CNA Practice Test — Free Questions & Answers (2026 September)
Free CNA practice test with questions and detailed answer explanations. ⏳ Prepare for the CNA written and skills exam with instant scoring for 2026 September.
What changed for the CNA exam in 2026
- Federal rule 42 CFR 483.154 sets the national frame for every state's CNA competency exam: the candidate may choose a written or an oral examination, the skills demonstration is drawn at random from a pool of nurse aide tasks and is scored by a registered nurse with at least one year of geriatric or chronic-care experience, both parts must be passed, each state sets its own passing standard, and every candidate is guaranteed at least three attempts. (source)
- NNAAP (Credentia) 2026 format: the written exam has 70 multiple-choice questions, 10 of them unscored pretest items, with a 2-hour limit; the oral exam has 60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading-comprehension items; the skills evaluation is five randomly selected skills in 30 minutes and all five must be passed. The content outline in force is the April 2024 revision (Physical Care Skills 64%, Psychosocial Care 10%, Role of the Nurse Aide 26%). Credentia's state selector lists 17 jurisdictions in September 2026, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and California. (source) (source) (source)
- NNAAP fees and rules by state (2026 handbooks): Pennsylvania $135 for written + skills, $50 written retest, $85 skills retest, with cancellation or rescheduling at least 9 business days ahead; Alabama $55 written or oral + $80 skills; Tennessee $35 knowledge + $87 skills with a 75-question knowledge exam and a published 75% pass mark. Pennsylvania results post to your Credentia account within hours and the registry card is emailed. (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)
- Prometric runs nurse aide testing for ten state programs (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Texas): 60 questions in 90 minutes (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma), five skills including handwashing and indirect care in 31-40 minutes, a five-business-day rescheduling rule, and 2026 fees of $115 for both parts in New York and Delaware, $125 in Connecticut, $155 in Florida and $31 written / $41 oral / $89 skills in Texas. Prometric's nurse aide mailing address moved on November 1, 2025 to Middle River, MD, and New York stopped issuing paper CNA certificates on August 1, 2026. (source) (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)
- Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies) publishes exact pass marks: Ohio 79 questions in 90 minutes, 70% to pass (handbook December 2025); Oregon 80 questions in 90 minutes, 73% (handbook updated July 2026); Maryland 70 questions in 60 minutes, 73% (handbook April 1, 2026); Montana 72 questions in 90 minutes, 75% (handbook February 2025). The skills test is three or four random tasks plus mandatory handwashing in 30-35 minutes; every critical step and 80% of the other steps must be performed. (source) (source) (source) (source)
- California change: D&SDT-Headmaster is now approved by the California Department of Public Health to run CNA testing alongside Credentia's NNAAP. Its California handbook took effect February 1, 2026 (updates March 1, 2026): 75 questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass, and fees raised on March 1, 2026 to $40 knowledge ($45 audio) + $100 skills = $140. (source) (source)
- Vendor moves to note: Tennessee candidates now register through Credentia's platform (the site tells users of the "previous testing vendor" to create a new Credentia account), and Maryland and California appear on both the Credentia and Headmaster state lists, so check which vendor your training program registered you with. Headmaster fee snapshot 2026: Maryland $30 + $100, Ohio $30 + $90, Montana $20 + $77 (knowledge + skills). (source) (source) (source) (source) (source)
Last verified: September 18, 2026 against eCFR (42 CFR 483.154), Credentia candidate handbooks (PA, AL, TN, CA), Prometric state bulletins (NY, FL, TX, OK) and D&SDT-Headmaster candidate handbooks (OH, OR, MD, MT, CA).
Exam Format at a Glance
NNAAP by Credentia: 70 multiple-choice questions (10 unscored) in 2 hours, or an oral exam of 60 questions plus 10 reading-comprehension items; five skills in 30 minutes; typical 2026 fees $135 for both parts in Pennsylvania, $55 written + $80 skills in Alabama, $35 knowledge + $87 skills in Tennessee. Prometric: 60 questions (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma) in 90 minutes; five skills including handwashing and indirect care in 31-40 minutes; $115 for both parts in New York and Delaware, $125 in Connecticut, $155 in Florida. Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies): 70-80 questions in 60-90 minutes with a published pass mark of 70-75%; three to four tasks plus handwashing in 30-35 minutes; $140 in California, $130 in Maryland, $120 in Ohio and $97 in Montana for both parts. Whatever the vendor, federal rule guarantees a written-or-oral choice, a randomly drawn skills test and at least three attempts.
