants. As of September 2026, Elsevier’s own HESI A2 student guides confirm two ways to sit the exam: on your own device or a program’s testing center computer using the Elsevier Secure Browser, or remote and live proctored through ProctorU using the Guardian Browser alongside the Secure Browser. Every path requires the same login: an active Evolve account, which you use to register, launch your exam, and view your results and remediation afterward. What Elsevier’s own public pages do not include is a fixed subtest list, a total item count, or a universal minimum passing score. Individual programs assign the specific combination of academic subtests you take from a pool that commonly includes math, reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics, and each program sets its own passing standard, retake rules, and calculator policy on top of what Elsevier’s testing platform provides. This guide covers what each commonly assigned subtest tests and where the real authority over your test day sits.
Delivery mode count and the Evolve account requirement come directly from Elsevier’s own HESI A2 student guides, checked September 2026. Elsevier’s public product pages do not publish a total item count or a fixed subtest list; your program’s registration materials are the source that governs your specific test.
The Subtests Programs Commonly Assign
Because no single national exam form exists, think of the HESI A2 as a pool of academic subtests that a program draws from, not a fixed test every applicant takes in full. Most programs assign some subset of the academic subjects below, sometimes alongside optional, non academically scored modules such as a Learning Style indicator, a Personality Profile, and a Critical Thinking module. Which of these appear on your specific test, in what order, and how many questions each one carries is a decision your program makes, not Elsevier. The table below covers what each commonly assigned subtest tests at a topic level.
| Subtest | What it covers | Program dependent? |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions, and applied conversion problems, including the kind of unit conversions used in dosage and measurement work | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Reading Comprehension | Identifying the main idea and supporting details in a passage, following written directions, and drawing a logical conclusion from what you read | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Vocabulary and General Knowledge | Everyday and health related vocabulary in context, and using word parts or surrounding text to work out an unfamiliar term’s meaning | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Grammar | Parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, and standard written English usage | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Anatomy and Physiology | The structure and function of the body’s major systems, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, nervous, skeletal, and muscular among them | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Biology | Basic cell structure and function, genetics fundamentals, and general biological processes | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Chemistry | General chemistry basics, atomic structure, states of matter, and simple chemical reactions | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Physics | Foundational physics concepts relevant to health science coursework, such as basic mechanics and measurement | Yes; assigned only if your program requires it |
| Learning Style, Personality Profile, Critical Thinking | Optional, non academic modules some programs include; these are not scored the way the subject subtests are | Yes; entirely optional at your program’s discretion |
Why There Is No Official National Blueprint
The HESI A2 is not administered by one central testing agency running one uniform exam the way a national licensure test is. Elsevier builds and hosts the testing platform, the Evolve account system, the Secure Browser, and the ProctorU integration for remote sessions, but each nursing or allied health program decides which academic subtests from the pool above it wants to see, sets its own minimum passing score for each section it assigns, and decides its own retake eligibility and wait period. Elsevier’s own registration instructions reflect this directly: they repeatedly route students back to an instructor supplied access code, an Evolve Course ID, or a program registration link rather than one universal sign up flow or one universal score to hit. Two applicants to two different programs, or even two applicants to the same program in different admission cycles, can sit meaningfully different HESI A2 batteries and be held to different passing standards, and both are still taking “the HESI A2” in the sense that matters, Elsevier’s testing platform under program specific rules.
Calculator policy follows the same pattern. The Mathematics subtest covers applied conversion problems where an on screen calculator would matter, but Elsevier’s own student guides do not state whether one is provided for the Math subtest, and do not confirm whether a personal calculator is permitted. Do not assume either way; ask your program’s testing coordinator or your proctor before test day.
How You Register and Test: the Evolve Account
Whichever subtests your program assigns, you take them through the same account system. You need an active Evolve account to register for your exam, launch it on test day, and view your results and any remediation content afterward. For an on your own device or testing center session, your instructor supplies an access code and you download the Elsevier Secure Browser before you can enter the exam. For a remote, live proctored session, you also create a ProctorU account, schedule a specific appointment in advance, and on test day log into ProctorU and start your session so a live proctor can run pre checks before launching you into the exam inside the Secure Browser. Our companion guide, What to Bring to the HESI A2 Exam, covers the full registration sequence, ID rules, and device compatibility details for both delivery paths.
See the Format: A Sample Question
Here is an original, illustrative item in the style of the Anatomy and Physiology subtest. It is not drawn from, and does not imitate, any actual HESI A2 item.
Confirm the Specifics With Your Program Before You Study
Treat everything above as the floor Elsevier documents about how the HESI A2 platform works: the subject pool programs draw from, the Evolve account and Secure Browser mechanics, and the ProctorU option for remote sessions. Your program’s registration email and testing coordinator are the ceiling, and they are the only source that can tell you which subtests you will actually see, what score you need to clear each one, whether you get a calculator, and how many attempts you are allowed if you fall short. Building a study plan around the wrong subtest list wastes time you do not have; confirm your specific section list before you start reviewing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many subtests are on the HESI A2?
Elsevier does not publish one fixed number. Programs assign a combination of academic subtests from a pool that commonly includes math, reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics, so the count and mix vary by program.
What subjects does the HESI A2 cover?
The commonly assigned academic subtests are math, reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and physics. Some programs also add optional, non academically scored modules covering learning style, personality profile, or critical thinking.
Who decides my HESI A2 passing score?
Your program does. Elsevier’s own public pages do not publish a universal minimum passing score for the HESI A2; each school sets its own standard for the subtests it assigns, along with its own retake eligibility and wait period.
Do I need an Evolve account to take the HESI A2?
Yes. Elsevier’s own student guides confirm an active Evolve account is required to register for your exam, launch it on test day, and view your results and remediation afterward, regardless of which delivery path your program uses.
Want to see how these subtests feel in practice before you commit to a study plan? Try a HESI A2 practice test, or start with a free HESI A2 practice test to preview the format first.
Sources
- Elsevier, HESI Product Page
- Elsevier, HESI Exam Solutions for Nursing
- Elsevier, HESI A2 Student Guide for Taking the A2 on Your Own Device
- Elsevier, HESI A2 Student Guide for Taking the A2 at a School’s Testing Center
- Elsevier, HESI A2 and ALC Remote Proctoring Student Registration Instructions
- Elsevier, HESI A2 and ALC Student Registration Instructions
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For educational and exam preparation purposes only. Not a substitute for formal clinical training.