2025/2026 (Versions 1–7) + BONUS
Past Papers 2022–2024 with
Diagrams, Rationales & Pictures
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
HESI RN Exit Exam v1 .................................................................................... 3
HESI RN Exit Exam v2 ................................................................................ 149
HESI RN Exit V3 ......................................................................................... 204
HESI Exit RN V4 ......................................................................................... 261
HESI Exit RN V5 ......................................................................................... 304
HESI Exit RN V6 ......................................................................................... 349
HESI EXIT RN V7 ....................................................................................... 391
ADDITIONAL HESI EXIT RN EXAM V1-V7 PAST PAPER FROM 2022-2024 WITH
PICTURES,RATIONALES AND DIAGRAMS................................................... 528
WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST AS YOU EXPLORE THE BEST
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HESI EXIT EXAMS V1 – V7
,HESI RN Exit Exam v1
The nurse is completing the admission assessment of a 3-year-old who
is admitted with bacterial meningitis and hydrocephalus. Which
assessment finding is evidence that the child is experiencing increased
intracranial pressure (ICP)?
A. Tachycardia and tachypnea
B. Sluggish and unequal pupillary responses
C. Increased head circumference and bulging fontanels
D. Blood pressure fluctuations and syncope
- ✔✔- ANSWER-✔✔-
B. Sluggish and unequal pupillary
responses
Rationale:
Sluggish and unequal pupillary responses are a direct sign of increased
intracranial pressure affecting cranial nerves, particularly the
oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve III). These findings indicate neurologic
deterioration and warrant immediate intervention.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• A. Tachycardia and tachypnea: These are nonspecific findings
and may occur with fever or infection but are not reliable
indicators of increased ICP. In fact, bradycardia (not tachycardia)
is often seen with rising ICP.
• C. Increased head circumference and bulging fontanels: These
are signs more typically seen in infants due to open sutures. By
3 years of age, the fontanels are generally closed, making this
less likely.
• D. Blood pressure fluctuations and syncope: While late signs of
increased ICP can include changes in vital signs, syncope is not
typically associated with elevated ICP in children and is more
common with cardiac or vasovagal events.
,Test-Taking Tip:
In pediatric patients, neurologic signs like pupillary changes and
altered level of consciousness are more reliable indicators of increased
ICP than general signs such as changes in heart rate or respiratory rate.
Know which signs are age-appropriate.
DIF: Analysis
REF: Pediatric Nursing: Content Review and NCLEX®-Style Q&A
OBJ: Neurological assessment and prioritization in pediatrics
TOP: Pediatric Neurological Disorders
A client with acute pancreatitis is admitted with severe, piercing
abdominal pain and an elevated serum amylase. Which additional
information is the client most likely to report to the nurse?
A. Abdominal pain decreases when lying supine
B. Pain lasts an hour and leaves the abdomen tender
C. Right upper quadrant pain refers to right scapula
D. Drinks alcohol until intoxicated at least twice weekly.
- ✔✔- ANSWER-✔✔-A. Abdominal pain decreases when lying supine
Rationale:
Chronic or binge alcohol consumption is one of the most common
causes of acute pancreatitis. Alcohol leads to inflammation of the
pancreatic ducts and premature activation of pancreatic enzymes,
which results in autodigestion of the pancreas and intense abdominal
pain.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• A. Abdominal pain decreases when lying supine: This is
incorrect. Pancreatic pain typically worsens when lying flat and
improves when sitting up and leaning forward.
• B. Pain lasts an hour and leaves the abdomen tender: Pancreatic
pain is persistent and severe, often lasting for hours to days. It is
not typically transient.
, • C. Right upper quadrant pain refers to right scapula: This
description is more characteristic of biliary colic or gallbladder
disease, not pancreatitis, which typically causes epigastric pain
radiating to the back.
