HESI ENTRANCE Exam PRACTICE
Review | Updated 2026 Edition | Practice
Questions,Answers & Rationales |
Instant PDF
Question 1
A patient with a history of hypertension reports experiencing
sudden, severe chest pain that radiates to the left arm.
The healthcare provider notes this is an acute condition
requiring immediate intervention. Which term best describes
this type of medical situation?
A) Chronic
B) Insidious
C) Acute
D) Latent
Correct Answer: C) Acute
➢ Rationale: Acute conditions are characterized by sudden
onset, severe symptoms, and short duration, requiring
immediate medical attention. This differs from chronic
conditions which develop gradually and persist over time,
insidious conditions which progress slowly without
, obvious symptoms, and latent conditions which remain
inactive but have potential to develop.
Question 2
The nursing instructor explains that objective data includes
information that can be measured or observed by a
healthcare provider. Which of the following is an example of
objective data?
A) Patient reports feeling nauseated
B) Patient describes pain as sharp and stabbing
C) Patient's blood pressure reading is 142/90 mmHg
D) Patient states they feel anxious about their surgery
Correct Answer: C) Patient's blood pressure reading is
142/90 mmHg
➢ Rationale: Objective data refers to measurable or
observable information that can be verified by a
healthcare provider, such as vital signs, physical
examination findings, and laboratory results. Subjective
data includes symptoms reported by the patient that
cannot be independently verified, such as pain, nausea,
and anxiety.
Question 3
The healthcare team is concerned about a patient's wound
,healing process. Upon assessment, they note that the tissue
appears to be wasting away and decreasing in size. Which
medical term describes this degenerative process?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Atrophy
C) Distension
D) Proliferation
Correct Answer: B) Atrophy
➢ Rationale: Atrophy refers to the degeneration, wasting
away, or decrease in size of a body part or tissue due to
disease, disuse, or lack of nutrition. Hypertrophy is an
increase in size, distension refers to swelling or expansion
from pressure, and proliferation means rapid increase or
multiplication of cells.
Question 4
A patient's medication is described as having a potent effect
on blood pressure. What does the term "potent" mean in this
context?
A) The medication has a delayed onset of action
B) The medication produces a strong, powerful effect
C) The medication is only effective in high doses
D) The medication must be taken with food
, Correct Answer: B) The medication produces a strong,
powerful effect
➢ Rationale: Potent refers to a medication or substance
that produces a powerful or strong effect even in
relatively small doses. A potent medication has
significant therapeutic impact and requires careful
dosing to avoid adverse effects, distinguishing it from
medications with mild or weak effects.
Question 5
The nurse observes that a patient's condition is
deteriorating rapidly, with vital signs showing a sudden and
dramatic change for the worse. Which term best describes
this clinical situation?
A) Precipitous
B) Insidious
C) Chronic
D) Remission
Correct Answer: A) Precipitous
➢ Rationale: Precipitous describes a sudden, dramatic, and
rapid change that typically indicates a worsening of
condition or an acute event. This differs from insidious
which means gradual and subtle changes, chronic which
describes long-lasting conditions, and remission which
Review | Updated 2026 Edition | Practice
Questions,Answers & Rationales |
Instant PDF
Question 1
A patient with a history of hypertension reports experiencing
sudden, severe chest pain that radiates to the left arm.
The healthcare provider notes this is an acute condition
requiring immediate intervention. Which term best describes
this type of medical situation?
A) Chronic
B) Insidious
C) Acute
D) Latent
Correct Answer: C) Acute
➢ Rationale: Acute conditions are characterized by sudden
onset, severe symptoms, and short duration, requiring
immediate medical attention. This differs from chronic
conditions which develop gradually and persist over time,
insidious conditions which progress slowly without
, obvious symptoms, and latent conditions which remain
inactive but have potential to develop.
Question 2
The nursing instructor explains that objective data includes
information that can be measured or observed by a
healthcare provider. Which of the following is an example of
objective data?
A) Patient reports feeling nauseated
B) Patient describes pain as sharp and stabbing
C) Patient's blood pressure reading is 142/90 mmHg
D) Patient states they feel anxious about their surgery
Correct Answer: C) Patient's blood pressure reading is
142/90 mmHg
➢ Rationale: Objective data refers to measurable or
observable information that can be verified by a
healthcare provider, such as vital signs, physical
examination findings, and laboratory results. Subjective
data includes symptoms reported by the patient that
cannot be independently verified, such as pain, nausea,
and anxiety.
Question 3
The healthcare team is concerned about a patient's wound
,healing process. Upon assessment, they note that the tissue
appears to be wasting away and decreasing in size. Which
medical term describes this degenerative process?
A) Hypertrophy
B) Atrophy
C) Distension
D) Proliferation
Correct Answer: B) Atrophy
➢ Rationale: Atrophy refers to the degeneration, wasting
away, or decrease in size of a body part or tissue due to
disease, disuse, or lack of nutrition. Hypertrophy is an
increase in size, distension refers to swelling or expansion
from pressure, and proliferation means rapid increase or
multiplication of cells.
Question 4
A patient's medication is described as having a potent effect
on blood pressure. What does the term "potent" mean in this
context?
A) The medication has a delayed onset of action
B) The medication produces a strong, powerful effect
C) The medication is only effective in high doses
D) The medication must be taken with food
, Correct Answer: B) The medication produces a strong,
powerful effect
➢ Rationale: Potent refers to a medication or substance
that produces a powerful or strong effect even in
relatively small doses. A potent medication has
significant therapeutic impact and requires careful
dosing to avoid adverse effects, distinguishing it from
medications with mild or weak effects.
Question 5
The nurse observes that a patient's condition is
deteriorating rapidly, with vital signs showing a sudden and
dramatic change for the worse. Which term best describes
this clinical situation?
A) Precipitous
B) Insidious
C) Chronic
D) Remission
Correct Answer: A) Precipitous
➢ Rationale: Precipitous describes a sudden, dramatic, and
rapid change that typically indicates a worsening of
condition or an acute event. This differs from insidious
which means gradual and subtle changes, chronic which
describes long-lasting conditions, and remission which
