Pennsylvania CNA 2026: The Test Is Simple, but the Rules Are Easy to Misread
Pennsylvania CNA candidates do not need another generic nurse aide outline. The search results already have plenty of those. What matters in Pennsylvania is the sequence: finish a Pennsylvania Department of Education approved nurse aide training program, register through Credentia, pass the NNAAP written or oral exam, pass the five-skill evaluation, and keep your registry status active with paid nurse aide work.
Pennsylvania Rules That Control Your Test Window
| Item | 2026 Detail |
|---|---|
| State oversight | Pennsylvania Department of Health for registry and testing oversight; Pennsylvania Department of Education approves training programs |
| Test administrator | Credentia |
| Written exam | 70 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours |
| Oral option | 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading comprehension or word recognition questions |
| Skills evaluation | 5 randomly selected nurse aide skills at a test center |
| Skills timing | Pennsylvania lists a 30-minute allowable testing period for the skills test |
| First-attempt fee | $135 for written or oral plus skills, per the PA Candidate Handbook |
| Retest fees | $50 written or oral only; $85 skills only, per the PA Candidate Handbook |
| Testing window | 24 months after approved training completion |
| Attempts | 3 attempts; a no-show counts as an attempt |
| Renewal | At least 8 paid hours of nursing-related work in the previous 24 months |
The exact fee in your Credentia cart governs your payment, but the current Pennsylvania handbook lists $135 for the first combined exam. Some older pages and summaries show other totals, which is why this guide anchors the fee discussion to the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook and tells you where to verify before scheduling.
Eligibility Comes Before Scheduling
Most first-time candidates use the E-0 route: completion of a Pennsylvania Department of Education approved nurse aide training program within the last 24 months. Pennsylvania also has routes for lapsed Pennsylvania nurse aides, lapsed out-of-state nurse aides, and temporary nurse aides who completed the required attestation path. Those alternate routes matter because they can change the number of attempts you get before retraining is required.
If you are a brand-new candidate, do not schedule until your training program is complete and your documentation is ready. Pennsylvania requires candidates to be at least 16 for nurse aide employment eligibility, and candidates must submit to criminal background screening. Some employers set a higher minimum age even when the state rule allows testing at 16.
Training Hours: Why You May See 80 and 120
Pennsylvania training pages can confuse candidates because the state publishes recommended schedules for both 80-hour and 120-hour program structures. The important practical rule is this: only graduates of a PDE-approved nurse aide training program are eligible for the regular exam route. Your program, not a random blog, determines whether your hours and clinical site are approved.
When comparing programs, ask for the total hours, classroom and lab split, clinical hours, clinical location, program code, start date, completion date, tuition, background check cost, and whether the program will help you register in Credentia. Also ask whether a long-term care employer will pay or reimburse training and testing costs. Pennsylvania and federal rules require nursing facilities to cover training and testing for candidates employed or offered employment when they enter a qualifying program, and reimbursement may apply if you become employed within 12 months after completion.
Written or Oral: Pick the Version You Can Finish Cleanly
The written exam has 70 multiple-choice questions and a 2-hour limit. Ten of those written items are pretest questions used for exam development, so you should answer every question because you will not know which items are unscored. The oral exam is not an easier exam; it is a different delivery format for candidates who have difficulty reading English. It includes 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading comprehension or word recognition questions.
Skills Evaluation: Five Skills, No Room for Loose Habits
The skills evaluation is offered only at a test center. You will perform five randomly selected nurse aide skills while a Nurse Evaluator scores your performance. Pennsylvania's handbook points candidates to the official skill list and checklists, so practice from the Credentia materials rather than a generic video.
Your prep should make universal actions automatic: knock, introduce yourself, identify the resident, explain the procedure, provide privacy, wash hands at the right time, use gloves when required, maintain safety and dignity, place the call light within reach, and report or record findings as directed. Many candidates know the individual skill but fail because a universal safety or infection-control step disappears under time pressure.
Pennsylvania Study Order For Written, Oral, And Skills
Days 1-3: read the Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook, confirm your eligibility route, fee, ID requirements, and testing window. Create a Credentia account only after you understand which exam you need.
Days 4-10: drill Physical Care Skills. Spend most of your written-exam time on basic nursing skills, ADLs, restorative care, infection control, safety, vital signs, transfers, positioning, elimination, nutrition, and reporting changes.
Days 11-15: add Role of the Nurse Aide. Practice resident rights, privacy, refusal of care, abuse reporting, scope of practice, chain of command, documentation, and communication.
Days 16-20: practice psychosocial care and cultural needs. Include dementia communication, grief, depression, end-of-life support, religious accommodation, and maintaining independence.
Rules That Generic CNA Pages Bury
Many pages answer only how many questions are on the test. Pennsylvania candidates need more than that. You need to know that online written or oral testing is available, but skills are test-center only. You need to know that a no-show counts as one of your three opportunities. You need to know that passing both parts after the 24-month window is not enough; you must be inside the eligibility window or retrain. You also need to know the renewal rule before your first job, because private or unpaid care can leave you surprised at renewal time.
That is why your final week should include a logistics audit, not just more flashcards. Verify your ID, exam location or online testing setup, cancellation deadline, payment receipt, and the exact name on your Credentia account.
Renewal and Reciprocity
After you pass both parts, Credentia places you on the Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Registry. To stay eligible for continued enrollment, Pennsylvania requires at least 8 paid hours of nursing-related services in the previous 24 months. The state describes this as one documented day of paid work. Keep pay stubs or employer documentation because registry renewal depends on proof of qualifying paid work.
Out-of-state nurse aides who are active and in good standing can apply for reciprocity through Credentia. If your out-of-state status has lapsed because you have not worked for at least 24 consecutive months, Pennsylvania treats that differently from active reciprocity. Check the Credentia Pennsylvania page before assuming you can transfer without testing.
Final Pennsylvania Readiness Check
Pennsylvania Sources To Verify
Use the Pennsylvania Department of Health Nurse Aide Testing page, Credentia Pennsylvania Nurse Aide page, Pennsylvania Department of Education Nurse Aide Training Program page, and the current Pennsylvania Candidate Handbook before you schedule.
Practice exams on ExamEdge
Flashcards on Mometrix