If you want to ensure that you will pass your CNA exam the first time, there are a couple of things you can do. The first, of course is to be sure you are familiar with all of the material you have learned in your CNA training manual and supplementary information. A quality CNA training class will go over the exam, breaking it down into sections to be sure there aren’t any areas of confusion. Before signing up for a particular training program, it is wise to enquire whether CNA exam preparation will be a part of the training.

Your CNA exam will have two sections, a written exam with multiple choice questions as well as a hands on, or clinical portion of the CNA exam. During the clinical portion you will be asked to perform certain medical procedures that you have learned. Today we are going to cover the clinical portion of the CNA exam and provide you with some tips that will boost your confidence and help you to pass this section of the exam with ease.

Keys to Passing the Skills Demonstration Portion of Your CNA Training Exam

In order to pass the demonstration portion of your CNA training exam, there are a few key points you’ll need to keep in mind. First of all, during each demonstration of a particular procedure, the individuals who will be grading you are looking for you to perform a set of steps, completed in the correct order. As long as you are familiar with the procedures, have the steps memorized in order, and perform them in a confident manner, you will do fine.

You will be required to perform between three to five skills during the clinical portion of your CNA exam. Some of the skills you may be tested on include the following:

• How to provide a bed pan to a patient
• How to strip and then put new linens on a bed with the patient in it
• How to reposition a patient in a wheel chair or their bed
• How to take a patient’s vital signs
• How to provide basic grooming to the patient

Tip for performing CNA skills – Remember, the individuals who will be grading you are not trying to trick you. They are just looking for you to include all of the necessary steps required. For all of the above procedures, most of the exam takers fail in the simplest steps. For example, when providing a bed pan to a patient, always wash your hands before and after the procedure. When providing basic grooming skills to the patient, always ask the patient whether they would like to have their hair brushed or their face washed before performing the procedure. This question relates to the privacy and dignity portion of the CNA training that you have learned.

By keeping these tips in mind, you won’t forget any of the steps, and you’ll pass the clinical portion of your CNA training exam with ease.

In most cases, you will be testing with a group. The written exam is usually given before the skills test, and everyone will take the test at the same time. You will have to answer approximately 100 multiple-choice questions, and are usually given up to two hours to complete them. The written test covers patient care and protocols, patient monitoring and record-keeping, laboratory and testing procedures.

Everything on the written portion will have been covered in your CNA training classes. It is a good idea to review your class materials, handouts, and charts before the certification test, particularly if you won’t be taking it right after completing the course. You can find some sample testing questions for the CNA exam online.

Following the written portion, the instructor takes the finished tests, and then individuals will be called on to perform their skills test one at a time. You may be asked to bring a “model” or helper with you to facilitate the skills testing. This person would act as your patient for you to demonstrate your skills on. The particulars of the skills test will vary, and may not be the same from person to person. You won’t know which skills you will be asked to perform until the actual testing.

You can expect the practical exam to cover the most common skills you will encounter. This might include performing measurements of vital signs – blood pressure, pulse, and respiration; demonstrating the proper way make a bed, both with and without a patient in it; ambulating or moving your patient – helping them dress, moving them in to and out of a wheel chair, etc.; and responding to emergencies such as choking.

You won’t know the outcome of your CNA certification test right then and there; results will be mailed to you. However if you’ve been attentive in class and understand what you’ve been taught, and taken the time to study and review your materials prior to taking the test, you should have no problem passing. Once you have earned your certification, you are then free to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, Nurse’s Aide, or other similar position at any hospital, nursing home, or other facility in your state.

Whether your first considering becoming a certified nursing assistant, or have taken CNA training classes and are wondering whether you are ready to take the exam, sample test questions can help you prepare.

The CNA certification test consists of both a practical exam, and a written exam. The practical exam is a “hands-on” skills assesment where the proctor will test you on your step by step knowledge and ability for a given task. They will also be gauging how confident and attentive to detail you are in each situation.

Sample tests and sample testing questions can make all the difference in how you perform on the CNA exam. The best way to pass a practical exam is to know what you are doing and more importantly, to know why it is that you are doing it. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be in your knowledge and understanding of the practices. Knowing the written material down pat will help you pass the hands on/skills section. Utilizing sample testing questions for CNA certification exams are one of the best ways to improve your chances and will help set you up for success with your test.

The first part of the certification test is the written examination which is comprised of seventy (70) multiple-choice questions. Ten (10) of these questions
are pre-test (non-scored) questions on which statistical information will be collected.

This is followed by the oral examination – sixty (60) multiple-choice questions and ten (10) word recognition (or reading comprehension) questions.

The second test is called the Skill Evaluation. Here, candidates are asked to perform 5 randomly selected nurse’s aid skills, rated by a nurse evaluator. The candidates must successfully perform all five skills in order to achieve NNAAP certification.

Sample Testing Questions for CNA:

When a client has left-sided weakness, what part of a sweater is put on first?
(A) Both sleeves
(B) Left sleeve
(C) Client’s choice
(D) Right sleeve

Answer:  (B) Left sleeve

Exercises that move each muscle and joint are called:
(A) adduction
(B) range of motion
(C) abduction
(D) rotation

Answer:  (B) range of motion

The Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrust) is used for a client who has:
(A) a blocked airway
(B) a bloody nose
(C) fallen out of bed
(D) impaired eyesight

Answer:  (A) a blocked airway

Which of the following is a correct measurement of urinary output?
(A) 40 oz
(B) 2 cups
(C) 300 cc
(D) 1 quart

Answer:  (C) 300 cc

BEFORE taking the oral temperature of a client who has just finished a cold drink, the nurse aide should wait:
(A) 10 to 20 minutes
(B) 25 to 35 minutes
(C) 45 to 55 minutes
(D) at least 1 hour

Answer:  (A) 10 to 20 minutes

These are just some sample testing questions for the CNA exam. We will be offering full sample CNA exams shortly that you will be able to download and study at your leisure.