This overview includes information to help you prepare for the Certified Nurse Assistant, or CNA, exam. You’ll find details about training requirements, the test format, registration, costs, test-day expectations, scoring, retakes, and study resources.
Exam Background and Purpose
A Certified Nurse Assistant, or CNA, provides basic care to patients, residents, or clients under the supervision of licensed nursing staff. CNAs often help with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, toileting, personal hygiene, and taking or recording vital signs.
The CNA exam is used to determine whether a candidate has the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to provide safe care within the nurse aide scope of practice. Requirements are handled through state-approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs, so candidates should review the rules for the state where they plan to become certified.
Test Overview
The CNA exam generally includes two parts: a knowledge exam and a clinical skills evaluation. The exact number of questions, time limit, skills tested, passing score, and retake rules can vary by state and testing provider.
- Knowledge Exam — This portion may be given as a written or oral exam. It measures your understanding of basic nursing assistant duties, patient safety, infection control, communication, residents’ rights, personal care, basic nursing skills, and other topics covered in an approved CNA training program.
- Clinical Skills Evaluation — This portion requires you to demonstrate selected nurse aide skills in front of an evaluator. Skills may involve hand hygiene, measuring vital signs, assisting with mobility, providing personal care, helping with feeding or hydration, positioning, transfers, and other common CNA tasks.
The exam may cover topics such as:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Infection control
- Safety and emergency procedures
- Residents’ rights
- Basic nursing skills
- Personal care skills
- Vital signs
- Nutrition and hydration
- Mobility, transfers, and positioning
- Range of motion
- Care for cognitively impaired residents
- Mental health and social service needs
- Restorative care
- Ethical and legal responsibilities
Eligibility Requirements
Before taking the CNA exam, candidates usually need to complete a state-approved nurse aide training program. Federal rules require approved programs to include at least 75 clock hours of training, including supervised practical training, but some states require more hours.
Candidates may also need to meet age, education, health screening, immunization, background check, fingerprinting, or identification requirements before training, testing, or placement on the nurse aide registry. Requirements vary by state, so candidates should confirm current rules before applying.
Costs and Payment Options
CNA training and exam costs vary by state, school, employer, and testing provider. Candidates may need to pay for training, textbooks, uniforms or scrubs, background checks, fingerprinting, health screenings, exam registration, and retesting.
Some candidates may qualify for employer-paid training or reimbursement. Federal rules include protections related to charging or reimbursing certain nurse aides who are employed by, or receive an offer of employment from, a qualifying facility. Candidates should ask their training program, employer, or state nurse aide registry about current payment and reimbursement rules.
Registration/Times/Locations
Registration procedures vary by state. In many cases, candidates complete an approved training program first, then apply for the nurse aide competency exam through the state’s testing provider or nurse aide registry.
During registration, you may need to submit proof of training, identification, payment, background check information, or other required documentation. Testing may be available at approved testing centers, training sites, healthcare facilities, or other state-approved locations.
Test Scores
To pass the CNA exam, candidates must pass both the knowledge exam and the clinical skills evaluation. Passing standards are set by the state or testing program, so do not rely on a general passing-score number unless it comes from your current state candidate handbook.
After passing, your successful completion is reported to the state nurse aide registry. Processing times vary, so check your state’s current instructions to find out when you can expect your registry status or certificate information to appear.
Retaking the CNA Exam
Candidates who do not pass may usually retake the failed portion of the exam, but retake rules vary by state. Federal rules require candidates to have at least three opportunities to complete the competency evaluation, but states may set additional limits, deadlines, fees, and retraining requirements.
Before retesting, review the score report or feedback provided by your testing program. Focus on the part you did not pass, whether that is the knowledge exam, the skills evaluation, or both.
What Should I Expect on Test Day?
On test day, follow the instructions from your state testing provider. In general, you should be prepared to:
- Arrive or log in before your scheduled appointment time.
- Bring all required identification and confirmation materials.
- Wear approved clothing or scrubs if required.
- Follow all check-in and security procedures.
- Store or leave behind prohibited personal items.
- Use only materials allowed by the testing rules.
- Listen carefully to all instructions from the evaluator or test administrator.
- Perform skills exactly as trained, including hand hygiene and safety steps.
Personal items such as phones, notes, bags, smartwatches, and study materials are typically restricted. For the skills portion, remember that communication, resident safety, privacy, infection control, and correct procedure matter.
How Can I Prepare for the CNA Exam?
Start by reviewing the content from your approved CNA training program. Focus first on safety, infection control, communication, residents’ rights, personal care, basic nursing skills, vital signs, nutrition, mobility, and care for cognitively impaired residents.
Then practice the clinical skills until the steps feel automatic. The skills evaluation is not just about knowing what to do; you need to perform the steps clearly, safely, and in the right order while communicating with the resident.
Practice questions are useful because they help you apply CNA knowledge the way it may appear on the written or oral exam. After each practice session, review missed questions carefully so you understand the safety rule, care procedure, communication issue, or resident-rights principle behind the correct answer.
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CNA, Certified Nurse Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, nurse aide, and related certification terms are used by state nurse aide registries, testing providers, and healthcare training programs. Mometrix Media LLC and StudyGuideZone.com are not affiliated with or endorsed by any state nurse aide registry, state nursing board, healthcare licensing authority, or CNA testing provider.
