The Illinois Nurse Assistant Competency Evaluation (INACE) is the state-approved certification exam required for nurse aides who want to be listed on the Illinois Health Care Worker Registry. The exam has two parts: a 75-question written test and a skills evaluation in which candidates demonstrate three randomly selected clinical skills.
The written portion covers activities of daily living (ADL assistance, positioning, ambulation), infection control (standard precautions, hand hygiene, PPE), communication and interpersonal skills, resident rights and dignity, safety and emergency procedures, and mental health and social service needs. Questions are written at a functional reading level appropriate for entry-level nursing assistant candidates.
Three skills are randomly selected from the INACE skill checklist. Core skills include hand hygiene (the most frequently tested skill), complete bed bath, transfer from bed to wheelchair, passive range of motion, vital signs measurement (blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature), urinary catheter care, and perineal care. Each skill is scored on a standardized checklist; missing a critical step results in an automatic failure of that skill.
The INACE is administered by ProCert at testing centers across Illinois. The written test requires a minimum passing score of 70 percent (53 of 75 questions correct). All three randomly selected skills must be passed in the same testing session. Candidates who fail one or both sections may retest the failed section(s) up to the allowed attempt limit before being required to complete additional training.
The INACE written test includes questions about scope of practice. Certified nurse aides (CNAs) work under the supervision of licensed nurses and perform delegated tasks only. CNAs may assist with ADLs, take and record vital signs, provide basic personal care, and report observations to the supervising nurse. CNAs may not administer medications, perform sterile procedures, insert or remove urinary catheters, or make clinical assessments — those fall within the registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) scope of practice.
Infection control is heavily weighted on the INACE. You must know the five moments of hand hygiene, correct donning and doffing sequence for PPE, transmission-based precautions (contact, droplet, airborne), and proper handling of soiled linens and sharps. Hand hygiene skill is tested in nearly every skills evaluation session because it is an embedded step in most other clinical procedures.
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) established federal resident rights in long-term care. INACE questions test your understanding of the right to privacy, the right to be informed about care, the right to refuse treatment, freedom from abuse and restraints, and the right to participate in care planning. Knowing the difference between physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse — and your mandatory reporting obligation — is essential.
Print this PDF and work through the questions as if you were sitting the real written test. Aim to complete all 75 practice questions within 90 minutes to build the pacing you will need on exam day. After you score your results, sort your wrong answers by topic area — infection control, resident rights, safety — and review those sections before your next practice round.
For the skills evaluation, use the practice test to identify which skill steps you have memorized and which you still need to rehearse. Ask a study partner or clinical supervisor to score you against the official INACE skills checklist. Repeating each skill at least five times before your test date builds the muscle memory needed to perform correctly under observation pressure.