Applicants should separate three decisions: whether their program requires the HESI A2, which test components it will evaluate, and which authorized testing mode is available for that exam order. A remote option shown on a provider website does not by itself guarantee that a particular institution accepts every home-based sitting.
Confirm your program’s HESI A2 requirements first
Elsevier describes the HESI A2 as a customizable admissions assessment. It may evaluate English language, math and science foundations. Study resources commonly cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, mathematics, biology, chemistry and anatomy and physiology; a school may require some rather than all these components.
Before you buy preparation material or book a test, obtain the school’s current instructions. Ask which subject areas count, whether critical-thinking or other additional components apply, what identification is required, whether scores must be sent through a specified system and how many attempts are accepted. A program’s minimum score, if it specifies one, is not automatically the minimum at another school.
Understand authorized remote testing
Prometric’s Elsevier remote-testing page lists eligible HESI Admission Assessment versions among examinations that can be taken with an authorized remote proctor as well as through onsite testing. Faculty or program administrators may need to arrange or order the appropriate exam before students can schedule. The procedure can differ by institution and administration method.
Remote testing uses secure software and supervision. Candidates should not assume that an ordinary video call or a generic browser session satisfies the provider’s security requirements. Verify the current technical specifications, accepted computer operating system, webcam and microphone setup, room rules and any check-in process at the point of booking.
Prepare your environment without compromising exam integrity
Elsevier’s HESI exam security policy requires proctored administration and controls intended to preserve exam confidentiality. For a remote sitting, plan a quiet space free from unauthorized devices or notes and follow the proctor’s instructions about identity checks and the work area. Never photograph secure content, share exam items or assume that memory-based answer banks are legitimate preparation resources.
Do the equipment compatibility check before the testing appointment rather than attempting to install everything at the last minute. Close applications that are not permitted, ensure reliable power and internet access, and have any help-desk and rescheduling instructions available. If technical difficulties arise, report them using the provider’s approved process instead of improvising a workaround that could invalidate the result.
Study the subjects your program actually requires
The official HESI Admission Assessment review resource covers academic areas such as mathematics, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and the sciences. Use those domains to organize a diagnostic rather than purchase separate courses for every possible subject before you know which sections will appear in your institution’s assessment.
For math, review ratios, fractions, decimals, proportions and units through worked problems. In reading, focus on inference, passage purpose and the difference between direct evidence and assumption. Grammar practice is most useful when it includes sentence correction and explanation. In science, connect anatomy, physiology and foundational biological processes rather than memorize isolated labels without understanding their function.
After you finish: results and next steps
Results are part of an application process; their display and acceptance may depend on the platform and school. Confirm how your program obtains the report, how long processing may take, whether individual subject results must exceed thresholds and whether a retest is allowed. If your score is below an institutional standard, develop a specific remediation plan for those areas rather than assuming every section requires equal attention.
Also distinguish the A2 from HESI specialty or exit assessments, which serve different purposes within nursing education. An admissions test result is not an NCLEX license or evidence of clinical authorization. A well-organized HESI A2 online plan starts with institutional requirements, follows authorized testing arrangements and then concentrates study where the chosen exam components demand it.