HESI A2 Conversions and Dosage Practice Test
Household and metric units, dosage, IV rates, military time and temperature. Here are 10 HESI A2 conversions and dosage questions, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the HESI A2 section outlines (math, reading, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology). Physics is not included. Not affiliated with Elsevier.
- 1.
A medication is given at 9:20 PM and is due again every 6 hours. In military time, when is the next dose due?
- A.
1520
- B.
2720
- C.
0320
- D.
2120
Answer: C.9:20 PM is 2120, and 2120 + 6 hours passes midnight, giving 0320. The answer 2720 forgets that the 24-hour clock restarts at 0000 after 2359.
- A.
- 2.
A patient weighs 154 lb. Using 1 kg = 2.2 lb, what is the patient's weight in kilograms?
- A.
338.8 kg
- B.
77 kg
- C.
7 kg
- D.
70 kg
Answer: D.Divide pounds by 2.2: 154 ÷ 2.2 = 70 kg. The answer 338.8 kg comes from multiplying by 2.2 instead of dividing.
- A.
- 3.
A patient is 5 feet 6 inches tall. Using 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm, what is the height in centimeters?
- A.
25.98 cm
- B.
167.64 cm
- C.
1,676.4 cm
- D.
152.4 cm
Answer: B.5 ft 6 in = 66 in, and 66 × 2.54 = 167.64 cm. The answer 152.4 cm leaves out the extra 6 inches, and 25.98 cm divides by 2.54 instead of multiplying.
- A.
- 4.
During a shift, a patient drinks 1 cup of coffee, 6 fl oz of juice, and 1 pint of water, and voids 650 mL. How many mL greater was intake than output?
- A.
1,550 mL
- B.
10 mL
- C.
160 mL
- D.
250 mL
Answer: D.Intake is 240 + 180 + 480 = 900 mL, and 900 - 650 = 250 mL. The answer 10 mL counts the pint as one cup, and 1,550 mL adds output to intake instead of subtracting.
- A.
- 5.
Using 1 cup = 240 mL, 1 pint = 2 cups, 1 quart = 2 pints, and 1 gallon = 4 quarts, how many mL are in 1 gallon?
- A.
3,840 mL
- B.
960 mL
- C.
4,000 mL
- D.
1,920 mL
Answer: A.1 gallon = 4 × 2 × 2 = 16 cups, and 16 × 240 = 3,840 mL. The answer 4,000 mL assumes a quart equals 1 liter, and 960 mL is only one quart.
- A.
- 6.
A provider orders 1.5 g of a drug, and the tablets on hand contain 500 mg each. How many tablets should be given?
- A.
0.3 tablet
- B.
30 tablets
- C.
3 tablets
- D.
1/3 tablet
Answer: C.1.5 g = 1,500 mg, and 1,500 ÷ 500 = 3 tablets. The answer 0.3 tablet comes from dividing 1.5 by 5 without converting grams to milligrams.
- A.
- 7.
An IV of 1.2 L is to infuse evenly over 8 hours. Using 1 L = 1,000 mL, what is the rate in mL per hour?
- A.
150 mL/hr
- B.
15 mL/hr
- C.
9.6 mL/hr
- D.
1,500 mL/hr
Answer: A.1.2 L = 1,200 mL, and 1,200 ÷ 8 = 150 mL/hr. The answer 9.6 mL/hr multiplies 1.2 by 8 instead of converting and dividing.
- A.
- 8.
An IV of 1,000 mL is to infuse over 8 hours with tubing that has a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. What is the drip rate in gtt/min, rounded to the nearest whole drop?
- A.
125 gtt/min
- B.
31 gtt/min
- C.
1,875 gtt/min
- D.
8 gtt/min
Answer: B.(1,000 mL × 15 gtt/mL) ÷ 480 min = 31.25, which rounds to 31 gtt/min. The answer 125 is the rate in mL/hr, and 1,875 is drops per hour, not per minute.
- A.
- 9.
A child weighing 44 lb is ordered 15 mg/kg/day, divided into 3 equal doses. Using 1 kg = 2.2 lb, how many mg are in each dose?
- A.
300 mg
- B.
220 mg
- C.
1,452 mg
- D.
100 mg
Answer: D.44 ÷ 2.2 = 20 kg, 20 × 15 = 300 mg per day, and 300 ÷ 3 = 100 mg per dose. The answer 300 mg is the full daily amount, and 220 mg uses pounds instead of kilograms.
- A.
- 10.
A patient's temperature is 37.5°C. Using F = C × 9/5 + 32, what is the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit?
- A.
69.5°F
- B.
99.5°F
- C.
52.8°F
- D.
125.1°F
Answer: B.37.5 × 9/5 = 67.5, and 67.5 + 32 = 99.5°F. The answer 69.5°F adds 32 without multiplying by 9/5, and 52.8°F uses 5/9 instead of 9/5.
- A.
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