Reynolds uses HESI exams for admission testing into the AAS Nursing Program and an additional mid-curricular exam that is required for licensed practical nurses who are applying for the advanced placement option. Students must register online and pay for either exam prior to coming to the testing center. Please see detailed instructions further down on this page.

Entrance Exam Details

The HESI AAS Nursing Entrance exam, which all applicants must complete, will cover the following topics outlined in this table:

HESI AAS Nursing Entrance exam topics
Category Weighted percentage RN Minimum Passing Score Number of Questions Time
Anatomy & Physiology 30% 75 30 25
Reading Comprehension 30% 75 55 60
Math 30% 75 55 50
Grammar 10% 75 55 50
Critical Thinking These categories must be taken but are for data purposes only and not used in ranking 30 25
Learning Style 15 14
Personality Profile 15 15
Total 249 4hr 5 min

The HESI Mid-Curricular entrance exam, that is only required for current LPNs seeking advanced placement, will be 75 questions and students will have a maximum of four (4) hours to complete the exam.  Test questions cover fundamentals, medical-surgical, maternity, professional issues, and psychiatric/mental health content areas. The minimum passing score for the mid-curricular exam is 800 and must be achieved on the first attempt to be accepted into the advanced placement option. Applicants that do not meet the 800 benchmark may still apply for the traditional AAS Nursing program.

Testing Policies

Students may only take the HESI AAS Nursing entrance exam twice in a two year period. A different payment ID is used for each attempt that is purchased. Students must use the 1st time tester payment code before they use the payment code for the 2nd time tester. If a applicant has taken the HESI AAS Nursing Entrance exam prior to enrolling at Reynolds Community College, it may be accepted if it encompasses the same domains and is within the 2 year period.

As stated above, the HESI Mid-Curricular exam may only be taken once. 

Study Materials

Many study materials for the HESI AAS Nursing Entrance exam are available online from different vendors and students may use whatever study materials they choose; just search "HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam" in your internet browser to find resources to assist you. Additionally, Reynolds has purchased study materials and has them available through our downtown campus library. There are no specific resources recommended for the HESI Mid-Curricular exam. LPN applicants are encouraged to review any prior practical nursing education resources, such as NCLEX prep, they may have used or have access to.

Refund Process

Please send an email to shp@reynolds.edu to initiate a refund request. Please include the type of credit card used (MC or VISA), name on the card, date you purchased the exam, your Elsevier account or login username only (do not send us your password), phone number, and email address used to purchase the HESI. The Nursing Coordinator will complete the form and send to HESI for processing. A confirmation email reply will be sent to notify that the refund request was submitted. It can take 4-6 weeks to process refunds and there is no guarantee of a refund. Refunds CANNOT be processed if the test was purchased over 90 days. Anyone that has started a test session will not be eligible for a refund. Refunds will not be processed for purchasing the wrong test version. Once the refund form has been sent to HESI, please follow up with HESI regarding the processing of the refund. Students should call Elsevier with questions regarding refunds or credits at 1-800-222-9570.

Exam Availability & Payment IDs

Fall 2024 Cohort HESI exam purchase begins January 16, 2024 and must be taken by May 16, 2024. Program applications for Fall 2024 are due by May 20, 2024 (the 3rd Monday in May).

HESI AAS Nursing Entrance exam 2024 Payment ID numbers

HESI for AAS RN applicants 1st time tester Payment ID: 26984

HESI for AAS RN applicants 2nd time tester Payment ID: 26985

HESI Mid-Curricular entrance exam 2024 Payment ID number

  HESI mid-curricular for LPN to RN applicants  Payment ID: 27141

Please ensure that you are allowing enough time in your schedule to purchase the test and then schedule to take the test by the testing deadline above. You also want to consider whether or not you will want to take the HESI a second time, so, please allow enough time for scheduling a second test within the same time frames. For LPN to RN applicants, it is recommended to take the HESI entrance exam before you take the mid-curricular exam. Please allow yourself 3 weeks between attempts to remediate and potentially improve your scores. Scheduling an appointment for HESI testing will not be allowed after the deadline has passed. Please read the "important facts to know" listed below in Step Two regarding the Reynolds Testing Center and when appointments can be made.

HESI Testing Instructions (For RN test ONLY)

Please be sure to read all instructions carefully and follow explicitly. If active, only VCCS Reynolds school email accounts should be used to register and request instructions. Personal email account should only be used in the event your Reynolds email account is not active.

Step One - Purchasing the Exam

A. Create your Evolve account first. (If you already have an Evolve account, skip to Step #2 or use the forgot username & password reset under the Sign In link)

B. Login into your Evolve account and follow these steps to add HESI Student Access to your   Evolve account:

  • Go to the Students Welcome page (Sign In is at the top Right Corner of the screen).
  • Click "Register for results and remediation" in the section "HESI Secured Exams" on the bottom right side of the screen.
  • Click "Register".
  • Click "Checkout/Redeem" to continue.
  • The last page shows a confirmation of your request. Click "My Evolve" in the top right corner of the page to go to your courses and resources.
  • Click "HESI Assessment Student Access" to access the HESI Assessment center.
  • After completing these steps you will have added HESI Student Access to your new or existing Evolve Account.

C. Follow these steps to pay for your HESI Admission Assessment (A2) or Mid-Curricular (MC) exam:

  • Log in to your Evolve Account.
  • Go to your "My Evolve" and click "HESI Assessment Student Access".
  • Click "Payments", place in the Payment ID provided above and click "Search". A payment ID is a unique identifier for your exam and varies by program type and test version.
  • Fill out the necessary information and review all details before proceeding to "Checkout".
  • After successfully processing the payment, your receipt can already be viewed on "Payment History".

Step Two - Taking the Exam

Print a copy of your receipt for the payment of the test and contact the Reynolds Testing Centers to schedule an appointment to take the exam. Important facts to know:

  • The Testing Center staff will schedule appointments on a first come first serve basis.
  • Space is limited and you may have to look at multiple dates to confirm a testing appointment.
  • Please schedule early so that you have the needed flexibility in peak times.
  • Please note that testing will only occur Monday - Thursday on the Downtown or Parham Road campuses.
  • HESI test appointments will not be allowed during Midterm or Final exam peak periods of the semester.
  • The exam requires at least 4 hours so students must schedule appointments to start between 8:30am and 11:30am. No afternoon appointments will be accepted.

Please go to the Reynolds Testing Centers webpage to see current service hours, phone numbers and email contact information for the Downtown and Parham Road testing center locations.

Step Three - Submitting Results

Once you have completed the exam you can view the results from your Evolve account. You will then save a copy of the results to your computer and included them with your program application that must be submitted by the application deadline.