APO Admission Testing

LPN Advanced Placement Option (APO) Testing & Applications

The APO Testing and Application Cycle opens August 15 and closes on September 30 each year.

The LPN Advance Placement Option (APO) is for already licensed practical nurses applying to the two-year Associates of Applied Science Degree program.  

Successful completion of both the HESI A2 and the LPN-RN Entrance Exam is required for admission.  For a full list of Admissions Requirements please see the APO Admissions Information page.

Health Education Systems Inc. Admissions Assessment (HESI® A2)

The Health Education Systems Inc. Admissions Assessment (HESI® A2) test is an online exam given to students interested in applying to Laurel Ridge’s Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing and Certificate in Practical Nursing programs. This five-option multiple-choice test includes questions on reading comprehension, mathematics, anatomy and physiology, critical thinking, and learning styles with a 4-hour maximum time limit. A calculator will be provided within the test program. Personal calculators may NOT be used for the test.

Health Education Systems Inc. (HESI®) LPN-RN Entrance Exam

The Health Education Systems Inc. (HESI®) LPN-RN  Entrance Exam is an online exam given to students entering Laurel Ridge’s Advanced Placement Option for Licensed Practical Nurses. This exam will be  100 questions and students have a maximum of four ( 4) hours to complete the exam. The exam consists of an array of topics spread across anatomy, biology, mathematics, nursing concepts and techniques, as well as the curriculum learned as a practical nursing student or licensed practical nurse.

This test is intended for students who are applying to the LPN to RN Advanced Placement Option Program.  Applicants must have a current LPN license by the end of the Fall semester.

Exam Fees

HESI A2 Initial$64
HESI A2 Retake (ONE retake permitted following 7 day wait)$64
LPN-RN Entrance Exam (Strongly recommend attempting this exam AFTER successfully completing the HESI A2. No retake permitted.)$96

Refund Policy

No refunds.

Retake Policy

Laurel Ridge nursing applicants are allowed one (1) HESI A2 retake following a 7-day waiting period. Retakes are not permitted for the LPN-RN Entrance Exam.

Register for Testing

Currently available seats at the Middletown and Fauquier Campus locations are for Laurel Ridge APO nursing applicants only. Please register early as seating is limited at each testing location.

Please note that students are required to present a photo ID and a payment receipt when arriving at the Testing Center.

Accommodations Needed?

Testing accommodations are available for the HESI A2 exam. Students are required to have a letter of accommodations in order to receive alternate testing conditions for the HESI A2 exam.

In order to best facilitate testing accommodations, please follow these instructions:

  1. Students who require testing accommodations will need to first contact the Office of Accommodations and Disability Services to obtain a letter for any necessary accommodations.
  2. Once a letter of accommodations is acquired, the student must then forward the letter to the Testing Center where testing will take place:
  1. The student will then be contacted to schedule a new testing date, depending on the accommodations, and receive further instructions on how to register for the exam.

Score Reports and Remediation

Instructions for Accessing your HESI A2 Exam Score Report

  1. Log on to evolve.elsevier.com
  2. Click on Student Access
  3. Click on Admission Assessment Report under Exam History (this is for the bar graph page of the HESI—Save this document as PDF.
  4. Go back to My Exams
  5. Click on the plus sign (+) next to Admissions Assessment Report
  6. Critical Thinking will appear in the drop-down list. Click on the link “View Results”
  7. Click on “Results Report” under View Your Detailed Scoring Report on the right
  8. Save this document as PDF

Video Instructions for Checking LPN-RN Entrance Exam Scores

HESI Next Generation EXAM REMEDIATION Video Instructions.  Please note, exam remediation is provided, but is not required.