CNA Skills Test Practice

Different States; Different Rules.

Depending on your state, you may also have to record a measurement.  Items that may be measured include:

Your state might require the above measurements, different measurements, or no measurements at all. It’s important to understand the requirements in your specific location.

State Specific Requirements for CNAs

It is important to note that you need to complete CNA classes that are approved by the state where you wish to earn your license and practice. Each state will have a list of approved CNA course programs they recognize, so make sure you select a school that is certified in your state. You can find out more information on your state’s requirements on our state by state CNA classes page.

The skills test for CNA applicants will vary by state as different states utilize different testing providers, and each provider may test you on different skills. Testing providers by state are listed below, followed by the list of skills tested by each provider.

American Red Cross Approved Program

Headmaster

Credentia

Prometric

Skills Test Data Table

Another thing to point out is that not all states use the term ‘Certified Nursing Assistant.’ In some states, this position is referred to as a ‘Nursing Aide’ instead. This could cause some confusion when you are researching things for your specific state, so just keep this in mind in the event you see the position referred to as a ‘Nursing Aide.’

Once you pass your state issued CNA exam, you will then be a licensed CNA. In order to keep that license active, you may need to complete a continuing education course every two years. Whether or not you need to complete this course will be determined by the state you work in. Before paying for this course, check with your employer and find out if they offer continuing education subsidization. Most employers will end up reimbursing their CNA for this fee once they pass the continuing education course. You can find out more about continuing education on the CNA Zone website.

As you prepare for the skills test, it’s important to remember that the tests are conducted in a clinical setting and replicate a sample patient experience.  Thus, it is important to have a strong grasp of all hands-on skills in which you may have to demonstrate competency.

How to Pass the CNA Skills Exam

If you’ve done all of the preparation leading up to the exam it’s important to not make any mistakes on the day of the exam. You’re likely to have some nerves, so make a checklist in advance that you can run through the night before your exam to make certain you’ve got everything order. This should include:

• Appearance. You’ll want to dress and prepare yourself as you would for your first day on the job. This means wearing appropriate clinical shoes with nonskid soles and a short-sleeved scrub uniform. Make sure you’ve taken care of your hands, trimmed your nails, and have longer hair in an appropriate hairdo such as a ponytail.
• Wear a watch. Don’t forget to wear a watch with a second hand as some skills will require this.
• Have all necessary identification and supplies. Make a list of all of the required items you’ll need for the day from personal identification to pencils.
• Travel planning. Plan your trip in the morning so that you arrive at least 20 minutes before the test begins so you don’t create unnecessary stress rushing into the exam. Leave nothing to chance. Print out directions to the testing location and leave early to allow for any traffic issues. Be sure to understand your parking options and have a backup plan if that falls through.

Once the test begins, if your nerves kick in, here are a few tips to help get you to the finish line:

• Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake. While it would be nice to get a perfect score, very few people do. The goal is to pass. So if you make one mistake early on, don’t let it derail your focus.
• Verbalize your actions. If you’ve done a lot of drilling with flash cards, you’re probably used to reciting the steps of each skill. If this helps you remember the steps, feel free to say them out loud to talk yourself through each step.
• Acknowledge mistakes during the test. Once you’ve completed a skill there’s no going back, but if you’re in the middle of performing a skill you can point it out to the evaluator, go back to the step and continue.

More than anything, if you put the time and effort into your preparations you’ll show up with the confidence you need to meet your goals and change your life. So, make sure you put the time in up front and you’ll reap the rewards.

“Secret” Tips for the CNA Skills Test

We’ve compiled a number of pro-tips from people who have passed the exam, and you may find many of these useful as you work through your CNA skills test practice routine. As you might guess, these aren’t really secrets but more like reminders and tips from a big brother or sister. As you practice, keep the below helpful hints in mind.

Notice we used the word “practice.” That’s because your highest likelihood of passing the CNA skills test on the first try is to practice, practice, practice! Get out there and make us proud!

