HESI A2 guideRegistration & test day
Can You Take the HESI A2 Online? Remote vs Testing Center
Only when your program offers a remote seat. Elsevier's 2026 distance-testing guide covers ProProctor at home and Prometric test centers, and some cohorts use ProctorU instead.
Short answer
Yes, but only if your program offers a remote seat and sends you that registration link. In Elsevier's HESI NG path, the remote seat is a Prometric ProProctor appointment at home, and Prometric lists only the A2 and the A2 with Critical Thinking (A2CT) for remote testing, alongside onsite testing. Some cohorts use ProctorU instead. A ProProctor seat needs two readiness checks, a camera you can lift for a room scan, a non-public room with covered windows and a closed door, and an Evolve name that matches your ID.
Remote testing is a program option, not a universal HESI mode
Yes, you can take the HESI A2 online, but only through a remote seat your program offers. Elsevier's March 2026 HESI NG A2 Distance Testing Student Guide says that when a program offers both a Prometric test center and remote testing through ProProctor, you follow the registration link the program indicates. Prometric's Elsevier page says only the A2 and the A2 with Critical Thinking (A2CT) can be taken virtually through a remote proctor, in addition to onsite testing, and your eligibility number is still required to schedule. Register through the path your school named, then practice the assigned HESI A2 exams in Passy.
How programs deliver the HESI A2
| Setting | Who runs it | What you set up |
|---|---|---|
| ProProctor at home | A Prometric remote proctor, booked through HESI NG and Prometric's ProScheduler | The ProProctor readiness check and the ProProctor app, downloaded through Chrome |
| Prometric test center | Prometric test center staff | Nothing at home; bring a valid ID and your confirmation code |
| ProctorU at home (some A2 and ALC cohorts) | ProctorU, scheduled under "Elsevier – HESI" after you redeem an Evolve Course ID | ProctorU's Guardian Browser plus the Elsevier Secure Browser from the HESI NG Compatibility Check |
If your program tests on site in its own lab, the school's testing office sets the rules, and nothing on this page replaces them.
Elsevier's ProProctor rules for the room and equipment
Elsevier puts the setup on you: the device must be ProProctor-supported, network speeds must hold for the whole exam, and you must be in an approved testing space. Before test day, the guide says to:
- run the ProProctor system readiness check and review the ProProctor User Guide at rpcandidate.prometric.com
- download the ProProctor application through Chrome
Just before you launch the exam, the guide says to:
- run a second ProProctor readiness check
- turn off any VPN
- add exceptions for your firewall and antivirus software
- close all background applications
- use one monitor, not two
- have a working camera, and be able to lift the webcam or laptop for a full room scan
- connect a working microphone and speakers, and set the volume first, because it cannot be changed inside the ProProctor app
- use only wired headphones that are not in-ear or earbuds, and only if your test sponsor approved them before you scheduled
- test in a non-public room with covered windows and a closed door, with no people or pets in the room
Prometric's Elsevier remote page adds a few desk rules. One analog or digital clock without smart features is allowed if it sits out of your reach, and one 8.5 × 11 whiteboard is allowed if you wipe it clean before the exam ends. If you take a break, a full security scan runs before you resume, and the exam timer keeps running through the break and the scan. Prometric also asks HESI candidates to complete the device compatibility check at hesiinet.elsevier.com before scheduling.
Elsevier warns that an exam you cannot complete because you missed these test-taker responsibilities does not qualify for a free exam or a refund.
Name match, ID, and accommodations
Your Evolve name must match your government-issued ID. Elsevier warns that if they do not match, you may not be able to test. The guide spells out ID rules for Prometric test centers: a non-expired, government-issued photo ID with a signature, such as a driver's license or passport, whose first and last name match your Evolve registration. An expired ID or a name, photo, or signature discrepancy means you are not admitted and forfeit the appointment and its fees, and a temporary ID may be rejected. If you change your Evolve name after scheduling, Elsevier asks you to email the change to HESI support at hesi_distancetesting@elsevier.com.
Accommodations come before booking. Submit Elsevier's request form with your documentation, then wait for the HESI team to confirm before you schedule with Prometric. Elsevier says this can take up to six weeks, and booking before approval means you test without the accommodation. After approval, a Finish Registration link appears in your Registered Exams table.
Refund and reschedule windows
| When you act | What Elsevier's guide says |
|---|---|
| Unregister 30 or more days before the appointment | The refund is processed automatically |
| Unregister 5 to 29 days before | Partial refund, minus the reschedule or cancel fee |
| Unregister within 5 days | No refund |
| Reschedule | At least 30 calendar days before, or extra fees or fee forfeiture may apply |
You manage all of these from the three-dot menu in your Registered Exams table, where View Appointment also shows the confirmation code you need on test day. What the HESI A2 costs explains which fees come from the program and which come from the vendor, and how to register walks through booking.
Other remote vendors exist
Elsevier's A2 and ALC remote proctoring instructions for some cohorts use ProctorU instead. You redeem the Evolve Course ID your instructor provides, schedule in ProctorU under "Elsevier – HESI," pay any proctoring fee that applies, install ProctorU's Guardian Browser, and run the HESI NG Compatibility Check to install the Elsevier Secure Browser. If your packet says ProctorU, that is your vendor. Do not install ProProctor for a ProctorU appointment or the reverse.
"Online" in a Facebook group may mean a school computer lab, not your kitchen table. How long is the HESI A2? explains why a remote scan can stretch the felt length of a sitting.
A simple decision flow
- Does the current admissions page allow remote testing for your term?
- Which vendor and software does it name?
- Does your device pass that vendor's check on the network you will use?
- Is a quiet, non-public room with covered windows and a closed door actually available at the appointment time?
If any answer is no, schedule a center or campus seat.
After the setting is fixed, run assigned HESI A2 practice in Passy on the same kind of desk setup you will use, minus the secure browser.
Calculator and device rules still come from the sitting. See calculator.
When the appointment is remote, keep the next HESI A2 study block in Passy instead of spending the week tweaking Wi-Fi myths.
If a tech failure ends the sitting, follow the vendor and school's written incident process.
Then return to assigned-exam repair in Passy rather than immediately buying a new date.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.