HESI A2 Math Practice Test

Get ready for the 2026 HESI A2 exam by testing your skills with our free practice test.

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QUESTION COUNT:

25 Questions

TIME LIMIT:

Self-Paced (No limit)

FORMAT:

Multiple Choice

About Our HESI A2 Math Practice Test

This HESI A2 Math practice test checks your understanding of the key math skills commonly covered on the exam, including basic arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions, measurement conversions, algebra, and word problems. The test is designed to help you build accuracy, improve time management, and apply essential math concepts in realistic testing scenarios.

Each question reflects common math topics and question styles you may encounter on the actual HESI A2 exam in 2026. At the end of our interactive practice test, you will receive a score breakdown by category, giving you the chance to assess your strengths and identify areas where you may need more practice. If you are looking for questions in other categories, please refer to our full HESI A2 practice test. All our questions and rationales have been reviewed by an experienced registered nurse (RN).

Maegan Baker, BSN, RN, CCM Avatar
Questions reviewed by
Maegan Baker, BSN, RN, CCM
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Frequently Asked Questions

Use the FAQs below to learn more about what to expect on the HESI A2 Math section and how to prepare effectively.

What is on the HESI A2 math section?

The HESI A2 math section typically covers basic arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions, measurement conversions, basic algebra, and word problems. Many questions are designed to test practical math skills used in healthcare and nursing programs.

How many math questions are on the HESI A2 test?

The number of math questions can vary by school, but many HESI A2 exams include around 50 math questions. Some schools may customize the exam, so it is a good idea to check with your program for exact requirements.

Is the HESI A2 math section hard?

The HESI A2 math section is usually not advanced, but it can be challenging if you are rusty on fractions, percentages, ratios, or conversions. Practicing common question types can help you improve your speed and accuracy before test day.

Can I use a calculator on the HESI A2 math exam?

Most HESI A2 exams provide an on-screen calculator, but outside calculators are usually not allowed. Rules may vary by testing center or school, so confirm your program’s calculator policy before your exam.

How should I prepare for the HESI A2 math test?

The best way to prepare is to review the main math topics, practice timed questions, and carefully read rationales for any answers you miss. Focus extra time on conversions, percentages, and word problems because these often require multiple steps.

Are measurement conversions important for the HESI A2 math section?

Yes. Measurement conversions are very important because they relate closely to healthcare calculations. You may see questions involving ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, liters, grams, kilograms, inches, feet, and other common units.

Full Question Bank & Rationales

Below, you will find the complete list of 25 questions from our HESI A2 Math practice test. We have included a detailed rationale for every question to help you understand the why behind the correct answer. The questions are listed in the same order as our interactive practice test.

1. Question

What is the sum of 4.32, 1.05, and 0.9?

  1. 5.46
  2. 5.27
  3. 6.27
  4. 6.17
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: C.

To add decimals, carefully align the decimal points before adding the place values. Adding 4.32 + 1.05 + 0.90 (adding a zero as a placeholder) equals 6.27. Choice A is a common error made by students who fail to align the decimal points and mistakenly add 9 to the hundredths column instead of the tenths column.

2. Question

Convert the fraction 5/8 to a percentage.

  1. 58.0%
  2. 62.5%
  3. 85.0%
  4. 60.5%
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

To convert a fraction to a percentage, first divide the numerator by the denominator to get a decimal (5 ÷ 8 = 0.625). Then, multiply by 100 (or move the decimal two places to the right) to find the percentage, which is 62.5%. Choice A is an error that occurs when a student simply combines the numerator and denominator.

3. Question

Solve for x: 4x + 12 = 36

  1. 6
  2. 8
  3. 12
  4. 48
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

To isolate x, first subtract 12 from both sides of the equation, leaving 4x = 24. Then, divide both sides by 4 to find x = 6. Choice B is incorrect and would result from mistakenly subtracting 4 from 12 before moving the constants across the equals sign.