Test-Taking Tip:
When evaluating abdominal pain, always consider risk factors like
alcohol use or gallstones for pancreatitis. Pain that radiates to the
back and worsens when lying flat is classic for pancreatitis, often with
a history of alcohol use.
DIF: Analysis
REF: Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Interprofessional
Collaborative Care
OBJ: Identify contributing factors and symptom patterns in GI
disorders
TOP: Gastrointestinal Disorders – Pancreatitis
.
A child newly diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA) is being
discharged from the hospital.
Which information is most important for the nurse to provide the
parents prior to discharge?
A. Instructions about how much fluid the child should drink daily.
B. Signs of addiction to opioid pain medications
C. Information about non-pharmaceutical pain relief measures
D. Referral for social services for the child and family
- ✔✔- ANSWER-✔✔-A. Instructions about how much fluid the child
should drink daily
Rationale:
Adequate hydration is critical in preventing red blood cell sickling and
subsequent vaso-occlusive crises in children with SCA. Teaching
,parents the daily fluid requirements helps reduce the risk of
dehydration—a common trigger for painful sickle cell episodes.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• B. Signs of addiction to opioid pain medications: While
monitoring for side effects is important, preventing crises
through hydration takes priority over concerns about long-term
addiction in pediatric SCA management.
• C. Information about non-pharmaceutical pain relief measures:
Non-pharmacologic strategies (e.g., warm compresses,
distraction) can support comfort but do not address the primary
preventive measure of maintaining hydration.
• D. Referral for social services for the child and family: Social
support may be beneficial, but the immediate teaching priority
is a clinical intervention that directly prevents complications.
Test-Taking Tip:
When multiple teaching topics apply, prioritize interventions that
directly prevent acute complications—in SCA, maintaining hydration is
a first-line preventive strategy.
DIF: Analysis
REF: Pediatric Nursing: Caring for Children and Their Families
OBJ: Teach preventive self-care measures for sickle cell anemia
TOP: Hematologic Disorders – Sickle Cell Anemia
Question:
A mother runs into the emergency department with a toddler in her
arms and tells the nurse that her child got into some cleaning products.
The child smells of chemicals on the hands, face, and on the front of the
child's clothes. After ensuring the airway is patent, what action should
the nurse implement first?
Options:
A. Assess the child for altered sensorium
,B. Determine type of chemical exposure
C. Obtain equipment for gastric lavage
D. Call poison control emergency number
Correct Answer:
B. Determine type of chemical exposure
Rationale:
Identifying the specific chemical involved is essential in managing
poisoning or toxic exposure. The treatment plan—including whether
to perform gastric decontamination, administer antidotes, or provide
supportive care—depends on the type, route, and severity of the
exposure. Early identification allows the care team to take targeted
and appropriate action.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• A. Assess the child for altered sensorium: While neurological
assessment is important, it comes after identifying the chemical
to guide specific interventions.
• C. Obtain equipment for gastric lavage: Gastric lavage is rarely
recommended in pediatric poisonings and should never be
initiated before knowing the substance ingested due to the risk
of further harm (e.g., with caustics or hydrocarbons).
• D. Call poison control emergency number: This is a critical step
but should follow immediate clinical assessment and
identification of the substance. The team may need details
about the product before calling poison control.
Test-Taking Tip:
In poisoning cases, the priority after airway safety is to identify the
substance involved. Treatment varies widely by chemical, and
incorrect interventions can cause serious harm if the agent is
unknown.
DIF: Application
REF: Pediatric Emergency Nursing, Emergency Nursing Core Curriculum
OBJ: Prioritize actions for suspected toxic exposure in children
TOP: Pediatric Toxicology – Emergency Care
,Question:
An older client's daughter calls the home health nurse and reports that
her mother has become forgetful and is very confused at night. The
daughter states that her mother's behavior changed suddenly a few
days ago and is now getting worse. Which action should the nurse take?
Select all that apply.
