HESI A2 guideRegistration & test day
Can You Use a Calculator on the HESI A2?
HESI A2 calculator access is configured by the program. Evolve faculty materials include an enable/disable control. Do not assume a personal calculator is allowed.
Short answer
Do not plan on bringing your own calculator to the HESI A2. Elsevier’s HESI NG A2 faculty configuration includes the ability to enable or disable a calculator for the exam. Whether you see an on-screen tool therefore depends on how your program set the sitting, plus any testing-center or remote-vendor rules. Confirm the calculator statement in your current instructions rather than copying a prep-site guarantee.
The honest answer is “check the sitting,” not “always” or “never”
Prep blogs often say a four-function on-screen calculator is provided. Evolve’s HESI NG A2 faculty guide is more precise: when faculty configure the exam they can enable or disable calculator. That control is why Passy will not promise you a tool on test day. Practice HESI A2 math both with and without a basic calculator in Passy until your school’s instructions are in hand.
Personal devices, phone calculators, and smartwatches are ordinary testing-security problems. Assume they are prohibited unless your current center or remote guide says otherwise.
What to look for in the instructions you were actually given
Campus labs, Prometric, and remote vendors publish item lists for that appointment. Look for:
- on-screen calculator mentioned or omitted
- scratch paper or whiteboard policy
- remote desk scans that would flag a physical calculator
Prometric remote sittings also have their own security process. A calculator that appears in a school lab may be absent in another configuration.
Registration is where those instruction PDFs usually attach. Remote testing is where device rules get stricter.
How this changes math prep
Elsevier’s Basic Math exam includes arithmetic, fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions, and household measures. If the calculator is off, setup and fraction fluency matter more. If it is on, you still need to enter the correct numbers; the tool will not choose the ratio.
Do not learn math exclusively on a scientific calculator you cannot bring.
The content map is HESI A2 Math. Timing pressure is how long the HESI A2 is.
After you know the rule, drill assigned HESI A2 math items in Passy with that constraint.
Email the testing coordinator a yes/no question if the packet is silent. Keep the reply with your confirmation.
When math is the weak assigned exam, repair the conversion or ratio method in Passy rather than shopping for a permitted calculator model that may not exist.
A coordinator email is more useful than a forum photo of someone else’s screen.
If the rest of the sitting is already scheduled, keep the next HESI A2 math block in Passy using only what the coordinator confirmed.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.