The HESI exam stands for Health Education Systems Incorporated and they are the company that administers the HESI A2 exam for nursing students. The HESI exam is comprised of up of 10 different exams. Schools can pick which of the specific HESI exams to assess a student's readiness for their program. Most schools choose to focus on math, reading, vocabulary, and grammar.
HESI prep courses are a great way for students to re-learn important concepts while also learning new material that will be tested on the HESI exam. HESI prep courses will help students become more comfortable taking the HESI by offering strategies and test taking tips. Students who are more comfortable with the material on the HESI will do better and receive higher scores.
Use our reviews of the top 6 HESI prep courses to make your choice based on budget, learning style, guarantees and more.
Table of Contents
- Our Picks for Best HESI Test Prep Courses
- Comparison Table
- Who Needs a HESI Test Prep Course
- BoostPrep Review
- Nursing.com HESI
- Study.com
- ExamEdge
- Evolve Book
Our Picks for Best HESI Test Prep Courses
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- Recommended
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- Rating:
- Visit BoostPrep HESI
Best HESI Test Prep Course Reviews (2020)
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| HESI Test Prep | BoostPrep | Nursing.com | Study.com | ExamEdge | Evolve |
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| Rating | T-G choice (Recommended) |
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| Pricing | $49 $39 Get Discount |
$39/month | $59/month | up to $275 | $41 |
| Subscription Length | 6 months | Pay per month | Pay per month | Unlimited | n/a |
| Guarantee | - 100% Pass guarantee | - (non money-back) | |||
| Practice Questions | 900+ | 500+ | 100s | Varies | 100s |
| Practice Exams | 3 | None | None | Varies | None |
| Timed Practice Tests | |||||
| Automatic Scoring | |||||
| Study Guides | |||||
| Best Feature | Combination of study guides and practice questions/tests | PDF cheat sheet downloads | Bite-Sized Lessons | Practice Tests | Book and website combo |
| Summary | Review | Review | Review | Review | Review |
| Learn More | GO! | GO! | GO! | GO! | GO! |
Who Needs a HESI Test Prep Course?
Many nursing and health programs require the HESI for admissions. The HESI is hard and high scores are critical. Determining your best approach to preparing for the HESI can be challenging.
HESI prep courses can be expensive and time-consuming. Do you need a HESI prep course? The answer depends on many factors.
Factors to Consider
- Budget – HESI prep courses can get expensive. If money is tight, consider our best value recommendation, or self-study with HESI prep books.
- Improvement needed – take a free HESI practice test to see where you stand. If your score needs improvement, a HESI prep course may be a good option.
- Learning style – if you have a history of successfully studying with books, a self-study approach with a good HESI prep book may be your best plan.
- Study discipline – if you routinely have trouble maintaining a study schedule, you’ll find that a prep course is worth it.
Benefits of a HESI Test Prep Course
- Score improvement – the top HESI prep courses will help you pass your exam.
- Simulates actual test – the online exams included in a HESI prep course do a great job of simulating the real HESI. BoostPrep’s scores will help you compare yourself to other students.
- Identify strengths and weaknesses – the best HESI prep courses offer advanced diagnostics to identify the topics you need to focus on.
- Comprehensive study plans – HESI prep courses will help you craft, and stick to, a customized study schedule that works for you.
Why a HESI Test Prep Course May Not Be Your Best Option
- DIY alternative - self-study using prep books may be a cost-effective alternative.
- Time-consuming – prep courses often require significant study/prep time.
- Expensive – the best HESI prep courses may be over $200.
Bottom Line - If you need a high HESI score and have the budget, a top HESI prep course is a great option.
HESI Test Prep Course Online Reviews
BoostPrep HESI Prep Review
- Test-Guide Rating: T-G Choice (Best Value)
- Price: Starting at $34
- Discounts: Available Here
BoostPrep Feature Summary
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Price
- Cheapest total HESI prep course we reviewed. Great value.
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Guarantee
- 100% pass guarantee - or money back.
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Content
- In-depth study guides to review the material. Answer explanations to help further explain the material.
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Questions
- Most practice questions of all courses reviewed (900+). 3 full-length practice tests.
BoostPrep Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Price - best value on market
- Number of practice questions
- Number of practice exams
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Cons
- None
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- -
BoostPrep Summary
Boost Prep offers their base HESI prep course for $34. The base prep course reviews 4 portions of the HESI exam – math, grammar, reading, and vocab. Boost Prep also offers their base prep course along with anatomy and physiology which is available for $39.
Regardless of which HESI prep course you choose, all prep courses offer a complete prep system and include study guides and full-length practice exams. The prep course includes 900+ practice questions, 3 full-length practice exams, and 250 vocabulary flashcards. One cool feature is that all practice exams are timed, which is a great way to help students prepare for the HESI.
All practice questions include answer explanations and rationales to provide an additional method for students to learn the material. The prep courses can be accessed on any device and are available 24/7. Students will have access to the course for 6 months and the course offers a 100% pass guarantee.
Best Feature of BoostPrep -Complete course with good combination of study guides and practice questions and tests
Rating:
T-G Choice (Best Value)
Bottom Line
Not going to beat this course in terms of price or content. Cheapest course we reviewed and offers a great combination of study guides, practice questions, and full-length practice exams.
