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Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) Exam

HESI exam or Health Education Systems, Inc. exam is administered by schools of nursing in the United States to assess student competency and evaluate if the nursing program/curriculum is working. HESI exam is a timed, computerized test given online.

The HESI exam administered at the GRCC Academic Testing Center is only available for students seeking admission into GRCC Nursing programs.

HESI exams at GRCC are offered on an appointment basis. Previously published testing days and times have been temporarily adjusted. Schedule is subject to change

On-campus appointment based HESI testing

Scheduling and payment

Contact the Student Financial Services office (formerly Cashier's) by phone (616) 234-4020, or in-person to pay the $50 HESI testing fee. They are available Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to process the transaction. Additional payment options are available.

To schedule a testing appointment, complete the online registration form 

  1. Select your test from the group.
  2. Choose your exam.
  3. Select an exam date and time.
  4. Enter your personal information.
  5. Acknowledge exam guidelines.
  6. If requested, provide additional information.
  7. Click on Add to Cart, review appointment date and time, select Complete Registration to confirm your test.
  8. You will receive a confirmation email with details regarding your testing appointment.

*Following COVID-19 / social distancing guidelines have significantly limited our seating capacity which has caused HESI testing appointments to be at a premium. We ask that you make every effort to keep your scheduled appointment or give a reasonable notice if you need to cancel your appointment.

Please contact the Academic Testing Center if you have any questions: (616) 234-3413.

Location

The Academic Testing Center is located in room 325 of the Student Center (SCC)

Convenient access to the Testing Center is available through the Student Center entry doors. labeled 13A and 13B,  on the corner of Lyon St and Ransom St.

Exam day procedures

  • You must have photo identification to be admitted to the HESI exam.
  • Only those individuals scheduled to test will be allowed in the exam room.
  • Bring your paid receipt or a copy of it.
  • You will be requested to adhere to social distancing and safety protocol guidelines, and follow personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.
  • A limited number of lockers are available for students while testing. We recommend only bringing your picture ID with you when you test.
  • You will not be allowed to take anything; backpack, purse, hat, cell phone or other electronics into the testing center.

Student Safety Protocols and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements

  • If you don’t feel well, you are required to stay home.
  • Students will be requested to practice recommended social distancing.
  • Effective March 1, 2022 GRCC rescinded the FACE COVERING policy and moved to a "masks optional" status. Face coverings will still be available on campus. Individuals can and should continue to wear a face covering if they are more comfortable wearing one. Face coverings may still be required in limited areas where external entities or industry standards require them. (Health programs, ECLL, etc.)

HESI Overview and Study Resources

The GRCC Nursing Program maintains two web pages that provide an overview of what is involved when preparing for the HESI exam and how to interpret your scores after testing.

A HESI Study Guide is available from the GRCC Bookstore. This guide includes sample test questions and will help you decide what to focus on when you study.

Make sure you use other resources to study from as well.

  • Practice math problems using a calculator. You have access to an online calculator but scratch paper is prohibited during the exam. The HESI is designed so you may obtain a 75 percent or higher utilizing an online calculator. Remember to study your arithmetic and algebra functions (such as fractions, percentages and foil method).
  • Vocabulary does include some Nursing terminology. Make sure you read through some medical terminology books pertaining to Nursing. There are terms on the Vocabulary exam that refer to the Nursing field.
  • Reading Comprehension has examples in the HESI Study Guide. You read a given passage and answer some multiple choice questions.

You may also want to try some resources on the internet, such as StudyguidezoneMometrix or Union Test Prep

Academic Testing Services

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