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RN · Medical-Surgical nurse & health writer
Meet Nathan, a registered nurse with over five years of experience in Medical-Surgical care, based in New York City. Having worked with a wide range of patients through some of their most vulnerable moments, Nathan brings a grounded, real-world perspective to his writing on healthcare. His goal is simple: to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and everyday understanding, making health topics feel less intimidating and more empowering for everyone. When he's not caring for patients, Nathan channels his passion for medicine into writing that educates, comforts and inspires.
There is no universal HESI A2 passing score — your nursing program sets the minimum (usually 75–80% per section) and picks which sections you sit. This guide covers the verified section breakdown, which free practice tests to trust, score benchmarks, and a 6-week practice plan.
How to study for the ATI TEAS 7: pick your plan by your diagnostic gap, not a generic template. Week-by-week 4, 8, and 12-week schedules for Reading, Math, Science, and English — built for first-timers and retakers.
There is no universal HESI A2 passing score — each nursing program sets its own minimum. Most require 75–80% per section; competitive BSN programs often want 80%+ on science. Your program's cutoff is on its admissions page, and scoring above the minimum (85%+) strengthens a competitive application.
For the most accurate HESI A2 prep, use the official practice tests on Elsevier's Evolve platform — the only source calibrated to the real exam's scoring. Free resources reinforce concepts but aren't calibrated. After each test, focus on improving your lowest required-section scores, not your composite.
The HESI Fundamentals exam is an Elsevier-proctored specialty test taken during your Fundamentals of Nursing course — not the HESI A2 admissions exam or the RN Exit Exam. It tests the nursing process, patient safety, infection control, meds, and basic care in NCLEX format. Most programs require a scaled 800–850 to pass.
The HESI Exit Exam is Elsevier's comprehensive end-of-program nursing assessment — not the HESI A2 admissions test. It spans Med-Surg, Pediatrics, Maternity, Mental Health, Pharmacology, and Leadership, predicts NCLEX-RN readiness, and most programs benchmark 850–900 on the 0–1,500 scale.
NCLEX pharmacology tests nursing actions around drugs — what to assess, hold, and teach, and how to spot toxicity — not pharmacokinetics. 'Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies' is 13–19% of the NCLEX-RN. High-yield classes include anticoagulants, insulins, antihypertensives, and narrow-window drugs. Since 2023, NGN tests pharm through clinical cases.
NCLEX practice questions build the format, timing, and clinical-judgment skills the exam tests — including the six NGN item types. Free sources like NCSBN Learning Extension and Testavia help, but not all free banks include NGN content. Most RN candidates do 1,500–2,500 questions before testing.
Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) launched April 1, 2023 for NCLEX-RN and PN. NGN items are built on the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model — a six-function framework for clinical reasoning. Item types include unfolding case studies, bow-tie, trend, highlight, matrix, and cloze, some with partial credit. All current candidates take NGN.
Mental health NCLEX questions fall under Psychosocial Integrity (6–12% of the NCLEX-RN): therapeutic communication, psychiatric disorders, crisis intervention, and substance use. The most-tested skill is therapeutic communication — the response that opens dialogue and avoids advice, false reassurance, or 'why' questions.
To get into most U.S. nursing programs you need five things: completed prerequisites (A&P, micro, chem, stats, English, psych), a 2.5–3.0+ GPA (3.5+ to compete), a passing ATI TEAS or HESI A2 score, a full documentation package, and a 9–12 month runway. Cutoffs vary by program — always verify.
More than 40 U.S. states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), letting RNs and LPNs practice across member states on one multistate license. California and New York are notable non-members. The compact only applies if your HOME state is a member — verify the current list at nursecompact.com.