HESI A2 EXAM |QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|LATEST 2026/2027
UPDATE|GRADED A+
Which of these statements is true regarding the way light travels?
A. Sound travels faster than light.
B. The speed of light is always the same regardless of the medium through which it travels.
C. Light travels as both a wave and a particle.
D. Light can not travel through a vacuum. CORRECT ANSWER C. Light travels as both a wave and a
particle.
Light is a curiosity in that it acts as both a wave and a particle. It only changes direction via reflection
(bouncing off of something) or refraction (passing from one medium to another). In a vacuum, the speed
of light is constant, but when passing through a medium that has an index of refraction different from a
vacuum, light's speed slows.
Which of these elements is liquid at room temperature?
A. mercury
B. zinc
C. manganese
D. magnesium CORRECT ANSWER A. mercury
Mercury is the only one of the elements listed here that is liquid at room temperature. The element
bromine also has this property.
,Where is the hyoid bone located?
A. neck
B. pelvis
C. rib cage
D. leg CORRECT ANSWER A. neck
The hyoid bone is located between the chin and thyroid cartilage.
A person with AB- blood should not receive blood from which other blood type?
A. B-
B. A-C. O-
D. AB+ CORRECT ANSWER D. AB+
Those with an AB- blood type should not receive blood from those with AB+ blood. Although both AB+
and AB- blood have A and B antigens, the person with AB- blood lacks a special protein, or "Rhesus"
Factor (Rh), circulating in their blood. If they are given blood that has the Rh factor present, their body
will make antibodies to this foreign substance and complications will occur. This is especially true in
pregnancy situations where the mother is Rh- and the baby she is carrying is Rh+.
Which blood type is considered the universal donor?
A. OB.
O+
C. AB-
D. AB+ CORRECT ANSWER A. O-
O- blood lacks both A and B antigens and the Rh factor, making it the only blood type that can donate to
everyone.
, Note the correct use of the terms antibody and antigen:
O- is the best donor because it does not have A, B or Rh antigens.
AB+ is the universal receiver because it does not have A, B or Rh antibodies.
What is the only artery in the body to carry oxygen-poor blood?
A. renal artery
B. interosseous artery
C. vena cava
D. pulmonary artery CORRECT ANSWER D. pulmonary artery
Most arteries in the body carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart, but the pulmonary artery carries
oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. The vena cava would not be correct
because it is not an artery, it is a vein and the question asks for an artery.
Chocolate cysts of the ovaries are attributed to ____.
A. menorrhagia
B. ectopic pregnancy
C. pelvic inflammatory disease
D. endometriosis CORRECT ANSWER D. endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue from the uterus (endometrium) grows in other parts of
the body, such as the ovaries or bowel. If a woman has endometrial tissue in her ovary, the tissue bleeds
and builds up over time, and as the blood ages it turns brown, hence the term "chocolate cyst."
Which is not true of synovial joints?
A. They are found in the intervertebral discs of the spinal column
B. They have a fluid-filled capsule that surrounds their articulating surface
ANSWERS|LATEST 2026/2027
UPDATE|GRADED A+
Which of these statements is true regarding the way light travels?
A. Sound travels faster than light.
B. The speed of light is always the same regardless of the medium through which it travels.
C. Light travels as both a wave and a particle.
D. Light can not travel through a vacuum. CORRECT ANSWER C. Light travels as both a wave and a
particle.
Light is a curiosity in that it acts as both a wave and a particle. It only changes direction via reflection
(bouncing off of something) or refraction (passing from one medium to another). In a vacuum, the speed
of light is constant, but when passing through a medium that has an index of refraction different from a
vacuum, light's speed slows.
Which of these elements is liquid at room temperature?
A. mercury
B. zinc
C. manganese
D. magnesium CORRECT ANSWER A. mercury
Mercury is the only one of the elements listed here that is liquid at room temperature. The element
bromine also has this property.
,Where is the hyoid bone located?
A. neck
B. pelvis
C. rib cage
D. leg CORRECT ANSWER A. neck
The hyoid bone is located between the chin and thyroid cartilage.
A person with AB- blood should not receive blood from which other blood type?
A. B-
B. A-C. O-
D. AB+ CORRECT ANSWER D. AB+
Those with an AB- blood type should not receive blood from those with AB+ blood. Although both AB+
and AB- blood have A and B antigens, the person with AB- blood lacks a special protein, or "Rhesus"
Factor (Rh), circulating in their blood. If they are given blood that has the Rh factor present, their body
will make antibodies to this foreign substance and complications will occur. This is especially true in
pregnancy situations where the mother is Rh- and the baby she is carrying is Rh+.
Which blood type is considered the universal donor?
A. OB.
O+
C. AB-
D. AB+ CORRECT ANSWER A. O-
O- blood lacks both A and B antigens and the Rh factor, making it the only blood type that can donate to
everyone.
, Note the correct use of the terms antibody and antigen:
O- is the best donor because it does not have A, B or Rh antigens.
AB+ is the universal receiver because it does not have A, B or Rh antibodies.
What is the only artery in the body to carry oxygen-poor blood?
A. renal artery
B. interosseous artery
C. vena cava
D. pulmonary artery CORRECT ANSWER D. pulmonary artery
Most arteries in the body carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart, but the pulmonary artery carries
oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. The vena cava would not be correct
because it is not an artery, it is a vein and the question asks for an artery.
Chocolate cysts of the ovaries are attributed to ____.
A. menorrhagia
B. ectopic pregnancy
C. pelvic inflammatory disease
D. endometriosis CORRECT ANSWER D. endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue from the uterus (endometrium) grows in other parts of
the body, such as the ovaries or bowel. If a woman has endometrial tissue in her ovary, the tissue bleeds
and builds up over time, and as the blood ages it turns brown, hence the term "chocolate cyst."
Which is not true of synovial joints?
A. They are found in the intervertebral discs of the spinal column
B. They have a fluid-filled capsule that surrounds their articulating surface
