Have you completed your pre-professional and liberal studies requirements with Northern Arizona University or another institution? If so, then you are eligible to apply for our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. If not, you can still get started today by applying to NAU.
How to apply for your Bachelor of Science in Nursing
College of Nursing admission requirements
- Completed online application with unofficial transcripts from each college or university attended
- Completion of all nursing requirements and prerequisite courses with a 3.0 or higher
- 5 or fewer in-progress prerequisite courses at the time of application (all prerequisite courses must be completed by the beginning of the program)
- Proctored HESI A2 admissions exam
- For Accelerated BSN program only; must have a bachelor’s degree complete by the start of the program
Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Application dates and deadlines
Traditional/Compressed BSN
Spring admissions:
- Application: July. 1–Sep. 10
- HESI A2: July. 6-Sep. 15
Summer admissions (Compressed BSN only):
- Application: Oct. 1-Nov. 8
- HESI A2: Oct. 7-Nov. 15
Fall admissions:
- Application: Feb. 1–Mar. 25
- HESI A2: Feb. 6–April 1
American Indian Program BSN
Fall only admissions:
- Application: Feb. 1–Mar. 25
- HESI A2: Feb. 6–April 1
Accelerated (North Valley)
Summer admissions:
- Application: Feb. 10-Mar. 24
- HESI A2: Feb. 14-Mar. 28
Fall admissions:
- Application: June 1-July 8
- HESI A2: June 5-July 13
Spring 2026 admissions:
- Application: Oct. 7, 2025-Nov. 18, 2025
- HESI A2: Oct. 11, 2025-Nov. 22, 2025
HESI A2 exam
The HESI A2 admission exam score is used to screen and rank undergraduate nursing applicants for pre-licensure programs. You may take the HESI A2 exam only once per application cycle through ProctorU, and the exam must be completed in the cycle for which you are applying by the exam deadline.
The College of Nursing will not accept HESI A2 exams from previous testing cycles or other institutions. A complete application must be submitted to take the HESI A2 exam. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Those applying to the Accelerated BSN program, please note that the admissions cycle is a first-come, first-served enrollment, so the application may close before the deadline if all 30 seats are filled. The College of Nursing encourages applicants to complete the HESI A2 as soon as possible.
Exam preparation and content
To help prepare for the HESI A2 admissions exam, we recommend the Admission Assessment Exam Review, 5th Edition (2021–2022). ISBN: 9780323582261
Exam subjects
Section | Number of questions | Allotted time |
---|---|---|
Anatomy and physiology (A&P) | 30 questions | 25 minutes |
Grammar | 55 questions | 50 minutes |
Reading comprehension | 55 questions | 60 minutes |
Vocabulary and general knowledge | 55 questions | 50 minutes |
Math | 55 questions | 50 minutes |
Learning style | 14 questions | 15 minutes |
Personality style | 15 questions | 15 minutes |
Applicants are required to complete the learning and personality style questions within the HESI A2 exam, but the results will not be a factor in the admissions decision. The learning and personality style results will be used to support and guide learning within the nursing program.
How to schedule your HESI A2 exam
- Apply to NAU.
- Submit your undergraduate College of Nursing BSN application during the application cycle.
- The College of Nursing admissions team will review your application. If the application meets all the prerequisite criteria, then you will receive an email with instructions on how to register, schedule, pay for, and take the HESI A2 exam via ProctorU.
- Schedule and pay for your HESI A2 exam. Once you have done so, the College of Nursing will receive a registration confirmation email with the date and time of your exam.
- Take the HESI A2 exam through ProctorU.
- The College of Nursing will automatically receive your exam scores. You do not need to send your scores.
- Admissions decisions will be sent to your NAU email address 4–6 weeks after the exam deadline.