4. Question

Evaluate the following expression: 2 2/3 × 1 1/4

  1. 2 1/6
  2. 3 1/3
  3. 2 1/4
  4. 3 1/4
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

First, convert both mixed numbers into improper fractions: 8/3 × 5/4. Multiply the numerators straight across (8 × 5 = 40) and the denominators straight across (3 × 4 = 12) to get 40/12. Simplify the fraction by dividing the top and bottom by 4 to get 10/3, which converts back to the mixed number 3 1/3. Choice A is a common mistake that results from multiplying whole numbers together and fractions separately.

5. Question

A patient’s IV intake over a shift is recorded as 1.5 liters, 450 milliliters, and 250 milliliters. What is the patient’s total intake in liters?

  1. 8.5 L
  2. 2.2 L
  3. 1.95 L
  4. 22.0 L
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

To find the total volume in liters, convert the milliliter measurements to liters by dividing by 1,000 (moving the decimal three places to the left). 450 mL = 0.45 L, and 250 mL = 0.25 L. Add these to the original 1.5 L: 1.5 + 0.45 + 0.25 = 2.2 L. Choice A incorrectly adds 1.5 + 4.5 + 2.5 without properly converting the place values of the metric units.

6. Question

A bottle contains 7/8 of a liter of saline solution. A nurse extracts 1/4 of a liter to use for flushes. How much saline remains in the bottle?

  1. 6/4 L
  2. 3/4 L
  3. 6/8 L
  4. 5/8 L
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: D.

To subtract fractions, find a common denominator, which is 8. Convert 1/4 to 2/8. Subtract the numerators: 7/8 – 2/8 = 5/8 of a liter. Choice C is a common mistake made by simply subtracting 1 from the numerator but leaving the denominator 8, completely ignoring the necessary conversion.

7. Question

Write the Arabic numeral 84 as a Roman numeral.

  1. LXXXIV
  2. XXCIIII
  3. XLIV
  4. LXXXXIV
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

Break the number 84 into tens and ones: 80 and 4. The numeral for 80 is LXXX (50 + 10 + 10 + 10). The numeral for 4 is IV (5 minus 1). Combine them to get LXXXIV. Choice D is incorrect because Roman numeral rules dictate you cannot have four of the same letter in a row (XXXX); you must subtract from the next highest numeral.

8. Question

If 18 is 15% of a certain number, what is the number?

  1. 2.7
  2. 85
  3. 120
  4. 270
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: C.

To find the whole when given a part and a percentage, set up the equation: 18 = 0.15x. Divide 18 by 0.15 to isolate x, which equals 120. Alternatively, you can set up a proportion: 15/100 = 18/x and cross-multiply. Choice A is incorrect because it represents 15% of 18, rather than finding the number that 18 is 15% of.

9. Question

A medication is prescribed at a dosage of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight. The patient weighs 165 lbs. How many milligrams of the medication should the nurse administer? (1 kg = 2.2 lbs)

  1. 300 mg
  2. 660 mg
  3. 1,452 mg
  4. 150 mg
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

This is a two-step problem. First, convert the patient’s weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2: 165 ÷ 2.2 = 75 kg. Next, multiply the patient’s weight in kilograms by the prescribed dosage: 75 kg × 4 mg/kg = 300 mg. Choice B is incorrect because it mistakenly multiplies the patient’s weight in pounds (165) by the dosage without first converting to kilograms.

10. Question

A patient’s temperature is 38 degrees Celsius. What is this temperature in Fahrenheit? (Formula: F = (C × 9/5) + 32)

  1. 102.2 degrees F
  2. 98.6 degrees F
  3. 100.4 degrees F
  4. 88.4 degrees F
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: C.

Plug the Celsius value into the formula: F = (38 × 9/5) + 32. First, multiply 38 by 9/5 (or 1.8), which equals 68.4. Then, add 32 to 68.4 to get 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Choice A is a common error resulting from arithmetic mistakes during the multiplication step.

11. Question

A surgery begins at 0815 and lasts for 4 hours and 45 minutes. At what time does the surgery end in military time?

  1. 1245
  2. 1260
  3. 1315
  4. 1300
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: D.

