While both textbook and on the job learning is required in order to work as a CNA, it’s not enough. State and provincial requirements for licensing include the taking of and passing a certification exam. The CNA Test comes in two parts: the written and the practical. It is imperative to pass both exams or else you will not be certified, you won’t be able to work and you will likely have to take the coursework over again, taking up more time and money. Preparation for the exam is therefore very important. Fortunately, if you have been paying attention in classes and done everything you can on your practicals, including asking lots of questions, the exam should be a breeze!

Prep Work for the CNA Test

In order to take the certification exam, you will have to set up the date within ninety days of completely your class work. You can set it up through the college you attended or through the state health board, it’s up to you. Then make sure to spend some time studying up using exam guides to help you pinpoint areas where you need more study and areas where you are doing fine. You can get exam guides online or from your instructor and they are a very useful tool to fine tune your studying and make sure that you really know what you are doing.

Written Exam

The written portion of the exam tends to be multiple choice or simple answer questions and will test everything you should have learned about becoming a CNA from a factual point of view. This will include everything from procedures to vocabulary to ethics, so make sure you have a thorough grounding in everything you’ll need to know in order to work as a certified nursing assistant. The written exam will be done in a small room and you’ll probably write it alone or under the supervision of a nurse or instructor in order to minimize cheating.

Practical Exam

The practical exam is a really important part of proper certification. The practical exam will test you on how you do various procedures in a real world setting, closely supervised by registered nurses. You will have to show that you have mastered basic skills such as bathing a patient, turning him or her over, basic dignity, privacy, helping a patient get up and down and other things that are going to come up in a routine work day. Typically three to five basic skills will be tested and you must show that you have mastered them in order to pass the exam.

The certification CNA test is an extremely important part of the process; it will determine whether or not you become certified as a nursing assistant. While many employers allow you to work while you wait for the exam to be concluded, they will probably not let you work if you don’t pass, so make sure to work hard in class, do the studying legwork, get plenty of sleep the night before, and stay focused on the exam. Once it’s done and passed, you can enjoy being a certified nursing assistant!