CNA Practice Test — Free Questions & Answers (2026)

Exam Format at a Glance

NNAAP by Credentia: 70 multiple-choice questions (10 unscored) in 2 hours, or an oral exam of 60 questions plus 10 reading-comprehension items; five skills in 30 minutes; typical 2026 fees $135 for both parts in Pennsylvania, $55 written + $80 skills in Alabama, $35 knowledge + $87 skills in Tennessee. Prometric: 60 questions (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma) in 90 minutes; five skills including handwashing and indirect care in 31-40 minutes; $115 for both parts in New York and Delaware, $125 in Connecticut, $155 in Florida. Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies): 70-80 questions in 60-90 minutes with a published pass mark of 70-75%; three to four tasks plus handwashing in 30-35 minutes; $140 in California, $130 in Maryland, $120 in Ohio and $97 in Montana for both parts. Whatever the vendor, federal rule guarantees a written-or-oral choice, a randomly drawn skills test and at least three attempts. Practice with the free CNA practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (3,000+ questions with answer explanations).

Free CNA Study Tools

Interactive CNA resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:

• CNA practice test — 3,000+ questions with instant scoring and answer explanations
• CNA flashcards — review key terms and concepts card by card
• CNA study guide — topic-by-topic overview of what the exam covers
• CNA cheat sheet — one-page printable summary for last-minute review

Free CNA Practice Test

Our free CNA practice test includes questions covering all major domains of the CNA certification exam: physical care skills, psychosocial care, role of the nurse aide, safety, infection control, and legal/ethical issues.

Each question includes detailed answer explanations so you understand not just the correct answer, but WHY it's correct — the same critical thinking approach used on the actual exam. You can take this CNA practice test free online, with no sign-up, and repeat it as often as you like.

Why Practice Tests Are Essential

• Identify weak areas — Know which topics to focus your study time on
• Build test-taking stamina — The actual written exam is 55-80 questions in 60-120 minutes depending on your state's vendor (NNAAP 70 questions in 2 hours, Prometric 55-60 in 90 minutes, Headmaster 70-80 in 60-90 minutes)
• Learn from mistakes — Detailed explanations help you understand concepts, not just memorize answers
• Reduce test anxiety — Familiarity with question format reduces exam day stress
• Track progress — Take a practice CNA test weekly to measure improvement over time

What to Expect on the CNA Exam

Use this CNA exam practice test to rehearse both halves of the certification: a written (knowledge) exam and a hands-on skills evaluation. Federal rule 42 CFR 483.154 requires every state to let you choose a written or an oral exam, to draw the skills test at random from a pool of nurse aide tasks, and to pass both parts; the exact numbers below depend on which vendor your state uses. The CNA knowledge practice test on this page mirrors the written portion.

Written/Knowledge Exam

• Questions: 55-80 multiple choice — NNAAP (Credentia) 70 questions, 10 of them unscored pretest items; Prometric 60 (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma); Headmaster 70-80 by state (Maryland 70, Montana 72, California 75, Ohio 79, Oregon 80)
• Time: 2 hours for the NNAAP written or oral exam; 90 minutes at Prometric and in Ohio, Oregon and Montana; 60 minutes in the Headmaster California and Maryland exams
• Passing score: set by each state, not by a national body. Headmaster candidate handbooks publish it (Ohio 70%, Maryland and Oregon 73%, California and Montana 75%; Tennessee's NNAAP handbook 75%); the other NNAAP handbooks and the Prometric bulletins publish no percentage — your score report simply says pass or fail
• Format: computer-based at a test center or training site; Credentia and Headmaster also offer a live-proctored online written exam, and an oral (audio) version is available everywhere for candidates who read English with difficulty

Clinical Skills Exam

• Skills tested: five randomly selected skills (NNAAP and Prometric — Prometric always includes handwashing and indirect care) or three to four random tasks plus a mandatory handwashing task (Headmaster)
• Time: 30 minutes (NNAAP), 30-35 minutes (Headmaster) or 31-40 minutes (Prometric)
• Evaluated by: a registered nurse with at least one year of experience caring for the elderly or chronically ill, as federal rule requires
• Key rule: every critical (bolded) step must be performed and every skill must be passed; Headmaster additionally requires 80% of the non-critical steps on each task. Missing hand hygiene fails the skill

Content Domains (NNAAP 2024 content outline)

• Physical Care Skills (64%): activities of daily living 22%, basic nursing skills — infection control, safety/emergency, procedures, data collection — 35%, self-care and independence 7%
• Psychosocial Care Skills (10%): emotional and mental health needs 8%, spiritual and cultural needs 2%
• Role of the Nurse Aide (26%): communication 7%, client rights 8%, legal and ethical behavior 5%, member of the health care team 6%

Prometric and Headmaster states use their own state test plans, but they cover the same federally required course content (42 CFR 483.152), so the domains above are a reliable study map for every vendor.

CNA Knowledge Practice Test: NNAAP, Prometric and Headmaster Formats

The written exam you sit depends on which vendor your state contracts, so match your practice questions to that format. Three vendors cover almost every state:

• NNAAP (Credentia): The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program written exam has 70 multiple-choice items (10 unscored pretest items) with a 2-hour limit; the oral version (English or Spanish) has 60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading-comprehension items in the same 2 hours. Tennessee's NNAAP knowledge exam is 75 items. The skills evaluation covers five randomly selected skills in 30 minutes, and hand hygiene is a step inside most skills. Used in 2026 by Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and California (Northern CA), among others.
• Prometric: 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes (55 questions in Alabama and Oklahoma), delivered on computer at a Prometric center or an approved training site, followed by a five-skill clinical evaluation of 31-40 minutes that always includes handwashing and indirect care. Ten state programs use Prometric in 2026: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.
• Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies): A knowledge test of 70-80 items depending on the state (Maryland 70, Montana 72, California 75, Ohio 79, Oregon 80) taken on computer in the TMU system at a test site or, in most states, with a remote proctor, plus a skills test of three to four random tasks and a mandatory handwashing task scored by an RN test observer. States include Ohio, Oregon, Montana, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland and, since 2026, California.

