HESI A2 Reading Comprehension Practice Test
Short health passages with main idea, detail and inference questions. Here are 10 HESI A2 reading comprehension 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.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection in hospitals. Germs travel easily on the hands of staff as they move from one patient to the next, touching bed rails, monitors, and skin. Alcohol-based rubs kill most bacteria and viruses within seconds and can be used right at the bedside. However, they do not remove visible dirt and work poorly against Clostridioides difficile spores, so soap and water are still needed in those situations. Choosing the right method at the right moment protects both patients and workers.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
- A.
Alcohol-based rubs have now fully replaced soap and water in hospitals.
- B.
Matching the hand hygiene method to the situation prevents infection.
- C.
Hospital bed rails carry more germs than any other surface.
- D.
Spores cause most of the infections passed between patients.
Answer: B.The passage argues that hand hygiene, done with the right method for each situation, prevents infection. It never says alcohol rubs replaced soap; it says soap and water are still needed for dirt and spores.
- A.
The new clinic hours were designed to accommodate patients who work during the day. The clinic now stays open until 8 in the evening on weekdays and offers Saturday morning appointments. Staff members volunteered for the later shifts in exchange for a weekday off. During the first month, the number of missed appointments fell by nearly a third, and patient surveys showed that working parents were especially pleased. The manager plans to review the schedule again in six months to decide whether Sunday hours are needed.
2.As used in the passage, what does the word 'accommodate' most nearly mean?
- A.
Provide overnight lodging for
- B.
Charge additional fees to
- C.
Make room for the needs of
- D.
Reduce the number of
Answer: C.The longer hours were created to fit the schedules of working patients, so accommodate means to make room for their needs. Providing lodging is another meaning of the word, but nothing in the passage involves housing patients.
- A.
Brisk walking is a form of moderate aerobic exercise. Adults are advised to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, which works out to about thirty minutes on five days. Walking requires no special equipment beyond comfortable shoes, and it can be done in a neighborhood, a park, or a shopping mall. Regular walking helps lower blood pressure and improves mood. Honestly, a morning walk is the most enjoyable way to begin any day.
3.Which statement from the passage is an opinion rather than a fact?
- A.
Brisk walking is a form of moderate aerobic exercise.
- B.
Adults are advised to get at least 150 minutes of activity weekly.
- C.
Regular walking helps lower blood pressure.
- D.
A morning walk is the most enjoyable way to begin a day.
Answer: D.Calling a morning walk the most enjoyable start to a day is a personal judgment that cannot be proven. The 150-minute guideline is a published recommendation that can be checked, so it is a fact.
- A.
To use a metered-dose inhaler correctly, first remove the cap and shake the inhaler well. Breathe out fully, away from the mouthpiece. Place the mouthpiece between your teeth and seal your lips around it. Press down on the canister once as you begin to breathe in slowly and deeply. Hold your breath for about ten seconds, then breathe out gently. If a second puff is prescribed, wait about one minute before repeating the steps. Rinse your mouth afterward if the inhaler contains a steroid.
4.According to the passage, what is the next step after sealing the lips around the mouthpiece?
- A.
Shake the inhaler well
- B.
Press the canister while starting a slow, deep breath
- C.
Breathe out fully, away from the mouthpiece
- D.
Hold the breath for about ten seconds, then breathe out gently
Answer: B.The passage says to press the canister as you begin breathing in, right after sealing the lips. Breathing out fully comes before the mouthpiece is placed, not after.
- A.
In 1854, Florence Nightingale led a group of 38 nurses to a British military hospital in Scutari, in what is now Turkey, during the Crimean War. She found soldiers lying in filthy wards with poor ventilation and little clean water. Nightingale pushed for cleaning, better food, and improved sanitation, and death rates fell sharply over the following months. She later used carefully collected statistics and colorful diagrams to convince officials that most soldiers had died of preventable disease rather than battle wounds.
5.According to the passage, how did Nightingale convince officials about the soldiers' deaths?
- A.
She presented statistics and diagrams she had gathered.
- B.
She led officials on a tour of the Scutari wards.
- C.
She published letters written by wounded soldiers.
- D.
