Understand what the test requires. The test is made up of more than one part; it has both written and skills portions. Both portions need to be passed successfully for you to become certified and placed on the Nurse Aide Registry. You must complete a CNA course before you can take it.
Prepare for the written exam. The questions are in a multiple choice format and in English. There are approximately 70 questions total. Each state has its own requirement for the number of questions you need to answer correctly. If you feel you can't take the written English exam, an oral version or Spanish exam can be chosen instead.
Prepare for the skills exam. For the skills portion of the exam, you must prove you're competent in performing five hands-on skills. The skills will be randomly selected from a list of 25 skills that were taught and practiced in the Certified Nurse Aide course. All the tools and equipment you need to perform them will be provided for you and you're allowed to ask questions before the exam begins. You'll be given 25 to 30 minutes to complete all five skills. You'll be graded on your performance by an evaluator and must correctly complete all five for you to pass.
Practice your list of skills. Since the skills are randomly selected, you may want to go over all of them before you take the exam. The list of skills are wash hands, assist to ambulate with transfer belt, apply a knee-high stocking, clean dentures, count patient respiration, count patient pulse, put on and remove gloves and gown, dress patient with weak arm, feed patient, give a bed bath, make a bed that's occupied by a patient, record blood pressure, record urine output, record and measure weight, perform motion exercises for knee and ankle, perform motion exercises for shoulder, put in a catheter for a female patient, position patient on his side, fingernail care, food care, mouth care, perinea care for female patient, and transfer the patient from the bed to a wheelchair using a transfer belt.
Retake the test if needed. If you fail the exam, you're allowed to test two more times within two years of completing your CNA course. If you fail only one portion, you don't have to retake the one you passed. If you can't pass after three attempts, you'll need to take the course over again.