Tips for Reading Comprehension on the HESI A2
One of the first and most important parts of the nursing entrance exam is the HESI A2 Reading Comprehension section. It tests how well you can read, understand, and judge written information. You will read patient charts, care plans, and research-based materials every day in nursing school, so you need to have these skills.
Here are the best HESI A2 Reading Comprehension tips, tricks, and examples to help you get a higher score.
- Understand what the HESI A2 Reading Section is about
There are 47 questions on the test, and you have 60 minutes to answer them all.
You will answer questions based on short passages that talk about:
- Nursing and health topics
- Science in general
- Culture and history
- Situations that happen every day
Some of the most common types of questions are:
- The main point
- Details that help
- What the author wants to do
- Logical endings
- Tone and mood
- Cause and effect
- Conclusion
- Words in context
- Before reading the passage, read the questions.
This is the best way to read for HESI.
What makes it work
- You know what the test is looking for.
- You read the passage with a goal in mind.
- You don’t spend time on things that aren’t important.
For example
If a question says, “What is the author’s main purpose?”
If the passage says, “Which statement is supported by the text?” you will read it differently.
- Quickly figure out the main point
The main idea is what the passage is mostly about.
This is how to find it quickly:
- Step 1: Read the first sentence;
- Step 2: Read the last sentence;
- Step 3: Look for words that are used again and again.
One of those places usually has the main idea.
For example
If the passage talks about “preventing infection” a lot, the main idea is probably about how to stop infection, not just “illness.”
- Don’t bring in outside information
HESI The questions about reading are only about the passage.
Even if you know a lot about the subject (like drugs or diseases), only trust what the text says.
Example of a trap
- “Drinking eight glasses of water may give you more energy.”
- “Water always gives you more energy” is a wrong conclusion.
- Correct: Use words like “may,” “might,” and “suggests.”
- Be careful of answers that are too extreme
HESI likes to give you options that sound strong but are too extreme, like:
- always
- not ever
- totally
- totally
- have to
- only
Answers that are right are usually balanced, moderate, and based directly on the passage.
- Use clues from the text to help you understand words.
You will see questions that ask you to use words in context, such as:
“How does the word ‘alleviate’ fit into the passage?”
To fix these:
Look at the words that are near the word, like:
- example
- similarities
- Definitions
- differences
For example
“Medication can help with symptoms like fever or make them less severe.”
The word “reduce” here tells you what to do.
- Find out what the author wants to say and how they say it.
The writer might be trying to:
- Give information (facts)
- Convince the reader
- Explain (tell how something works)
- Have fun (not common on HESI)
Tone hints
Search for words that make you feel something, like:
- worried
- hopeful
- important
- not taking sides
- hopeful
A neutral tone means only facts.
- Learn how to draw logical conclusions
These questions ask what makes the most sense, not what is said.
Sample
Passage: “The nurse looked at the wound twice during the shift to make sure it wasn’t getting infected.”
Logical conclusion: The nurse is keeping an eye on the patient’s health.
Not right: ✘ The patient has a bad infection. (Not said)
- Split up long passages into smaller pieces
If a passage seems too much to handle:
✔ Read one paragraph
✔ Answer the question that goes with it
✔ Go on to the next one
This stops people from getting confused and saves time.
- Use real HESI-style passages to practice
You can get better by practicing with questions that are like the ones on the test.
Pick resources that have:
- Passages about nursing
- Questions that require you to draw conclusions
- Questions about the main idea and purpose
- Words in context
- Sometimes, graphs and charts are included.
- Use your time wisely
You have an hour to answer 47 questions, which is about one question per minute.
Tips to save time:
- Only read the whole passage again if you have to.
- Don’t answer hard questions right away; come back later.
- If you can, use highlights sparingly.
- When choices are similar, go with your gut.
- Things You Shouldn’t Do
Reading the passage too quickly or too slowly Thinking too much about simple questions Adding information that isn’t in the text Not paying attention to the main idea and instead focusing on small details Changing answers over and over
Conclusion
When you use strategies instead of guessing, the HESI A2 Reading Comprehension test is much easier. Pay attention to the main ideas, context clues, question keywords, and logical reasoning. If you follow the tips above and practice regularly, you’ll get better and better at the test quickly
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