1. Make absolutely certain that you have the handwashing procedure down to a science. If you fail the handwashing skill you’ll fail the exam. Make absolutely certain that you do each step in the proper order and for the proper duration.
2. Practice all of your measurements – blood pressure, urinary output, weight, radial pulse, and respiration.
3. Make certain you know the bold steps and complete them properly. Missing these will lead to failure. Practice on another person. Let them have the step by step instructions for the skill. Have them stop you and correct you when you make a mistake. You want to get to a point that you can perform the skills by muscle memory. Write down or highlight steps that you struggle with and drill them continuously up to the day of your test.
4. Almost every skill starts with introducing yourself and explaining the procedure facing the patient, and finishes with ensuring that the signalling device is within reach, the bed is in low position, and you must wash your hands. If you can remember this useful tip it will knock out several steps you’ll need to remember for most of your skills.
5. On the day of the exam, you’ll receive the list of skills you’ll need to demonstrate. Calm yourself and focus on those skills and begin running yourself through your mental checklist for each skill before you begin. Once you successfully run through the list, you’ll be confident when you begin the exam.
6. If you’re unfamiliar with any equipment that you’ve had little access to practicing with, be sure to ask questions before the exam begins. You will not be allowed to ask questions once the test has started.

Preparation for becoming certified and passing the skills test will occur during on the job clinical experience. Despite having prior exposure to these potential test requirements, potential nursing aides must have the ability to practice the skills outside of the healthcare facility before being asked to do them in front of an examiner. These skills CNAs are required to demonstrate are not simply to pass the test, but are required for the proper care of those in need. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants for certification do their homework before going in to take the test.

Many people find that creating their own CNA skills study guide can prove helpful to their eventual score. It’s important to be able to memorize and successfully perform the steps of each skill, so creating flash cards with each step can be an effective way to really hammer home the details of each of the skills a CNA is expected to have down pat. Another good way to brush up on these hands-on patient/client skills is to watch CNA test skills videos.  A listing of more of these videos can be found here.

Essential CNA Skills Test Practice Videos

The following videos can help you learn more about the correct techniques of some of the more commonly tested skills from the CNA exam. To save space, we have placed each video in an accordion. Simply click the video title to expand the accordion and watch the video!

Additional CNA Skills Test Video Websites

4YourCNA

4YourCNA has a good compilation of videos on all aspects of the hands-on CNA skills test. Videos range in Handwashing to Feeding a Patient in a Chair to assisting a Resident With a Bedpan. These videos are quite thorough and provide a large checklist for the CNA candidate to review in relation to how the skills are performed and evaluated in a skills test setting. Their videos make good use of graphics to help document everything that you’re watching.

California CNA Tests – Santa Barbara City College

The Santa Barbara City College has produced a series of CNA skills test videos that can also be valuable for brushing up before the skills test. Each video covers various aspects of critical CNA skills. While the emphasis in the videos is based on California procedures and testing, the basic skills demonstrated are applicable across all states. There are 25 videos in total. They range in topic area from wheelchair processes, mouth care, shoulder work, blood pressure checks and patient feeding. The videos are fairly thorough and do a very nice job of walking through the various CNA procedures in detail. In each video, the CNA trainer talks through each of the required steps. Additionally, the video has accompanying text graphics that highlight key points of the procedures, such as in the blood pressure video “Inflate to 160mm”. Finally, each video has two sections, one with narration and one without, which gives more of a real-life patient scenario.

SacMed Training Video Tutorials

This comprehensive CNA skill video collection covers 19 topics, including hand washing, hygiene procedures, feeding patients, and making an occupied bed. The videos are thorough and have good video and audio quality. There are also helpful narrative titles and checklists that help guide the viewer through the video topic. The checklists are especially helpful for those studying and looking for last minute reminders prior to taking a clinical exam.

Perfect CNA Training Academy

This CNA skills video is put on by the Perfect CNA Training Academy. The video demonstrates various skills such as Blood Pressure, Pulse and Respiration, Weight, and Feeding. The video has a CNA performing different skills on a patient, talking through the points of emphasis in the skill. This video does not have as much in the way of graphics or text callouts.

CNA Skills Test FAQ

As a CNAs practice their skills prior to taking the test, they often have a lot of questions. We’ll try to answer some of the more common ones we’ve heard.