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HESI A2 Mathematics: Ratios and Proportions practice questions

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These are original practice items written to the HESI A2 blueprint (4 options, no penalty for wrong answers), not actual exam questions. Try each one before you open the answer.

What this topic covers

Mathematics: Ratios and Proportions sits inside the Mathematics section of the HESI A2. Our bank holds 44 verified items tagged to it, and the 4 below are a fixed sample so the page stays the same every time you open it. Each one shows the reasoning, not just the letter.

The topic tag comes from our own items rather than from a published syllabus, so treat it as a map of what we cover. For the official section breakdown see the HESI A2 page.

Mathematics: Ratios and Proportions sample questions

Question 1

A medication label states that 2 tablets contain 1.5 mg of active ingredient. How many tablets are needed to administer 2.5 mg?

  1. A 4
  2. B 5
  3. C 3 1/3
  4. D 3
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Set up proportion: 2 tablets / 1.5 mg = x tablets / 2.5 mg. Cross multiply: 1.5x = 5, so x = 5/1.5 = 10/3 = 3 1/3 tablets.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 4 tablets would give 3.0 mg, too much.
B: 5 tablets would give 3.75 mg, too much.
D: 3 tablets would give only 1.5 × 1.5 = 2.25 mg, insufficient.

Question 2

A medication label states that there are 250 mg of drug in 5 mL of solution. How many milliliters are needed to administer 400 mg?

  1. A 10
  2. B 4
  3. C 6
  4. D 8
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Set up a proportion: 250 mg / 5 mL = 400 mg / x mL. Cross‑multiply: 250x = 5×400 = 2000, so x = 2000 ÷ 250 = 8 mL.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 10 mL would give 500 mg (10×50=500).
B: 4 mL would give 200 mg (4×50=200).
C: 6 mL would correspond to only 300 mg (250/5 = 50 mg/mL, 6×50=300).

Question 3

An IV drip must deliver 600 mL of solution over 5 hours. The drip factor is 15 drops per mL. How many drops per minute should be administered?

  1. A 25 drops/min
  2. B 15 drops/min
  3. C 20 drops/min
  4. D 30 drops/min
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Total drops = 600 mL × 15 drops/mL = 9000 drops. Total minutes = 5 h × 60 min/h = 300 min. Drops per minute = 9000 / 300 = 30 drops/min.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: This would be the rate if total drops were 7500 or time was 360 min.
B: This is the drip factor, not the calculated rate.
C: This would result if you mistakenly used 4 hours (240 min) or miscalculated drops.

Question 4

A cleaning solution is made by mixing 3 parts bleach with 10 parts water. How many milliliters of bleach are needed to make 650 mL of the solution?

  1. A 195 mL
  2. B 200 mL
  3. C 150 mL
  4. D 300 mL
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Total parts = 3 + 10 = 13. Bleach fraction = 3/13. Bleach volume = (3/13) × 650 = 150 mL.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 195 mL would correspond to a bleach fraction of 195/650 = 0.3, but the correct fraction is 3/13 ≈ 0.231.
B: 200 mL would be 4/13 of the total, not 3/13.
D: 300 mL would be nearly half the solution, but bleach is only 3/13.

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