INACE Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the INACE exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

INACE exam key facts

The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam is graded pass/fail, and the cut-off score is not released. Source
The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam (INACE) has an initial exam fee of $85 under the SIU Carbondale fee schedule effective July 1, 2023. Source
A nurse aide may take and fail the INACE three times, all within 12 months of program completion, before being required to retrain. Source
An Illinois CNA loses certified status after 24 consecutive months without paid nursing or nursing-related work. Source

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📋 INACE Exam Format at a Glance

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

70%

Passing Score

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📚 INACE Topics to Study (43)

Basic Nursing Skills · 7 cards Basic Nursing Skills · 7 cards Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 cards Clinical Procedures and Protocols · 7 cards Communication and Documentation · 7 cards Communication and Documentation · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Emergency Response Procedures · 7 cards Ethics and Legal Responsibilities · 7 cards Ethics and Legal Responsibilities · 7 cards Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 7 cards Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 7 cards Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 7 cards Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 7 cards Patient Care and Safety · 7 cards Patient Care and Safety · 7 cards Patient Care and Safety · 7 cards Patient Care and Safety · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Patient Communication Skills · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Professional Ethics and Standards · 7 cards Restorative Care and Rehabilitation · 7 cards Restorative Care and Rehabilitation · 7 cards Restorative Care and Rehabilitation · 7 cards Safety and Infection Control · 7 cards

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✍️ Sample INACE Questions & Answers

1. Which statement about SBAR communication is MOST accurate for nurse aides?

✓ SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation

SBAR is a structured communication tool that helps nurse aides organize and clearly convey information when reporting to the charge nurse.

2. During care, a nursing assistant notices a new bruise on a patient's arm that the patient cannot explain. The appropriate action is to:

✓ Document it and report it to the nurse, as it may indicate abuse or a fall

Unexplained bruises must be documented and reported to the nurse to rule out falls, abuse, or bleeding disorders.

3. Which statement about alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is TRUE?

✓ ABHR is preferred over soap and water unless hands are visibly soiled or C. diff is suspected

ABHRs are effective for most pathogens and are preferred when hands are not visibly soiled, but soap and water must be used for C. difficile and visible contamination.

4. A resident begins choking on food during mealtime. The nursing assistant should first:

✓ Encourage the resident to cough forcefully

If the resident can cough, speak, or breathe, encourage forceful coughing before escalating to abdominal thrusts.

5. Which of the following is an example of closed-ended communication that may hinder a resident's ability to express concerns?

✓ 'Are you in pain? Yes or no?'

Closed-ended questions limit responses to yes or no, reducing the opportunity for residents to describe their concerns in their own words.

6. What does the term 'adverse drug reaction' (ADR) refer to?

✓ A harmful or unintended response to a medication at a normal dose

An adverse drug reaction is an unintended, harmful response that occurs at doses normally used for therapeutic purposes.

🎯 Free INACE Practice Tests

Documentation and Record Keeping · 7 questions Emergency Response Procedures · 7 questions Emergency Response Procedures · 7 questions Patient Assessment and Evaluation · 7 questions Patient Care and Safety · 7 questions Patient Care and Safety · 7 questions Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 questions Pharmacology Fundamentals · 7 questions Restorative Care and Rehabilitation · 7 questions Communication and Documentation · 7 questions

📖 INACE Guides & Articles

Your INACE Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 INACE Flashcards (285)🏆 INACE Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for INACE

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length INACE mock exam — 85 questions in 90 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed INACE question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable INACE cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
INACE flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free INACE practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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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

dph.illinois.gov — Score validity · verified Oct 2026
nurseaidetesting.com — Test dates, test delivery, eligibility, passing score, retake policy, score release, fees, retake fee · verified Oct 2026