Certified Nursing Assistant Salary: An Overview 2026

Pass your Certified Nursing Assistant Salary: An exam on the first attempt. Practice questions with detailed answer explanations, hints, and instant

CNA - Certified Nursing AssistantOct 15, 20264 min readFacts verified Oct 14, 2026 against Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (42 CFR 483, federal nurse aide rules); each state runs its own nurse aide regi
Certified Nursing Assistant Salary: An Overview 2026

CNA: upcoming dates and official changes

  • Aug 1, 2026: Connecticut (Prometric) implements new exam pricing: $48 for written only, $48 for oral only, $125 for bundled written and clinical skills, effective August 1, 2026.[4]
  • Jul 1, 2026: Idaho (Prometric) raises CNA exam fees to $34 each for written and oral exams, plus test site fees, effective July 1, 2026.[5]

Full CNA change history

  • Passing score (written or oral): Set per state; no national percentage published.[1]
  • Retake policy: Minimum 3 attempts required; aides must be told which areas they failed before each retake.[1]
  • Validity: 2 years from issuance in most states.[2]
  • Renewal: State-specific; typically 2-year cycles with continuing education requirements (12–24 hours per year) and paid-work requirements.[3]

All verified CNA facts and sources

Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.

Nursing Assistant Salary X - CNA study guide

Emergency Room (ER)

Related CNA resources: cna practice exam, cna certification, cna salary, cna skills test, cna reciprocity, free cna classes near me, cna registry, cna charting. Practice with the free CNA practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (3,000+ questions with answer explanations).

Free CNA Study Tools

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Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Operating Room (OR)

  • ✓Review the official CNA exam content outline
  • ✓Take a diagnostic practice test to identify weak areas
  • ✓Create a study schedule (4-8 weeks recommended)
  • ✓Focus on your weakest domains first
  • ✓Complete at least 3 full-length practice exams
  • ✓Review all incorrect answers with detailed explanations
  • ✓Take a final practice test 1 week before exam day

Surgery

Nursing Career Path

CNA Practice Test Questions

Prepare for the CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.

CNA Anatomy and Physiology Basics

CNA Mock Exam on Anatomy and Physiology Basics. CNA Study Guide questions to pass on your first try.

CNA Assisting with Daily Living

CNA Test Prep for Assisting with Daily Living. Practice CNA Quiz questions and boost your score.

CNA Assisting with Range of Motion Exercises

CNA Questions and Answers on Assisting with Range of Motion Exercises. Free CNA practice for exam readiness.

CNA Basic Human Anatomy and Age-Related Ch...

CNA Mock Test covering Basic Human Anatomy and Age-Related Changes. Online CNA Test practice with instant feedback.

CNA Basic Nursing Skills

Free CNA Quiz on Basic Nursing Skills. CNA Exam prep questions with detailed explanations.

CNA Basic Nursing Skills 17

CNA Questions and Answers on Basic Nursing Skills 17. Free CNA practice for exam readiness.

CNA Basic Restorative Services

Free CNA Quiz on Basic Restorative Services. CNA Exam prep questions with detailed explanations.

CNA Bathing and Dressing

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CNA Body Mechanics

CNA Study Material on Body Mechanics. Prepare effectively with real exam-style questions.

CNA Career Advancement and Opportunities

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CNA Career Opportunities and Benefits

CNA Exam Questions covering Career Opportunities and Benefits. Master CNA Test concepts for certification prep.

CNA Care for Residents with Cognitive Impa...

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CNA Care of Cognitively Impaired Residents

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CNA Common Medical Terms and Abbreviations

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CNA Communication and Interpersonal Skills

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CNA Eligibility and Qualifications

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CNA Emergency Procedure

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CNA Ethics and Professionalism

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CNA Exam Structure and Content

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CNA Feeding and Hydration

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CNA Infection Control

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CNA Infection Control and Safety

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CNA Isolation Precautions

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CNA Legal & Ethical Behaviours

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CNA Mental Health and Social Services Needs

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CNA Nutrition and Hydration Management

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CNA Patient Care Procedure

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CNA Personal Care Skills

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CNA Personal Hygiene and Grooming

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CNA Practice Test - Basic Nursing Skills #2

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CNA Preventing Patient Falls and Injuries

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CNA Promoting Resident Independence and Ch...