She described battle wounds in detailed medical reports.
Answer: A.The passage says she used collected statistics and colorful diagrams to make her case. Her point was that disease, not battle wounds, killed most soldiers, so reports on wounds would not have proven it.
- A.
The new parking policy at Lakeside Medical Center makes little sense. Night-shift nurses, who often leave work after midnight, have been moved to a lot nearly half a mile from the building, while the closest spaces sit empty overnight. The walk crosses a poorly lit road with no sidewalk. Administrators say the change will 'streamline operations,' yet no one has explained what that means. Staff safety should never come second to a vague phrase on a memo.
6.Which word best describes the tone of the passage?
- A.
Neutral
- B.
Celebratory
- C.
Critical
- D.
Amused
Answer: C.Phrases such as makes little sense and a vague phrase on a memo show the author disapproves of the policy. A neutral passage would report the change without judging it.
- A.
In a small study, volunteers were asked to memorize a list of 20 words. Half then took a 90-minute nap, while the other half stayed awake and watched a nature documentary. When everyone was tested later that afternoon, the nap group recalled an average of 15 words, compared with 11 for the group that stayed awake. Both groups had studied the list for the same amount of time, and neither group knew it would be tested again.
7.Which conclusion is best supported by the results described?
- A.
Napping after learning may help people retain new information.
- B.
Nature documentaries damage a person's long-term memory.
- C.
Everyone recalls exactly 15 words after taking a nap.
- D.
Studying for a longer time is always more useful than sleeping.
Answer: A.The nap group, which studied for the same time, recalled more words, suggesting sleep aided memory. The number 15 was an average, so it does not mean every napper recalled exactly 15 words.
- A.
Handoff report is the moment when one nurse passes responsibility for a patient to another at the change of shift. Information lost at this point can lead to missed medications, delayed tests, or repeated mistakes. Many hospitals now use a structured format such as SBAR, which stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. Following the same order every time makes it less likely that an important detail will be skipped. Some units also hold the handoff at the bedside so the patient can confirm or correct the information.
8.Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?
- A.
SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
- B.
Patients should give their own shift reports to nurses.
- C.
Medication errors happen only during the change of shift.
- D.
Structured handoffs help prevent errors when care changes hands.
Answer: D.The whole passage explains how a consistent handoff format keeps information from being lost. What SBAR stands for is a supporting detail, not the main idea.
- A.
Fresh garden vegetables are delicious, but they must be washed carefully before eating. Soil can harbor bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which may cling to leaves and roots even when the produce looks clean. Rinsing under cool running water and rubbing firm items like potatoes with a vegetable brush removes most surface germs. Soap and bleach are not recommended because residues can be absorbed by the produce and cause stomach upset.
9.As used in the passage, the word 'harbor' most nearly means:
- A.
Contain and shelter
- B.
Destroy completely
- C.
A place where ships dock
- D.
Filter out
Answer: A.The passage says soil can hold bacteria that cling to produce, so harbor means to contain and shelter. A place where ships dock is the noun meaning, which does not fit a sentence where harbor is a verb.
- A.
Telehealth lets patients meet with health care providers by video or phone instead of traveling to an office. It is especially helpful for people in rural areas, those without reliable transportation, and patients managing long-term conditions that require frequent check-ins. However, telehealth has limits. A provider cannot listen to the lungs or feel the abdomen through a screen, and some patients lack a fast internet connection or a private place to talk. For these reasons, many clinics now offer a mix of virtual and in-person visits.
10.Which of the following is the best summary of the passage?
- A.
Telehealth improves access but cannot fully replace in-person care.
- B.
Telehealth has replaced office visits in most rural clinics.
- C.
Video visits let providers examine the lungs from a distance.
- D.
Patients with long-term conditions should avoid using telehealth.
Answer: A.The passage presents both the benefits of telehealth and its limits, ending with clinics mixing visit types. It states that providers cannot listen to the lungs through a screen, so remote lung exams are ruled out.
- A.
Drill every reading comprehension question in the HESI A2 Reading Comprehension drill: questions you miss come back until you have mastered them. Then take a timed practice test with the Reading Comprehension section in it.
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