First, add the hours: 0800 + 4 hours = 1200. Next, add the minutes: 15 minutes + 45 minutes = 60 minutes. Because 60 minutes equals 1 full hour, carry that hour over to 1200, making the final military time 1300. Choice B is a common mistake for test-takers who forget to convert the 60 minutes into the next full hour.

12. Question

Which of the following values is the largest?

  1. 3/4
  2. 0.72
  3. 7/10
  4. 0.78
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: D.

To compare fractions and decimals, convert all the options to decimals or percentages. 3/4 equals 0.75, 7/10 equals 0.70. Comparing 0.75, 0.72, 0.70, and 0.78 reveals that 0.78 is the largest value. Choice A is often incorrectly chosen by students who assume large numerators and denominators automatically make a fraction larger than surrounding decimals.

13. Question

A hospital blueprint uses a scale in which 1.5 inches represents 20 feet. If the cafeteria and the maternity ward are 6 inches apart on the blueprint, what is the actual distance between them?

  1. 60 feet
  2. 80 feet
  3. 100 feet
  4. 120 feet
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

Set up a proportion matching inches to feet: 1.5 / 20 = 6 / x. Cross-multiply to get 1.5x = 120. Divide 120 by 1.5 to find x = 80 feet. Alternatively, notice that 1.5 inches must be multiplied by 4 to get 6 inches, so you multiply 20 feet by 4 to get 80 feet. Choice A is incorrect and often comes from a math error during division.

14. Question

A pharmacist starts with 15.0 grams of a compound. If 4.25 grams are used to fill a prescription, how many grams of the compound remain?

  1. 11.25 g
  2. 10.75 g
  3. 19.25 g
  4. 10.85 g
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

To subtract decimals, carefully align the decimal points and add a placeholder zero to the top number: 15.00 – 4.25. Borrowing properly from the whole numbers leaves 10.75. Choice A is a common error made by simply dropping the smaller digits from the larger digits in each column without borrowing.

15. Question

What is the number 28.567 rounded to the nearest hundredth?

  1. 28.56
  2. 28.57
  3. 28.60
  4. 29.00
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

To round to the nearest hundredth, look at the digit in the thousandths place, which is 7. Because 7 is five or greater, round the hundredths digit (6) up by one to get 28.57. Choice A is incorrect because it simply truncates the number without following the rules for rounding up.

16. Question

Multiply the following decimals: 3.2 × 0.45

  1. 1.44
  2. 14.4
  3. 0.144
  4. 1.25
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

First, multiply the numbers as if they were whole numbers: 32 × 45 = 1440. Next, count the total number of decimal places in the original problem (one in 3.2 and two in 0.45, for a total of three). Move the decimal point in 1440 three places to the left to get 1.440, which simplifies to 1.44. Choices B and C incorrectly place the decimal point by miscounting the decimal places.

17. Question

Evaluate the following expression: 24 – 6 × (8 ÷ 2)

  1. 72
  2. 36
  3. 0
  4. 18
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: C.

According to the order of operations (PEMDAS), evaluate the expression inside the parentheses first: 8 ÷ 2 = 4. Next, perform the multiplication: 6 × 4 = 24. Finally, complete the subtraction: 24 – 24 = 0. Choice A is a common mistake resulting from subtracting 6 from 24 before addressing the multiplication.

18. Question

A cleaning solution requires a 2:7 bleach-to-water ratio. If a janitor uses 14 cups of water, how many cups of bleach are needed?

  1. 4 cups
  2. 5 cups
  3. 10 cups
  4. 49 cups
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

Set up a proportion comparing the bleach-to-water ratio: 2/7 = x/14. Cross-multiply to get 7x = 28, then divide by 7 to find x = 4. Alternatively, observe that the parts of water (7) were multiplied by 2 to equal 14 cups, so multiplying the bleach parts (2) by 2 also yields 4 cups. Choice D is an error from incorrectly multiplying the denominator by the new water amount instead of applying a proportion.

19. Question

A patient is instructed to drink 2 pints of milk daily. How many fluid ounces does this represent?

