HESI A2 critical thinking, learning style, and personality profile explained
Written and reviewed by Rebecca Moore, MSN, RN, CEN · 3 min read · Updated October 2026
Short answer
Besides the academic sections, the HESI A2 offers a learner profile, made of a Learning Style and a Personality Profile, and a separate Critical Thinking section. The learner profile is diagnostic and, at the colleges that publish details, is not graded. Critical Thinking is a separate 30-item section with right and wrong answers that only some programs use.
The learner profile
The Texas State Technical College study guide lists the Learning Style at 14 items and the Personality Profile at 15 items, with about 15 minutes suggested for each. The Learning Style asks questions meant to identify how you prefer to learn, such as visually, by listening, or by doing. The Personality Profile looks at traits linked to how you study.
South Texas College describes the Personality Profile as not graded and for diagnostic purposes only. There are no right answers, so the best approach is to answer honestly and quickly. The result can be useful: it suggests study approaches that match how you work.
The Critical Thinking section
The same study guide lists Critical Thinking at 30 items with 30 minutes suggested. It describes the skills as analysing and evaluating information, making inferences and deductions, drawing conclusions from scenarios, interpreting graphs, charts, and statistical data, and analysing written passages.
Unlike the learner profile, this section has right and wrong answers. Questions often present a short scenario and ask which conclusion follows or what should happen first. Reading the question stem carefully matters more than outside knowledge. Look for the words that limit the answer, such as first, best, or most likely, and check each option against the facts given in the scenario rather than what you assume.
Will you take them at all?
Many programs leave these sections out. Tarrant County College, for example, does not offer the Personality Profile, Learning Styles, or Critical Thinking sections at its testing centre. Other programs include the learner profile but not Critical Thinking.
Check your program's list before you plan. If Critical Thinking is on it, the reading comprehension skills of inference and drawing conclusions carry over directly, so our HESI A2 reading practice questions are a good place to build them. For the full set of sections, start at our free HESI A2 practice questions.
Common questions
Does the HESI A2 personality profile affect my score?
At the colleges that publish details, such as South Texas College, it is diagnostic only and not graded. Ask your program if you are unsure how it uses the result.
How do I study for the HESI A2 learning style section?
You do not need to. It has no right answers. Answer honestly, and use the result as a hint about which study methods suit you.
Is critical thinking on every HESI A2?
No. It is a separate section that some programs require and many do not. Your program's admissions page will list the sections it uses.