To become CNA Certified and work as a qualified nurses assistant, you need to learn many aspects of the job and demonstrate excellent abilities in all the required areas of nursing that a CNA is responsible for.
Passing the CNA examination is no easy task, and it will take hard work and dedication to meet the necessary requirements and achieve the required level of knowledge and skills to successful pass the exam and complete your training.
Different states may have differing requirements for achieving CNA certification., however generally the exam is broken up in to two different tests one part being written, and one part being ‘practical’ clinical skills areas, in some states (or exams) you may find an oral test also makes up part of the overall exam.
Written Exam
The written exam covers all areas of a nurse assistants duties and is given in the form of multiple choice questions. You will be expected to know the answers to a wide selection of different aspects of a nursing assistants day to day activities and, as with the other sections, a high standard is expected.
Everything you have learned about during your training will most probably come up in one form or another in the written exam, so it goes without saying that taking in all the training material is essential if you are to pass the written exam.
The written exam must be passed before you are able to take the practical part of the CNA certification exam.
Clinical Exam
To take the clinical part of the CNA certification exam you must first have passed the written exam, this is a requirement that cannot be avoided.
The clinical exam tests your practical skills and assesses how you deal with patients and your general manner in executing what will be your daily activities. You will be tested to see how you treat patients, and how you verbalize your actions to patients as well as the actual practical portions such as taking blood pressure readings or moving a patient etc.
The requirements in this section of the CNA certification exam are as demanding as the written exam, and your assessors will be watching you closely to ensure you have the right skills, both in carrying out your actions and how you communicate with the patient whom you are treating.
Exam Preparation
There are over 200 different exams to achieve CNA certification, but they will mostly all follow a similar pattern. It goes without saying that you will need to know your stuff in order to meet the requirements to first of be eligible to enter the exam, and secondly to be in a good position to pass it.
Most students will have needed to complete between 6 moths and 1 year of studying before being considered eligible to take the CNA exam.
Be diligent in your studies and you should have no problem in passing the final CNA certification exam, a good sound knowledge of your training materials, and a good manner combined with a caring attitude and good practical skills will see you pass the exam with flying colors.