cna testing skills 2012

CNA Certification Exam Questions and Answers

The CNA certification exam, also known as the nurse aide assessment examination, or the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP), is the final test a nurse aide student must pass in order to become eligible for employment and for being listed on the Nurse Aide Registry of a particular state. The CNA certification exam is designed to evaluate the knowledge, skills and abilities required to safely perform the job of a nursing assistant. The evaluation consists of two main parts: a written or oral exam and a hands-on, skills examination. A nurse aide candidate who passes both the written and the skills evaluation qualifies for obtaining a state nurse aide certification and is eligible for any entry-level nurse aide position. The entity responsible for developing a nurse aide evaluation program which respects both federal and state regulations is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Here you can find many CNA practice tests with questions and answers, as well as nurse aide skills videos to serve as a guide and review base for your state exam.
What are the components of the CNA exam?

A nurse aide student who wants to become certified as a CNA in a particular state must challenge and pass the CNA certification exam. The written and skills exams are administered on the same day and you need to successfully pass both parts in order to be certified and listed on the Nurse Aide Registry. The number of questions on the written exam may vary from state to state, with most states requiring an average of seventy questions. The written test questions use a multiple-choice format and all of them are in English. The percentage of correctly answered questions you will need to pass the nurse aide exam depends on each individual state.

For those who do not feel comfortable enough to take the English written examination, a Spanish or English oral version may be chosen instead. During the second part of a CNA examination the nurse aide student must show competency in performing five (5) hands-on skills. These five skills are selected randomly from a list of twenty-five skills which have been thought and practiced throughout your nurse aide training. Every candidate is graded on the performance of these nurse aide skills by a designated evaluator and must complete each of them correctly in order to pass the hands-on component of the exam.
What is the hands-on part of the nurse aide exam?

The hands-on part of the CNA exam will be conducted in a setting that resembles a nurse aide work environment. All the tools and equipment needed to performed the exam skills will be available and the candidate will be allowed to ask any questions before the exam begins. Each of the five skills needed to pass the CNA exam needs to be completed correctly and within a given time frame. Twenty five to thirty minutes are usually allocated to completing all five required skills of the hands-on CNA examination. One of the five skills chosen at random consists of taking a measurement and recording your findings. Some of the most commonly requested measurements are the blood pressure, the pulse, or the weight of a client.
What skills should I practice for the CNA test?

The following skills are learned and practiced by every nurse aide student when enrolled in a state approved CNA training program. Every nurse aide must be able to correctly measure and record the blood pressure, weight, urinary output, radial pulse, and respirations of a client in their care. When challenging the CNA examination, five of the following skills need to be correctly performed in order to pass the skills portion of the certification exam.

Wash hands
Apply one knee-high elastic stocking
Assist to ambulate using transfer belt
Assist with use of bedpan
Clean dentures
Count and record client’s radial pulse
Count and record patient’s respirations
Donn and remove gown and gloves
Dress client with affected (weak) right arm
Feed client who cannot feed self
Give modified bed bath
Make an occupied bed
Measure and record blood pressure
Measure and record urinary output
Measure and record weight of ambulatory client
Perform passive range of motion exercises for client knee and ankle
Perform passive range of motion exercises for client shoulder
Position client on side
Provide catheter care for female client
Provide fingernail care
Provide food care
Provide mouth care
Provide perineal care for female client
Transfer from bed to wheelchair using transfer belt

What happens if I fail the CNA exam?

Most states permit a nurse aide student to challenge the nurse aide test three times within two years of completing the CNA training program.

Both parts of the test need to be retaken if you failed both the written and the skills examination. Those who only failed one of the components (either the written or the hands-on component) are allowed to re-test on that part only. When a student has been unsuccessful in passing the national nurse aide examination three consecutive times then retraining becomes necessary. Retaking a state approved nurse aide program enables the nurse aide student to have three more attempts at passing the national nurse aide certification exam.