HESI Exam and Nursing Schools That Don't Require It

The HESI exists in 2 forms serving opposite purposes, one for admission and one for predicting NCLEX readiness.
Schools pick which subject areas to include and set their own cutoffs, so there is no single national passing score.
Admission results report a percentage correct per subject plus a cumulative average, not a percentile ranking against other applicants.
Programs that skip the HESI may substitute the TEAS or weigh prerequisite grades, essays, and recommendations instead; confirm which one each program uses.
Retake rules vary by school, with attempt limits and waiting periods that can delay an application.

The HESI exam stands between many prospective students and a seat in a nursing program, and it carries more weight than most applicants expect.

Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI) built it in 2 forms, one used for admission and one used near graduation, and individual schools customize both.

Not every program requires the HESI exam for entrance. Some use the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) instead, and others drop entrance testing altogether, placing greater weight on prerequisite science grades, essays, and recommendations.

Applicants who understand how the test works, which schools skip it, and what those schools ask for instead can plan a stronger application and avoid paying for a test they don’t need.

What is the HESI exam?

The 2 versions of the HESI arrive at opposite ends of nursing education and are frequently confused.

The HESI admission assessment, known as the A2, screens academic readiness before enrollment. The HESI exit exam predicts a student's likelihood of passing the NCLEX before graduation.

The HESI A2 exam serves as one input among several in a competitive process, alongside prerequisite grades, a personal statement, and sometimes an interview.

No 2 schools administer the same version because programs select subject areas from a larger menu. The full test runs close to 5 hours; a shortened version lasts much less.

Commonly assigned HESI exam sections include the following:

Reading comprehension and grammar
Mathematics
Biology and chemistry
Anatomy and physiology

Some schools attach a personality profile or learning style inventory. Neither is scored competitively nor does it affect an admission decision.

How the HESI A2 is scored

Results arrive faster than most standardized tests, often the same day, and the format is easy to misread.

HESI exam scores appear as a percentage correct for each subject taken, plus a cumulative average across all sections.

The scores are reported as percentages, so an 85 means 85% of questions answered correctly, not a standing above 85% of applicants. The report does not include a percentile score, so a number that looks strong can still fall below a program's cutoff.

There is no universal HESI passing score. Each program sets its own, but a HESI composite score near 90% is competitive almost anywhere.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, which prepare graduates to sit for licensure as registered nurses (RNs), frequently look for a cumulative score in the mid-80s. In contrast, practical nursing programs often accept scores in the mid-to-high 70s.

The exit exam is scored differently. Rather than a percentage, it returns a scaled score that estimates a student's likelihood of passing the NCLEX on a first attempt, which is why programs use it as a gate before graduation. A HESI exit exam score requirement commonly falls between 850 and 950.

Retakes are governed separately at each school. A HESI exam retake policy typically permits 1 or 2 additional attempts, and exit exam retakes often carry required remediation coursework in between.

HESI A2 practice exams and prep

Preparation windows of 6 to 8 weeks are common for the HESI A2 exam. Effective HESI exam prep draws on several resources rather than one, each addressing a different weakness.

A timed practice exam builds the pacing that the real test demands.
An official study guide works through tested content systematically rather than by topic-based guesswork.
Flashcards carry the memorization load in vocabulary and anatomy, where recall speed matters more than reasoning.
Answer explanations turn a missed question into usable knowledge, which practice scores alone never do.

The HESI exam cost varies by school and by whether the test is proctored on campus or remotely, so confirm the fee and payment process with the program rather than assuming a standard rate.

Are HESI exams necessary for nursing school?

Not always, and the answer depends on where you apply. Reviewing requirements program by program is the only reliable method, since policies differ by school and often by track within one school.

One caution matters most. Dropping the HESI does not mean dropping entrance exams, because many of those programs require the TEAS instead.

Both exams cover reading, math, and science, but the choice belongs to the school, and scores do not transfer between them.