Passing standards are set by each state: Headmaster handbooks publish 70-75% on the knowledge test (Ohio 70%, Maryland and Oregon 73%, California and Montana 75%), while NNAAP and Prometric score reports show only pass or fail and publish no percentage. The skills portion is pass/fail on every critical step with every vendor. Because the content domains are set nationally, a CNA knowledge practice test free of charge like the one above prepares you for any vendor; use the numbers here to set your timer (about 48-103 seconds per question depending on vendor and state) and to decide whether to schedule the oral exam.

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CNA Practice Test Study Tips

1. Take a diagnostic CNA practice exam first — Score yourself to find weak areas before studying
2. Study by domain — Focus on one content area at a time until you score 80%+
3. Do 50-100 questions daily — Consistent practice is better than marathon sessions
4. Read every rationale — Even for questions you got right, the explanation reinforces learning
5. Time yourself — Match your vendor's pace: about 48-51 seconds per question in Headmaster's California and Maryland exams, 90 seconds at Prometric and about 1 minute 43 seconds on the NNAAP
6. Take a full-length CNA practice exam — Simulate the real experience at least 3 times before test day
7. Focus on 'select the BEST answer' — Multiple choices may seem correct, but one is always BEST

How to Use a CNA Practice Exam Like the Real Written Test

A CNA practice exam helps most when it copies the conditions of the real written test, so set it up to match your state's vendor. Count the questions first: 70 on the NNAAP (Credentia), 60 at Prometric (55 in Alabama and Oklahoma) or 70-80 with Headmaster. Then set a timer for the matching limit: 2 hours, 90 minutes, or 60-90 minutes. Answer in one sitting with no notes, because the real exam gives you no reference material.

Score the attempt by domain rather than as one number. The NNAAP outline puts 64% of the weight on Physical Care Skills, so a weak score in infection control, safety or activities of daily living costs more than a weak score in spiritual and cultural needs, which is only 2%. Read every rationale, including the ones you got right, then retake a fresh CNA written exam practice test a few days later to confirm the gap has closed.

If you have trouble reading English, ask for the oral version. Federal rule lets every candidate choose a written or an oral exam, and the NNAAP oral exam adds 10 reading-comprehension items to 60 multiple-choice questions.

CNA Exam Practice Test for the Skills Evaluation

A complete CNA practice exam has two halves, because you must pass both the written (or oral) knowledge exam and the hands-on skills evaluation to be listed on your state's nurse aide registry. The questions on this page cover the written half; the skills half needs practice on a partner or manikin, using the official skills checklist in your vendor's candidate handbook.

Rehearse against the clock your vendor uses: five randomly selected skills in 30 minutes on the NNAAP, five skills in 31-40 minutes at Prometric (always including handwashing and indirect care), or three to four random tasks plus a mandatory handwashing task in 30-35 minutes with Headmaster. A registered nurse evaluator scores each step, and missing a single critical step fails that skill, so say each step aloud while you practice and repeat a skill until you finish every critical step without prompting. Headmaster candidates also need 80% of the non-critical steps on each task.

Treat hand hygiene as part of every skill, not a separate chore, because skipping it fails the skill. If one half does not go well on test day, federal rule 42 CFR 483.154 guarantees you at least three attempts to pass the competency evaluation.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

Sample CNA Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free CNA practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

1. Negligence in nursing assistant practice occurs when:

   • A. A CNA performs a task beyond their scope of practice intentionally to harm a resident
   • B. A CNA fails to provide the standard of care, resulting in harm to a resident
   • C. A CNA makes a correct clinical decision with an unforeseen outcome
   • D. A CNA reports concerns about a resident to the charge nurse

Answer: B. A CNA fails to provide the standard of care, resulting in harm to a resident

Negligence is the failure to provide the expected standard of care that a competent CNA would provide, resulting in harm to the resident.

Answer: C. Wounds or drainage are covered, the receiving area is notified, and precaution items are transported with the resident

When transporting a resident on contact precautions, the CNA should cover any wounds or drainage sites, place a clean gown on the resident, notify the receiving area of precaution requirements, and follow facility protocol. This prevents pathogen spread during transport.

Answer: A. Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then performing hand hygiene

CDC respiratory hygiene guidelines recommend covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, disposing of the tissue, and immediately performing hand hygiene.

Answer: B. Stool that is black and tarry

Black, tarry stool (melena) can indicate upper gastrointestinal bleeding and requires immediate nurse notification.

Take the full CNA practice test

Official Resources

• Credentia (NNAAP test takers) — Candidate handbooks, state-by-state registration steps, exam content outlines and the current list of tested skills for the NNAAP written and skills exams.
• Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies) — Scheduling, candidate handbooks and skills checklists for states that test nurse aides through Headmaster.
• CMS Nursing Homes — Federal rules for nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs and the state registry requirements every certified nursing assistant must meet.
• Prometric Nurse Aide — Candidate information bulletins, scheduling and fees for the ten state programs tested by Prometric.
• 42 CFR 483.154 (eCFR) — The federal rule that defines the written-or-oral exam, the skills demonstration, RN evaluators and the three-attempt minimum.