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CNA Proper Hand Hygiene and PPE Usage

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CNA Resident Rights and Communication

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CNA Resident’s Rights

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CNA Roles and Responsibilities

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CNA Safety and Emergency Procedures

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CNA Safety and Infection Control

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CNA Scope of Practice

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CNA Skills and Competencies

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CNA Supporting Rehabilitation Activities

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CNA The Nurse Aide's Role and Responsibili...

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CNA Time Management and Prioritization

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CNA Toileting and Elimination

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CNA Training

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CNA Using Adaptive Devices

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CNA Work Environment

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CNA Working as Part of a Healthcare Team

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✅Pros
  • +Industry-recognized credential boosts your resume
  • +Higher earning potential (10-20% salary increase on average)
  • +Demonstrates commitment to professional development
  • +Opens doors to advanced career opportunities
❌Cons
  • −Exam preparation requires significant time investment (4-8 weeks)
  • −Certification fees can be $100-$400+
  • −May require continuing education to maintain
  • −Some employers may not require certification

Sample CNA Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free CNA practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

  1. A nursing assistant is helping a resident to walk. If the resident becomes faint and begins to fall, the assistant should

    • A. Hold the resident up and continue walking
    • B. Ease the resident to the floor and call for help
    • C. Carry the resident back to bed and then go for help
    • D. Hold the resident up and call for help

Answer: B. Ease the resident to the floor and call for help

If a resident begins to fall, the safest action is to ease them gently to the floor, controlling the fall as much as possible, to minimize injury to both the resident and the aide. Attempting to hold them up completely can result in injury to both parties due to the sudden shift in weight. Once safely on the floor, the aide should call for help and assess the resident for injuries before attempting to move them.

  • A nursing assistant closes the door, pulls curtains between beds, and covers the resident with a bath sheet when giving a bath. This is an example of maintaining a resident's

    • A. choice.
    • B. confidentiality.
    • C. privacy.
    • D. protection.
  • Answer: C. privacy.

    Closing the door, pulling curtains between beds, and covering a resident with a bath sheet when giving a bath are all actions taken to protect the resident's privacy. These measures ensure that the resident's body is not unnecessarily exposed and that their personal space is respected, which is a fundamental right and promotes their dignity.

  • Negligence in nursing assistant practice occurs when:

    • A. A CNA performs a task beyond their scope of practice intentionally to harm a resident
    • B. A CNA fails to provide the standard of care, resulting in harm to a resident
    • C. A CNA makes a correct clinical decision with an unforeseen outcome
    • D. A CNA reports concerns about a resident to the charge nurse
  • Answer: B. A CNA fails to provide the standard of care, resulting in harm to a resident

    Negligence is the failure to provide the expected standard of care that a competent CNA would provide, resulting in harm to the resident.

  • A CNA with 10 years of experience in rehabilitation wants to become a restorative nursing assistant. What does this role primarily focus on?

    • A. Administering physical therapy treatments
    • B. Helping patients maintain or regain functional independence
    • C. Performing surgical preparation tasks
    • D. Managing patient insurance documentation
  • Answer: B. Helping patients maintain or regain functional independence

    Restorative nursing assistants focus on programs that help residents maintain or regain the highest possible level of functional independence.

    Take the full CNA practice test

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    Sources & last verified

    1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — passing score, retake policy (official source). “The State shall establish the passing standard for the written or oral examination and for the skills demonstration.” Verified Oct 14, 2026.
    2. archive.regulations.delaware.gov — validity (official source). “CNA certification shall be effective for 2 years following the date of issue and shall expire 2 years following such date” Verified Oct 14, 2026.
    3. cdph.ca.gov — renewal (official source). “Certificates are renewed every two years, and the required training is 48 hours of in-service training or continuing education” Verified Oct 14, 2026.
    4. prometric.com — other (official source). “Effective August 1, 2026, the following exam pricing will be implemented” Verified Oct 14, 2026.
    5. prometric.com — other (official source). “Effective July 1, 2026, the following exam pricing will be implemented: $34 written, $34 oral, plus test site fees” Verified Oct 14, 2026.

    How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.

    How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

    Sources & references

    Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

    1. floridasnursing.gov — Test delivery, eligibility, retake policy · verified Nov 2026
    2. ecfr.gov — Test delivery, retake policy, eligibility · verified Nov 2026