HESI MATERNITY PRACTICE TEST 2026
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION TEST PAPER
QUESTIONS SOLUTIONS GRADED A PLUS
◉ A woman who thinks she could be pregnant calls her neighbor, a
nurse, to ask wen she could use a home pregnancy test to diagnose
pregnancy. Which response is best?
a. a home pregnancy test can be used right after your first missed
period
b. these tests are most accurate after you have missed your second
period
c. home pregnancy tests often give false positives and should not be
trusted
d. the test can provide accurate information when used right after
ovulation
Answer: a. a home pregnancy test can be used right after your first
missed period
◉ A newborn, whose mother is HIV positive, is scheduled for follow-
up assessments. The nurse knows that the most likely presenting
symptom for a pediatric client with AIDS is:
a. shortness of breath
b. joint pain
,c. a persistent cold
d. organmegaly
Answer: c. a persistent cold
◉ Twenty minutes after a continuous epidural anesthetic is
administered, a laboring client's blood pressure drops from 120/80
to 90/60. What action should the nurse take?
a. notify the healthcare provider or anesthesiologist
b. continue to assess the blood pressure q5min
c. place the woman in a lateral position
d. turn off continuous epidural
Answer: c. place the woman in a lateral position
◉ In developing a teaching plan for expectant parents, the nurse
plans to include information about when the parents can expect the
infant's fontanels to close. The nurse bases the explanation on
knowledge that for the normal newborn, the
a. anterior fontanel closes at 2 to 4 months and the posterior by the
end of the first week
b. anterior fontanel closes at 5 to 7 months and the posterior by the
end of the week
c. anterior fontanel closes at 8 to 11 months and the posterior by the
end of the second week
,d. anterior fontanel closes at 12 to 18 months and the posterior by
the end of the second month
Answer: d. anterior fontanel closes at 12 to 18 months and the
posterior by the end of the second month
◉ A client in active labor is admitted with preeclampsia. Which
assessment finding is most significant in planning this client's care?
a. patellar reflex 4+
b. blood pressure 158/80
c. four hour urine output 240 ml
d. respiration 12/minute
Answer: a. patellar reflex 4+
◉ A 4 week old premature infant has been receiving epoetin alfa for
the last three weeks. Which assessment finding indicates to the
nurse that the drug is effective?
a. slowly increasing urine output over the last week
b. respiratory rate changes from the 40s to the 60s
c. changes in apical heart rate from the 180 to the 140s
d. change in indirect bilirubin from 12 mg/dl to 8 mg/dl
Answer: c. changes in apical rate from the 180s to the 140s
, ◉ A pregnant client tells the nurse that the first day of her last
menstrual period was August 2, 2006. Based on Nagele's rule, what
is the estimated date of delivery?
a. April 25, 2007
b. May 9, 2007
c. May 29, 2007
d. June 2, 2007
Answer: b. May 9, 2007
◉ The nurse is performing a AGA on a full-term newborn during the
first hour of transition using the Dubowitz scale. Based on this
assessment, the nurse determines that the neonate has a maturity
rating of 40 weeks. Which findings should the nurse identify to
determine if the neonate is SGA? (Select all that apply.)
a. admission weight of 4 lbs 15 oz
b. head to heel length of 17 in
c. frontal occipital circumference of 12.5 in
d. skin smooth with visible veins and abundant vernix
e. anterior plantar crease and smooth heel surfaces
f. full flexion of all extremities in resting supine position
Answer: a, b, c
◉ The nurse assess a client admitted to the labor and delivery unit
and obtains the following data: BP 110/68, FHR 110 bpm, cervix 1
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION TEST PAPER
QUESTIONS SOLUTIONS GRADED A PLUS
◉ A woman who thinks she could be pregnant calls her neighbor, a
nurse, to ask wen she could use a home pregnancy test to diagnose
pregnancy. Which response is best?
a. a home pregnancy test can be used right after your first missed
period
b. these tests are most accurate after you have missed your second
period
c. home pregnancy tests often give false positives and should not be
trusted
d. the test can provide accurate information when used right after
ovulation
Answer: a. a home pregnancy test can be used right after your first
missed period
◉ A newborn, whose mother is HIV positive, is scheduled for follow-
up assessments. The nurse knows that the most likely presenting
symptom for a pediatric client with AIDS is:
a. shortness of breath
b. joint pain
,c. a persistent cold
d. organmegaly
Answer: c. a persistent cold
◉ Twenty minutes after a continuous epidural anesthetic is
administered, a laboring client's blood pressure drops from 120/80
to 90/60. What action should the nurse take?
a. notify the healthcare provider or anesthesiologist
b. continue to assess the blood pressure q5min
c. place the woman in a lateral position
d. turn off continuous epidural
Answer: c. place the woman in a lateral position
◉ In developing a teaching plan for expectant parents, the nurse
plans to include information about when the parents can expect the
infant's fontanels to close. The nurse bases the explanation on
knowledge that for the normal newborn, the
a. anterior fontanel closes at 2 to 4 months and the posterior by the
end of the first week
b. anterior fontanel closes at 5 to 7 months and the posterior by the
end of the week
c. anterior fontanel closes at 8 to 11 months and the posterior by the
end of the second week
,d. anterior fontanel closes at 12 to 18 months and the posterior by
the end of the second month
Answer: d. anterior fontanel closes at 12 to 18 months and the
posterior by the end of the second month
◉ A client in active labor is admitted with preeclampsia. Which
assessment finding is most significant in planning this client's care?
a. patellar reflex 4+
b. blood pressure 158/80
c. four hour urine output 240 ml
d. respiration 12/minute
Answer: a. patellar reflex 4+
◉ A 4 week old premature infant has been receiving epoetin alfa for
the last three weeks. Which assessment finding indicates to the
nurse that the drug is effective?
a. slowly increasing urine output over the last week
b. respiratory rate changes from the 40s to the 60s
c. changes in apical heart rate from the 180 to the 140s
d. change in indirect bilirubin from 12 mg/dl to 8 mg/dl
Answer: c. changes in apical rate from the 180s to the 140s
, ◉ A pregnant client tells the nurse that the first day of her last
menstrual period was August 2, 2006. Based on Nagele's rule, what
is the estimated date of delivery?
a. April 25, 2007
b. May 9, 2007
c. May 29, 2007
d. June 2, 2007
Answer: b. May 9, 2007
◉ The nurse is performing a AGA on a full-term newborn during the
first hour of transition using the Dubowitz scale. Based on this
assessment, the nurse determines that the neonate has a maturity
rating of 40 weeks. Which findings should the nurse identify to
determine if the neonate is SGA? (Select all that apply.)
a. admission weight of 4 lbs 15 oz
b. head to heel length of 17 in
c. frontal occipital circumference of 12.5 in
d. skin smooth with visible veins and abundant vernix
e. anterior plantar crease and smooth heel surfaces
f. full flexion of all extremities in resting supine position
Answer: a, b, c
◉ The nurse assess a client admitted to the labor and delivery unit
and obtains the following data: BP 110/68, FHR 110 bpm, cervix 1