  1. 16 oz
  2. 32 oz
  3. 48 oz
  4. 64 oz
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

First, recall the standard English conversions for volume: 1 pint is equivalent to 2 cups, and 1 cup is equivalent to 8 fluid ounces. Therefore, 1 pint equals 16 fluid ounces. Multiply the 2 pints by 16 ounces per pint to find the total volume is 32 ounces. Choice A is incorrect because it represents the number of ounces in only 1 pint.

20. Question

An outpatient clinic has 40 examination rooms. If 32 of the rooms are currently occupied, what percentage of the rooms are available?

  1. 20%
  2. 25%
  3. 80%
  4. 8%
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

First, determine the number of available rooms by subtracting the occupied rooms from the total: 40 – 32 = 8 available rooms. Next, divide the available rooms by the total rooms to find the decimal (8 ÷ 40 = 0.20). Multiply by 100 to convert to 20%. Choice C is incorrect because it represents the percentage of rooms that are occupied, rather than the available rooms requested by the question.

21. Question

If x = 4 and y = 3, what is the value of the expression 2x^2 – 5y?

  1. 7
  2. 17
  3. 49
  4. 77
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

Substitute the given values into the algebraic expression: 2(4)^2 – 5(3). Following the order of operations, evaluate the exponent first: 4^2 = 16. Next, perform the multiplication: 2 × 16 = 32, and 5 × 3 = 15. Finally, subtract the products: 32 – 15 = 17. Choice C is a common mistake that occurs if a student multiplies the 2 and 4 before applying the exponent, effectively evaluating (2x)^2 instead of 2(x^2).

22. Question

A provider orders 0.5 grams of a medication. The pharmacy supplies the medication in 250 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer?

  1. 0.5 tablets
  2. 2 tablets
  3. 4 tablets
  4. 5 tablets
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

First, align the units by converting the prescribed grams into milligrams. Multiply 0.5 g by 1,000 to get 500 mg. Next, divide the desired dose (500 mg) by the available concentration per tablet (250 mg) to determine that 2 tablets are needed. Choice A is an error caused by dividing the raw numbers without first converting the units to match.

23. Question

A patient is receiving 1,200 mL of IV fluids over the course of 8 hours. What is the flow rate in milliliters per minute?

  1. 2.5 mL/min
  2. 15 mL/min
  3. 25 mL/min
  4. 150 mL/min
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: A.

First, calculate the total number of minutes the fluid will be infusing by multiplying 8 hours by 60 minutes per hour, which equals 480 minutes. Next, divide the total volume (1,200 mL) by the total time in minutes (480) to find the rate of 2.5 mL/min. Choice D is incorrect because it divides the volume by the hours, representing the rate in mL per hour rather than mL per minute.

24. Question

A physical therapy pool is exactly 3/4 full. After 150 gallons of water are drained for maintenance, the pool is exactly 1/2 full. What is the maximum capacity of the pool in gallons?

  1. 300 gallons
  2. 450 gallons
  3. 600 gallons
  4. 750 gallons
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: C.

Draining the pool from 3/4 full to 1/2 full means the 150 gallons represent the difference between those two fractions: 3/4 – 1/2 = 1/4 of the pool’s capacity. If 1/4 of the pool equals 150 gallons, set up the equation 1/4x = 150, then multiply both sides by 4 to find the total capacity: 600 gallons. Choice A is an error resulting from assuming the 150 gallons represent exactly half the pool’s capacity.

25. Question

A surgical center purchased a new laser for $5,000. After one year, the value of the laser decreased by 20%. In the second year, its value decreased by an additional 15% from its year-one value. What is the value of the laser after the second year?

  1. $3,250
  2. $3,400
  3. $3,500
  4. $4,000
Show Answer & Rationale

Correct Answer: B.

First, calculate the 20% depreciation for the first year: 0.20 × $5,000 = $1,000, leaving a value of $4,000. Next, calculate the 15% decrease based strictly on that new $4,000 value: 0.15 × $4,000 = $600. Finally, subtract $600 from $4,000 to reach a final value of $3,400. Choice A is incorrect because it combines the percentages (20% + 15% = 35%) and deducts $1,750 straight from the original $5,000, ignoring the successive nature of the discounts.