Nurse Aide Written (Knowledge) Examination, NNAAP Written Examination outline
CNA Practice Test
This CNA practice test covers the written (knowledge) part of the nurse aide exam, following the 2024 NNAAP® content outline. In states that use that exam, the written test is 70 multiple-choice questions (60 scored, 10 pretest) in 2 hours. Basic Nursing Skills is the largest area at 35%. The free 25-question diagnostic needs no account.
The free CNA diagnostic is being prepared and is not open yet. The exam facts and the content outline on this page are current.
Becoming a CNA means passing two things: a written (or oral) knowledge test and a skills evaluation in which you perform nurse aide skills in front of an evaluator. This question bank prepares you for the first. It cannot prepare you for the second, which is hands-on, and you should practice those skills in your training program.
The exam is not the same everywhere. The NNAAP outline used here is a national one that a number of states use, but many states use a different testing company with its own outline, length and time limit. The subject, basic care and residents' rights, is common to all of them, but the numbers on this page are the NNAAP's. Your state's candidate handbook is the final word on yours.
The CNA exam at a glance
What you are preparing for, in the exam owner's own numbers.
| Questions | 70 (60 scored, 10 unscored)In states that use the NNAAP exam. Other states use other vendors, with their own length. |
|---|---|
| Time limit | 2 hoursFor the NNAAP written exam. Check your state's handbook. |
| Delivery | In NNAAP states the written exam is delivered by Credentia at test centers or online: 70 multiple-choice questions (60 scored, 10 pretest) in 2 hours. An oral version (60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading comprehension questions) is available. A separate skills evaluation of five randomly selected skills is also required. Other states use different vendors and formats. |
| Passing standard | Set by each state. Candidates must pass both the written (or oral) examination and the skills evaluation to be placed on the state nurse aide registry; in the NNAAP skills evaluation all five skills must be performed correctly. |
| Outline in force | 2024 NNAAP Written (Oral) Examination Content Outline, effective April 2024 |
Exam facts are taken from Credentia’s own published material, last checked October 2, 2026. Source. Confirm fees, dates and rules with the organization you register with before you book.
Who takes it
People who want to be placed on their state's nurse aide registry. Each state sets its own eligibility rules; in general you must complete a state-approved nurse aide training program, or qualify through a route your state recognizes, such as being a nursing student. Both the written test and the skills evaluation must be passed to go on the registry.
What the CNA exam covers
The nine areas and their weights are from the 2024 NNAAP written examination outline, in effect since April 2024.
| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I.AActivities of Daily Living5 tasks | 22% |
|
| I.BBasic Nursing Skills4 tasks | 35% |
|
| I.CSelf-Care and Independence1 task | 7% |
|
| II.AEmotional and Mental Health Needs1 task | 8% |
|
| II.BSpiritual and Cultural Needs1 task | 2% |
|
| III.ACommunication1 task | 7% |
|
| III.BClient Rights1 task | 8% |
|
| III.CLegal and Ethical Behavior1 task | 5% |
|
| III.DMember of the Health Care Team1 task | 6% |
|
How to use the bank for the CNA exam
- 1
Take the diagnostic
25 questions across the outline. Over half the exam is two areas, Basic Nursing Skills (35%) and Activities of Daily Living (22%), so look at those results first.
- 2
Learn the safe answer
Most questions describe a resident and a situation and ask what the nurse aide should do. The right answer protects the resident's safety, rights and dignity and stays within what a nurse aide may do. Each explanation says which of those the other options break.
- 3
Do not neglect the smaller areas
Client Rights (8%), Emotional and Mental Health Needs (8%), Communication (7%), Self-Care and Independence (7%), Member of the Health Care Team (6%), Legal and Ethical Behavior (5%) and Spiritual and Cultural Needs (2%) add up to 43% of the exam.
- 4
Sit a timed mock
70 questions with a time limit of 2 hours is well over a minute and a half a question. The point of the mock is to do the whole thing once without stopping.
What is in the paid CNA bank
The question bank
The CNA bank is still being written. The live count appears here when questions are published.
Every option explained
A written reason for every option, right and wrong, plus a one-line takeaway, a cited reference and the outline task the question tests.
Tutor mode and timed mode
Tutor mode shows the explanation after each question. Timed mode holds everything back until the end, at exam pace.
A readiness band, by domain
Your first-attempt results weighted the way the exam weights its domains, shown as a band rather than a pass probability: nobody outside the exam owner knows the cut score.
A study plan
Set your exam date and the plan divides the questions you have not seen across the days you have left, weakest domains first, with the mock exams placed in the back half.
CNA passes
A pass is access for a fixed number of days. You pay once; nothing renews.
30-day pass
$15one-off
- The full CNA bank for 30 days
- Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
- Charged once. It does not renew.
90-day pass
$19one-off
- The full CNA bank for 90 days
- Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
- Charged once. It does not renew.
Refund within 7 days if you have answered fewer than 50 questions. Pass guarantee: complete 100% of the bank with an average of 80% or better, and if you still do not pass the exam your pass is extended by 90 days at no charge.
How the questions are written and checked
Step 1
Written to the public outline
Each question is written by AI against one task in Credentia's published content outline. Nothing is taken from the exam itself.
Step 2
Solved blind by a second model
A different model answers the question without seeing the key. If it does not reach the same answer, the question is not published.
Step 3
Audited for flaws and duplicates
A separate pass looks for item-writing flaws: two defensible answers, a giveaway in the wording, a rationale that contradicts the key. Near-duplicates are removed.
Step 4
Corrected in public
Learners can report any question. Reports and answer statistics flag questions for withdrawal or correction, and every correction is logged.
There is no human subject-matter-expert review in that process, and we do not claim one. What you get instead is a cited reference on every question, so you can check it yourself. Read the full methodology or see the corrections log.
CNA practice questions: common questions
How many questions are on the CNA written exam?
In states that use the NNAAP exam, 70 multiple-choice questions: 60 scored and 10 pretest. Other states use other testing companies and their written tests differ in length, so check your state's candidate handbook.
Does this practice test cover the skills test?
No. The skills evaluation is a hands-on demonstration; in the NNAAP it is five randomly selected skills. No question bank can stand in for practicing them. This bank is for the written (knowledge) test.
Is the CNA exam the same in every state?
No. States choose their own testing vendor and set their own fees, passing standard and retake rules. The NNAAP outline used here is one of several, and your state may use a different one. Your state nurse aide registry or its testing vendor publishes the rules that apply to you.
What score do I need to pass the CNA exam?
Each state sets its own passing standard. You must pass both the written (or oral) examination and the skills evaluation; in the NNAAP skills evaluation, all five skills must be performed correctly.
How much does the CNA exam cost?
Fees are set by each state, so there is no single figure. Your state's candidate handbook lists the fee for each part.
Is there an oral version of the CNA written exam?
In the NNAAP, yes: an oral version with 60 multiple-choice questions and 10 reading comprehension questions is available.
Is this CNA practice test free?
The 25-question diagnostic is free, with no account or email needed, and every answer is explained when you finish. The full bank and mock exams are on a paid pass, charged once with no renewal.
NNAAP® and National Nurse Aide Assessment Program are marks of their owner, Credentia Nurse Aide LLC; the program was originally developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). This site is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Credentia, NCSBN, Prometric, Headmaster/D&S Diversified Technologies, or any state nurse aide registry.