The Nursing.com HESI Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $39/month
- Discounts: Available Here
Nursing.com HESI Feature Summary
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Price
- $39/month. Can get expensive.
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Guarantee
- No guarantee offered.
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Content
- Videos to explain material.
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Questions
- 500+ practice questions but no full-length practice exams.
Nursing.com HESI Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Number of practice questions
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Cons
- Price (can get expensive)
- No full-length practice exams
- No guarantee
Nursing.com HESI Summary
Nursing.com offers 2 HESI prep courses for prospective students. The courses each cost $39 per month and students can access the courses for as long they want to. The Pre-Nursing Academy course includes a HESI review course, HESI review course, and various HESI subject specific courses.
The Pre-Nursing Academy includes 500+ HESI and HESI practice questions, PDF cheat sheets, and video lessons for review. Students can review their previous quizzes for additional practice. The course also includes advanced question statistics so students can see which areas they need to improve on the most.
Unfortunately, this course is not HESI specific, so some material may not be relevant for those just trying to study for the HESI exam. The course is relatively cheap, but if it takes you 3 months to complete the course, it is going to cost you around $120.
Best Nursing.com HESI Feature - PDF cheat sheet downloads
Rating:
Bottom Line
Solid course with lots of practice questions and decent review materials.
Study.com HESI Prep Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $59/month
- Discounts: Available Here
Study.com Feature Summary
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Price
- Monthly subscription. Can get expensive if it takes you a while to complete the course.
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Guarantee
- No guarantee offered.
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Content
- Contains various lesson reviews and bite sized lessons.
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Questions
- Hundreds of practice questions but no full-length practice exams.
Study.com Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Bite sized lessons
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Cons
- Can get expensive
- No full-length practice exams
- No guarantee
Study.com Summary
Study.com offers their HESI prep course to students for a price of $59 per month. Students can take the course for however long it takes them to complete it – just keep in mind that you will be charged $59 per month. One nice thing about this monthly charge is that you have access to everything on the website – a great opportunity to learn a new skill.
The prep course includes 169 lessons, hundreds of practice questions, and practice quizzes after each lesson. In order to keep students more engaged, the lessons average 8 minutes in length. The course does not offer any full-length practice tests, which is somewhat disappointing. The practice quizzes after each lesson are a nice touch and all questions have answer explanations.
The course from study.com is a well-designed course and a good start for anyone looking to prepare for their HESI exam. It is reasonably priced but that depends on how long it takes you to complete the course. If you take 3 months to complete the course, you will be paying $180, which is a little pricey. The bite-sized lessons are a great feature and will be beneficial to any student.
Best Study.com Features – Bite-sized lessons
Rating:
Bottom Line
Not a bad course but some of the other options may better suit some students.
ExamEdge HESI Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Up to $275
- Discounts: Available Here
ExamEdge Feature Summary
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Price
- $22 for 1 practice test is a bit much.
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Guarantee
- Retake the practice exams for free if you fail.
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Content
- Only have practice tests.
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Questions
- Practice tests are in-depth and mimic the HESI exams.
ExamEdge Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Well-designed practice exams
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Cons
- Price
- Not much content
ExamEdge Summary
ExamEdge specializes in practice tests. They offer various bundles of practice tests. Students can purchase 1 HESI practice test for $21.95. The practice test bundles go all the way up to 40 practice tests for $275. ExamEdge offers a 100% passing guarantee but it is not a money back or financial guarantee.
The practice tests simulate the real HESI exam by covering the same topics, simulating the same level of difficulty, replicating the number of questions, timed exam, and just the general feel of the tests. Another nice feature of the practice tests are that students can take them as timed exams or untimed exams – whichever they prefer. All questions include answer explanations as well.
This course is a great option for those looking for practice tests. It seems relatively expensive when purchasing practice tests when comparing it to other courses like Boost Prep that includes various study materials and 3 practice tests for $34. With that being said, if you strictly want practice tests, this is your course.
Best ExamEdge Features – Practice tests with various features
Rating:
Bottom Line
Course does not have much content, but the practice tests are designed well.
Evolve HESI Review
- Test-Guide Rating:
- Price: Starting at $41
- Discounts: Available Here
Evolve HESI Book Feature Summary
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Price
- Middle of the pack in terms of price.
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Guarantee
- No guarantee offered.
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Content
- Includes study guides. Book form is a little old school but still gets the job done.
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Questions
- Hundreds of practice questions but no full-length practice exams.
Evolve HESI Book Pros and Cons
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Pros
- Practice questions
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Cons
- Book form of prep course
- No full-length practice exams
- No guarantee
Evolve HESI Book Summary
The HESI admission assessment book is a unique prep course because it is mainly based out of the book, but they also offer an online aspect. Students who purchase this book are given an online access code and can access some additional practice questions and tests on the website. The book is available for $41.
The course reviews HESI math, reading, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and physics. The course includes a pre and post test so students can see where they stand when they begin the course and compare it to where they are at once they finish the book. The course comes with hundreds of practice questions along with explanations, illustrations, and practice exams.
While this is more of a HESI prep book versus a prep course, it is still a good option. They do offer the online access code for some additional features online. This is a great course for those who are looking for an actual book and like to have a hard copy in hand.
Best Evolve HESI Features – Prep book and online access code
Rating:
Bottom Line
Old school method of studying for the HESI exam but the online access code is a nice feature.
Last update: 6/24/2020
