If nursing school is on your horizon, congratulations to you! You are about to embark on a challenging and rewarding career path. But first, you’ll need to get accepted into your nursing program and earn licensure as a registered nurse.
Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) is a company in the United States that helps nurses prepare for and pass their licensure exams. Though there are a few nursing schools without entrance exams, many use the HESI exam to predict nursing school success and NCLEX-RN pass rates.
There are two HESI tests:
- The HESI Admissions (A2) exam is a criterion for many nursing school admission acceptances
- The HESI Exit Exam helps students study and pass their NCLEX-RN licensure exams
Best Practices to Study for the HESI
One of the most critical aspects of acceptance for many nursing programs across the country is scoring well on the HESI exam. Although the HESI is not a universally required exam for every nursing program, it is becoming more commonly utilized because of the test’s ability to predict student success.
Thousands of students take the HESI exam each year, and many often struggle to prepare for the test because it covers so many subjects and topics.
But don’t worry! We’ll help you get focused, offer advice on the best ways to prepare for the exam, and outline several great resources available to you. You are about to learn how to master the best practices for HESI success!
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4 Ways to Study for the HESI
#1. Get Organized
Get your study materials in order and plan out your study calendar early. When you wake up each day, you must know which topic you will study and when you plan to do it.
Consider creating “block study time” from now until you take the HESI. A shared Google calendar can help you share your study plans with loved ones, so they know not to interrupt you!
#2. Practice Repetition
Build repetition into your study schedule. Continuously go back to review each subject to reinforce the material and make it stick.
For example, you might plan to study anatomy on Monday, again on Tuesday, and then again the following Monday. If you only study a topic once and move on, you won’t have reinforced the material enough to make it stick in your mind until you take the HESI.
#3. Take Practice Tests
Taking practice tests is essential! Every student must use them to gauge where they are in their study process. There are two main practice test benefits, which include:
- Providing a baseline score so you know where you stand
- Helping you identify your weak spots and identify areas for improvement
We will cover more about practice tests later in this article.
#4. Find Your Best Study Resources
Your study materials and resources must come from a reputable source. Fortunately, some of the best HESI study resources and practice tests are free from sites like YouTube.
A good online prep course or study guidebook is also hugely beneficial. That way, you can spend more time studying the exact subjects and topics on the HESI instead of wasting time studying things that aren’t.