Free CNA Practice Test
Our free CNA practice test includes questions covering all major domains of the CNA certification exam: physical care skills, psychosocial care, role of the nurse aide, safety, infection control, and legal/ethical issues.
Each question includes detailed answer explanations so you understand not just the correct answer, but WHY it's correct — the same critical thinking approach used on the actual exam. You can take this CNA practice test online free, with no sign-up, and repeat it as often as you like.
Why Practice Tests Are Essential
- Identify weak areas — Know which topics to focus your study time on
- Build test-taking stamina — The actual written exam is 55-80 questions in 60-120 minutes depending on your state's vendor (NNAAP 70 questions in 2 hours, Prometric 55-60 in 90 minutes, Headmaster 70-80 in 60-90 minutes)
- Learn from mistakes — Detailed explanations help you understand concepts, not just memorize answers
- Reduce test anxiety — Familiarity with question format reduces exam day stress
- Track progress — Take a practice CNA test weekly to measure improvement over time
What to Expect on the CNA Exam
Use this CNA exam practice test to rehearse both halves of the certification: a written (knowledge) exam and a hands-on skills evaluation. Federal rule 42 CFR 483.154 requires every state to let you choose a written or an oral exam, to draw the skills test at random from a pool of nurse aide tasks, and to pass both parts; the exact numbers below depend on which vendor your state uses. The CNA knowledge practice test on this page mirrors the written portion.
Written/Knowledge Exam
- Questions: 55-80 multiple choice — NNAAP (Credentia) 70 questions, 10 of them unscored pretest items; Prometric 60 (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma); Headmaster 70-80 by state (Maryland 70, Montana 72, California 75, Ohio 79, Oregon 80)
- Time: 2 hours for the NNAAP written or oral exam; 90 minutes at Prometric and in Ohio, Oregon and Montana; 60 minutes in the Headmaster California and Maryland exams
- Passing score: set by each state, not by a national body. Headmaster candidate handbooks publish it (Ohio 70%, Maryland and Oregon 73%, California and Montana 75%; Tennessee's NNAAP handbook 75%); the other NNAAP handbooks and the Prometric bulletins publish no percentage — your score report simply says pass or fail
- Format: computer-based at a test center or training site; Credentia and Headmaster also offer a live-proctored online written exam, and an oral (audio) version is available everywhere for candidates who read English with difficulty
Clinical Skills Exam
- Skills tested: five randomly selected skills (NNAAP and Prometric — Prometric always includes handwashing and indirect care) or three to four random tasks plus a mandatory handwashing task (Headmaster)
- Time: 30 minutes (NNAAP), 30-35 minutes (Headmaster) or 31-40 minutes (Prometric)
- Evaluated by: a registered nurse with at least one year of experience caring for the elderly or chronically ill, as federal rule requires
- Key rule: every critical (bolded) step must be performed and every skill must be passed; Headmaster additionally requires 80% of the non-critical steps on each task. Missing hand hygiene fails the skill
Content Domains (NNAAP 2024 content outline)
- Physical Care Skills (64%): activities of daily living 22%, basic nursing skills — infection control, safety/emergency, procedures, data collection — 35%, self-care and independence 7%
- Psychosocial Care Skills (10%): emotional and mental health needs 8%, spiritual and cultural needs 2%
- Role of the Nurse Aide (26%): communication 7%, client rights 8%, legal and ethical behavior 5%, member of the health care team 6%
Prometric and Headmaster states use their own state test plans, but they cover the same federally required course content (42 CFR 483.152), so the domains above are a reliable study map for every vendor.
CNA Knowledge Practice Test: NNAAP, Prometric and Headmaster Formats
The written exam you sit depends on which vendor your state contracts, so match your practice questions to that format. Three vendors cover almost every state:
- NNAAP (Credentia): The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program written exam has 70 multiple-choice items (10 unscored pretest items) with a 2-hour limit; the oral version (English or Spanish) has 60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading-comprehension items in the same 2 hours. Tennessee's NNAAP knowledge exam is 75 items. The skills evaluation covers five randomly selected skills in 30 minutes, and hand hygiene is a step inside most skills. Used in 2026 by Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and California (Northern CA), among others.
- Prometric: 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes (55 questions in Alabama and Oklahoma), delivered on computer at a Prometric center or an approved training site, followed by a five-skill clinical evaluation of 31-40 minutes that always includes handwashing and indirect care. Ten state programs use Prometric in 2026: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.
- Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies): A knowledge test of 70-80 items depending on the state (Maryland 70, Montana 72, California 75, Ohio 79, Oregon 80) taken on computer in the TMU system at a test site or, in most states, with a remote proctor, plus a skills test of three to four random tasks and a mandatory handwashing task scored by an RN test observer. States include Ohio, Oregon, Montana, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland and, since 2026, California.
Passing standards are set by each state: Headmaster handbooks publish 70-75% on the knowledge test (Ohio 70%, Maryland and Oregon 73%, California and Montana 75%), while NNAAP and Prometric score reports show only pass or fail and publish no percentage. The skills portion is pass/fail on every critical step with every vendor. Because the content domains are set nationally, a CNA knowledge practice test free of charge like the one above prepares you for any vendor; use the numbers here to set your timer (about 60-100 seconds per question depending on vendor) and to decide whether to schedule the oral exam.
Many readers pair this guide with the point click cna to check their readiness before exam day.
Many readers pair this guide with the cna practice test pdf to check their readiness before exam day.
Many readers pair this guide with the free cna credential practice exams to check their readiness before exam day.
Many readers pair this guide with the cna prometric practice test to check their readiness before exam day.
CNA Practice Test Study Tips
- Take a diagnostic test first — Score yourself to find weak areas before studying
- Study by domain — Focus on one content area at a time until you score 80%+
- Do 50-100 questions daily — Consistent practice is better than marathon sessions
- Read every rationale — Even for questions you got right, the explanation reinforces learning
- Time yourself — Practice answering within 1-2 minutes per question
- Take a full-length CNA exam practice test — Simulate the real experience at least 3 times before test day
- Focus on 'select the BEST answer' — Multiple choices may seem correct, but one is always BEST
CNA Exam Key Concepts
When must CNAs wash their hands?
Before and after EVERY patient contact, before/after gloving, after touching contaminated surfaces, before eating, after toileting. This is the #1 automatic fail on the skills exam.
Normal vital sign ranges?
BP: <120/80, Pulse: 60-100/min, Respirations: 12-20/min, Temperature: 97.8-99.1°F oral. Report any values outside these ranges immediately.
What are the 5 rights of delegation?
Right task, right circumstance, right person, right direction/communication, right supervision. CNAs can only perform tasks within their scope of practice.
How often should residents be repositioned?
At least every 2 hours to prevent pressure injuries. Document position changes and check skin condition at each turn.
- ✓Take a diagnostic practice test to find weak areas
- ✓Study each content domain until scoring 80%+
- ✓Complete 500+ practice questions total
- ✓Take 3 full-length timed practice exams
- ✓Practice all clinical skills with a partner
- ✓Memorize vital sign normal ranges
- ✓Review body mechanics for transfers
- ✓Know infection control and hand hygiene cold
- ✓Study patient rights and abuse reporting
- ✓Get 7-8 hours sleep the night before exam
CNA: Pros and Cons
- +CNA exam preparation strengthens your knowledge across all domains
- +Passing the exam proves competency to employers and clients
- +Study materials and practice tests are widely available
- +CNA certification transfers to other states through registry reciprocity
- +Clear exam objectives help focus your study plan effectively
- −Exam anxiety can affect performance — practice tests help reduce it
- −Exam fees ($97-$155 for both parts) are non-refundable, and rescheduling inside the vendor's 5-10 day window forfeits them
- −Federal rule guarantees at least three attempts; after three failures most states require retraining before you can test again
- −Exam content updates periodically — use current study materials
- −Testing center availability may require advance scheduling
Official Resources
- Credentia (NNAAP test takers) — Candidate handbooks, state-by-state registration steps, exam content outlines and the current list of tested skills for the NNAAP written and skills exams.
- Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies) — Scheduling, candidate handbooks and skills checklists for states that test nurse aides through Headmaster.
- CMS Nursing Homes — Federal rules for nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs and the state registry requirements every certified nursing assistant must meet.
- Prometric Nurse Aide — Candidate information bulletins, scheduling and fees for the ten state programs tested by Prometric.
- 42 CFR 483.154 (eCFR) — The federal rule that defines the written-or-oral exam, the skills demonstration, RN evaluators and the three-attempt minimum.
About the Author
Registered Nurse & Healthcare Educator
Johns Hopkins University School of NursingDr. Sarah Mitchell is a board-certified registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and academic experience. She completed her PhD in Nursing Science at Johns Hopkins University and has taught NCLEX preparation and clinical skills courses for nursing students across the United States. Her research focuses on evidence-based exam preparation strategies for healthcare certification candidates.
Join the Discussion
Connect with other students preparing for this exam. Share tips, ask questions, and get advice from people who have been there.
View discussion (8 replies)