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State by State Requirements

Study Guides

State by State Requirements to be a CNA

There is no federal certification to become a CNA, but each state has their own requirements. In general, there are some consistent principles: should have completed high school diploma or a GED, should have a clean criminal background, should have up to date immunizations, etc. However, if you are interested in your state requirements, the list below will link to the actual state requirements, followed by a short summary. This can serve as a starting point for your research.

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State by State

Alabama 

  • Graduate of an approved CNA program
  • Completion of at least 75 clock hours of training, including 16 hours of clinical training and 16 hours of labs
  • Take and pass the Nurse Aide Competency Exam, administered by Pearson VUE or Prometric

Alaska 

  • Completion of an approved CNA program
  • Completion of a minimum of 140 training hours, including at least 60 classroom hours and 80 hours of lab/clinical practice
  • Submit application for Alaska’s Nurse Aide Certification by Examination
  • Sit for the Nurse Aide Examination through Pearson VUE

Arizona 

  • Attend and complete a board-approved CNA program
  • Complete at least 120 CNA training hours
  • Pass the state’s written and manual skills exam
  • Submit proof of legal residency

Arkansas 

  • Complete a state-approved program
  • At least 90 hours of education/training required
  • Pass the Nursing Assistant Competency Exam

California 

  • Be at least 16 years old
  • Successfully complete an approved CNA training program
  • Obtain a criminal record clearance
  • Successfully pass the Competency Evaluation Examination

Colorado 

  • Complete a state-approved CNA training program
  • Take and pass the NNAAP examination administered through Pearson VUE

Connecticut 

  • Completion of a board-approved CNA program (within 24 months of the date of application for certification)
  • Must take and pass the Connecticut Nurse Aide examination administered by Prometric

Delaware 

  • Completion of a state-approved CNA training program
  • Must take and pass the CNA Competency Exam through Prometric

Florida 

  • Successful completion of an approved CNA training program (unless the student plans to apply for certification by exam only)
  • Achieve a minimum score on the nursing assistant competency examination

Georgia 

  • Successful completion of a board-approved CNA program
  • Pass the NNAAP exam, administered via Pearson VUE

Hawaii 

  • Completion of an approved CNA training program
  • Successfully pass the Hawaii Nurse Aide Competency Exam administered via Prometric

Idaho 

  • Complete an approved CNA program that includes a minimum of 120 training hours
  • Take and pass the Idaho Nurse Aide Exam via Prometric

Illinois 

  • Successful completion of an Illinois-approved CNA training course
  • Pass the written competency test

Indiana 

  • Complete a state-approved 105-hour Nurse Aide Training Program
  • Successfully pass both the written and skills evaluation exam

Iowa 

  • Successful completion of a 75-hour state-approved CNA training program
  • Take and pass the written and skills components of the CNA exam

Kansas 

  • Complete a 90-hour approved CNA training program
  • Earn a score of 75% or higher on the state CNA examination

Kentucky 

  • Complete an approved CNA course consisting of a minimum of 75 hours (with 16 hours of supervised clinical training)
  • Pass the final examination (written/oral and skills demonstration)
  • Complete a competency evaluation

Louisiana 

  • Complete a state-approved CNA training program
  • Pass the CNA certification exam

Maine 

  • Complete 180 hours of training from a state-approved CNA program
  • Pass the Maine CNA competency test
  • Pass a criminal background check

Maryland 

  • Complete 100 hours of CNA instruction through a board-approved CNA program
  • Pass the CNA competency examination (written and manual skills)

Massachusetts 

  • Attend and complete a department-approved Nurse Aide Training Program
  • Pass the Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation (knowledge portion can be taken up to 4 times; clinical portion can be taken up to 3 times)

Michigan 

  • Complete an approved Michigan training course
  • Pass the evaluation test through Prometric to be issued a 2-year certificate

Minnesota 

  • Successfully complete an approved nursing assistant program in Minnesota
  • Successfully pass the competency evaluation exam
  • Or, be in good standing on the nursing assistant registry in another state with a minimum of 8 hours of CNA work within the state in the last 24 months

Mississippi 

  • Complete an approved CNA training program
  • Pass the NNAAP examination administered through Pearson VUE