Nursing schools that do not require the HESI

The 8 programs below have admitted students without a HESI exam, but admission requirements are revised between cycles, so check the current admission pages before you apply.

California State University, Fullerton

CSU Fullerton admits students to its traditional BSN, accelerated BSN, and RN-to-BSN programs without the HESI or TEAS.

Applicants must complete the A-G high school coursework and have a qualifying grade point average (GPA). Time to degree runs 2 to 4 years, depending on the course. The benefits of studying nursing at Cal State Fullerton include its affordable tuition and multiple study pathways.

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Drexel University

Drexel University offers a traditional and accelerated BSN route, plus an RN-to-BSN program. The BSN pairs coursework with paid cooperative education terms, so students accumulate documented employment alongside clinical hours.

The nursing programs do not use the HESI for admission; instead, they require:

3 years of mathematics study (Algebra I and II, Geometry)
2 years of laboratory science study (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)

Nursing applicants who want work history before graduation get more from Drexel’s program structure than from a conventional sequence.

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Northern Illinois University

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree does not require a HESI exam for entrance. Applicants are required to have:

Minimum GPA of 2.75
Minimum grade of C on prerequisite courses

Applicants must also undergo a drug screen and criminal background check.

The advantages of studying nursing at Northern Illinois University include its strong national ranking and scholarship program.

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Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has 3 different study pathways: an on-campus degree, an accelerated track, and an online RN-to-BS program.

The requirements for entry vary by program. For both the on-campus and accelerated BS in nursing, 19 semester credits in prerequisite courses are required.

Students choose OHSU for its flexible learning options and diverse clinical placement settings.

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University of South Florida

The University of South Florida has a traditional BSN program and an accelerated second-degree option, neither of which requires the HESI exam for admission.

Admission requirements include GPA thresholds ranging from 3.0 to 3.9, depending on the course. Applicants must also show strong academic performance in their college courses, particularly in nursing prerequisites.

In 2025, the University of South Florida achieved a 97% NCLEX pass rate, demonstrating its academic excellence.

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George Washington University

GW's nursing programs include an accelerated BSN, a veterans' pathway that awards credit for military health training, and an online RN-to-BSN. These programs do not require the HESI exam for admission.

Entrance is dependent on a GPA score between 3.0 and 4.0. Applicants also need to achieve a C or above in their prerequisite courses.

The veteran route is the distinguishing feature for corpsmen seeking to convert service experience into progress toward a degree.

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Most nursing programs at the University of Arkansas, including the BSN, do not require an entrance exam.

However, the HESI is required for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who have not practiced in the past 2 years and paramedics entering the transition program.

Otherwise, applicants must earn a C or higher in prerequisite courses and have a GPA of at least 2.6.

The advantages of studying nursing at the University of Arkansas include a state-of-the-art simulation hospital and a strong clinical placement program.

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University of Tennessee Health Science Center

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center offers a traditional BSN, an accelerated BSN, and an online RN-to-BSN program.

Applicants to the traditional BSN are required to have a GPA of at least 2.67 in the science prerequisite courses: Anatomy and Physiology I & II and Microbiology. Applicants also must achieve a C or higher in all science prerequisite courses.

Why study here? The BSN program was ranked #18 on U.S. News & World Report's nationwide list of undergraduate nursing programs for 2026.

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Remember: These policies aren’t permanent, and none applies uniformly across a school's pathways. Before you pay for a test or rule out a program, open the admissions page for the exact track you want and confirm what it asks for this cycle. The requirement that applied last year may not be the one you face this year.

From the HESI to the NCLEX

Whether a program screens with the A2, uses it as a course benchmark, or skips it altogether, the exam that ultimately matters is the NCLEX.

Programs that admit students without the HESI still hold graduates to the same licensure standards, so the preparation habits built during prerequisites carry over. Our NCLEX study guide covers how to approach that final exam.

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