Options:
A. Ask if the mother is experiencing any pain with urination
B. Encourage increased intake of high protein foods
C. Instruct the daughter to check her mother's temperature
D. Review the client's current food and medication allergies
E. Determine if the mother has recently experienced a fall
Correct Answers:
A. Ask if the mother is experiencing any pain with urination
C. Instruct the daughter to check her mother's temperature
E. Determine if the mother has recently experienced a fall
Rationale:
Sudden confusion in older adults, particularly with worsening at night (a
phenomenon known as sundowning), often indicates delirium rather
than dementia. Common causes include infections such as urinary tract
infections (UTIs), fever, and head trauma from recent falls. These must
be promptly assessed and ruled out.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• B. Encourage increased intake of high protein foods: While
nutrition is important for general health, it is not an immediate
priority in evaluating sudden cognitive decline.
• D. Review the client's current food and medication allergies:
This is part of routine assessment but is not a priority action in
response to acute changes in mental status.
Test-Taking Tip:
In older adults, new-onset confusion is often due to acute, reversible
medical issues—not dementia. Always think infection, trauma, or
metabolic changes first. Prioritize questions that uncover potential
reversible causes.
,DIF: Analysis
REF: Gerontologic Nursing, Evidence-Based Practice for Older Adults
OBJ: Assess acute cognitive changes in older clients
TOP: Delirium and Acute Confusion in Older Adults
Question:
The nurse is assessing a male with a history of Addison's disease. The
client has flu-like symptoms and nausea with vomiting over the past
week. The client's spouse reports that he acted confused and was
extremely weak when he awoke this morning. The client is febrile and
has tachycardia. The health care provider diagnoses acute adrenal
insufficiency. Which medication will most likely be prescribed?
Options:
A. Hypertonic saline solution at 100 mL/hr until all edema disappears
B. Hydrocortisone 100 mg IV every six hours until systolic BP reaches
110 mmHg
C. Potassium chloride 20 mEq IV to infuse over 2 hours until confusion
resolves
D. Regular insulin drip to keep blood glucose around 100 mg/dL (5.55
mmol/L)
Correct Answer:
B. Hydrocortisone 100 mg IV every six hours until systolic BP reaches
110 mmHg
Rationale:
In an Addisonian crisis (acute adrenal insufficiency), the priority is
immediate IV glucocorticoid replacement. Hydrocortisone is the drug of
choice because it provides both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid
effects. It helps restore blood pressure, glucose levels, and
fluid/electrolyte balance. Without this intervention, the condition can
be life-threatening.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
• A. Hypertonic saline solution at 100 mL/hr until all edema
disappears: Addison's crisis is associated with dehydration and
, hypotension—not fluid overload. Isotonic fluids (like 0.9% normal
saline) are typically used to restore circulating volume, not
hypertonic saline.
• C. Potassium chloride 20 mEq IV to infuse over 2 hours until
confusion resolves: Potassium is usually elevated in Addisonian
crisis due to aldosterone deficiency, so administering potassium
could be dangerous.
• D. Regular insulin drip to keep blood glucose around 100 mg/dL:
Hypoglycemia may occur in adrenal insufficiency, but insulin
would worsen it. The goal is to raise glucose levels, not lower
them.
Test-Taking Tip:
In endocrine emergencies, always match the specific hormone
deficiency to its reversal treatment. For Addisonian crisis, IV
hydrocortisone is the first-line intervention.
DIF: Application
REF: Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing
OBJ: Identify priority treatments for adrenal crisis
TOP: Endocrine Emergencies – Adrenal Insufficiency
Question:
A client with a history of mitral valve prolapse is admitted because of
fever and dyspnea on exertion and is diagnosed with acute infective
endocarditis. During the admission assessment, the nurse observes
multiple areas of petechiae on the client's skin. Which interventions
should the nurse include in the client's plan of care? Select all that
apply.
Options:
A. Monitor cardiac rhythm via telemetry
B. Report changes in pre-existing murmurs