Missouri 

  • Completion of a state-approved CNA course comprised of 75 hours of classroom training and 100 hours of on-the-job training
  • Pass the two-part (written/oral and practicum) final examination

Montana 

  • Enroll in and complete a state-approved CNA training program
  • Take and pass the CNA certification examination

Nebraska 

  • Must be at least 16 years old
  • Successfully complete a minimum of 75 hours of state-approved training or a 21-hour basic resident-care course for intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled
  • Successfully complete a one-hour Nebraska-specific abuse/neglect/misappropriation training
  • Successfully pass the Nebraska-approved written/oral exam and skills competency exam

Nevada 

  • Complete a Nevada-approved CNA training program
  • Pass the state’s CNA certification exam

New Hampshire 

  • Complete a state-approved training program
  • Pass the appropriate CNA competency evaluation examination

New Jersey 

  • Enroll in and complete a state-approved nurse assistant training program to include classroom learning and clinical instruction
  • Pass the state’s CNA certification examination

New Mexico 

  • Complete a state-approved CNA training program
  • Successfully pass the competency exam administered by Prometric

New York 

  • Complete a New York state-approved training program
  • Pass the nurse aide exams administered through Prometric

North Carolina 

  • Complete a state-approved nurse aide training program (75 hours or longer)
  • Pass the state-approved competency evaluation administered through Pearson VUE

North Dakota 

  • Complete a state-approved Certified Nurse Aide training program
  • Take and pass the state’s CNA competency evaluation

Ohio 

  • Enroll in and complete a state-approved nurse aide training program
  • Successfully pass the state CNA examination

Oklahoma 

  • Successfully complete an approved Oklahoma Nurse Aide training program
  • Pass the state’s competency examination

Oregon 

  • Complete an Oregon State Board of Nursing-approved nursing assistant training program
  • Pass a criminal background check
  • Take and pass the CNA exam through Headmaster Testing Service

Pennsylvania 

  • Complete a Pennsylvania-approved nurse aide training program
  • Pass the competency evaluation exam administered by Credentia within 24 months of program completion

Rhode Island 

  • Complete a state-approved CNA training program that contains 120 hours of training
  • Apply for a nursing assistant license
  • Take and pass the CNA competency examination

South Carolina 

  • Completion of a state-approved CNA training program
  • Schedule and pass the SC Nurse Aide exam administered through Pearson VUE

South Dakota 

  • Successful completion of a training program approved by the SD Board of Nursing
  • Pass the competency evaluation exam
  • Minimum age of 16

Tennessee 

  • Complete an approved nurse aide training program
  • Successfully pass the state competency examination within 24 months of the program’s completion

Texas 

  • Successfully complete a state-approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program
  • Pass the competency evaluation examination
  • Or, qualify to be placed on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry through waiver or reciprocity

Utah 

  • Successful completion of an approved CNA training program
  • Pass the state’s CNA competency examination

Vermont 

  • Verification that you have completed a state-approved nursing assistant program
  • Once your application and verification have been received, applicants must sit for and pass the NNAAP examination

Virginia 

  • Successful completion of a Virginia-approved nurse aide training program
  • Take and pass the Virginia Nurse Aide written/oral skills examination and skills evaluation

Washington 

  • Complete a minimum of 85 hours of training through a state-approved program
  • Pass the nursing assistant competency exam

Washington DC 

  • Complete an approved training program that consists of 45 hours classroom instruction, 30 hours of clinical labs, and 45 hours of nursing home practicums
  • Take and pass the nurse aide examination via Pearson VUE

West Virginia 

  • Completion of a state-approved training program
  • Take and pass the nurse aide competency examination
  • Complete an approved nurse aide training program that consists of 45 hours of classroom instruction, 30 hours of clinical labs, and 45 hours of nursing home practicums
  • Take and pass the nurse aide examination via Pearson VUE

Wisconsin 

  • Satisfactory completion of an approved nurse aide training program
  • Sitting for and passing the competency evaluation

Wyoming 

  • Complete a state-approved CNA training program
  • Send application and fingerprint cards to the Wyoming State Board of Nursing
  • Sit for and pass the CNA skills exam via Prometric

Remember: CPN requirements vary by state. Only use this information as a starting point. If you’d like more information on becoming a CNA, then consider the following resources:

Background Information on CNA Programs

Understanding the CNA Job

Understanding CNA Salary