Arkansas CNA Exam Flashcards

Q: Who administers the Arkansas CNA exam in 2026?

D&S Diversified Technologies (D&SDT-Headmaster) administers the Arkansas nurse aide competency exam and maintains the Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry under contract with the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Candidates register, pay, and schedule through the Arkansas TestMaster Universe portal at ar.tmutest.com. Arkansas does not use Prometric or Credentia/NNAAP.

Q: How many questions are on the Arkansas CNA knowledge exam and what score do I need?

The knowledge exam has 75 multiple-choice questions with a 60-minute limit, delivered on a computer at the test site or through a remotely proctored option. You must score 76% or better to pass. Audio and Spanish versions are available for an added fee; on the audio version only the first 67 questions are read aloud, because the last 8 assess English reading comprehension.

Q: How many skills are on the Arkansas CNA skill test?

You are assigned 3 or 4 tasks and have a maximum of 30 minutes to finish them. Your first task is always one of four mandatory tasks (bedpan with output, catheter care, isolation gown with drainage bag, or perineal care), each of which ends with soap-and-water hand washing. You must earn at least 80% of the steps on every task and perform every bold key step.

Q: How many times can I retake the Arkansas nurse aide exam?

You get three attempts to pass both components, and all attempts must fall within one year of completing your training program. There is no published waiting period between attempts - you pay for the portion you failed and reschedule. After three failures, or once the year lapses, you must complete another DHS-approved 90-hour training program before testing again.

Q: How do I keep my Arkansas CNA certification active?

Renew in your TMU account every 24 months. To be eligible you must have worked for pay as a nurse aide performing nursing or nursing-related services for at least 8 consecutive hours during the previous 24 months, and your employer must verify it. Under federal rules, going 24 consecutive months without paid nursing-related work ends your eligibility until you pass both exam components again.

Q: What changed on the Arkansas skill test on July 1, 2026?

Version 10.0 of the candidate handbook made rubbing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds a bold key step, removed the option to count pulse and respirations for 30 seconds and double them (both must now be counted for a full 60 seconds), and made 'ambulate the resident' its own key step in the gait belt walking tasks.

Question 1

How long must you count a resident's radial pulse on the Arkansas skill test?

Accepted Answer

A full 60 seconds. The option to count for 30 seconds and multiply by two was removed effective July 1, 2026, and your recorded rate must be within 4 beats of the RN Test Observer's count.

Question 2

What accuracy is required when you record respirations on the Arkansas skill test?

Accepted Answer

Your recorded respiratory rate must land within 2 breaths of the RN Test Observer's. Count for a full 60 seconds and tell the observer when you start and stop; the 30-second doubling shortcut is no longer accepted.

Question 3

Where is a gait belt placed, and how do you check the fit?

Accepted Answer

Around the resident's waist to stabilize the trunk, tightened until you can just slip your fingers between the belt and the resident. Grasp the belt itself while walking, never the resident's arm or underarm.

Question 4

What must a resident put on before standing during an Arkansas ambulation task?

Accepted Answer

Non-skid footwear, applied BEFORE the resident stands. Steps containing BEFORE or AFTER are order-dependent, so standing the resident first loses the step even if you add the shoes afterward.

Question 5

Which brakes must be locked during a bed-to-wheelchair transfer?

Accepted Answer

Lock the bed brakes before moving the resident and lock the wheelchair brakes prior to sitting. The bed is also adjusted so the resident's feet rest flat on the floor before they stand.

Question 6

What are the core rules of good body mechanics for a nurse aide?

Accepted Answer

Keep your feet apart for a wide base of support, bend at the knees and hips instead of the waist, hold the load close to your body, and pivot your feet rather than twisting your spine. Push or slide whenever you can instead of lifting.

Question 7

Where do support devices go when a resident is positioned on their side?

Accepted Answer

Under the head, under the upper arm, behind the back, and between the knees to hold alignment and protect bony prominences. Also check that the resident is not lying on the downside arm and that the pillow never blocks the face.

Question 8

What must you verify before feeding a dependent resident?

Accepted Answer

Ask the resident to state their name and match it against the diet card, then provide hand hygiene for the resident before the meal. Sit at eye level facing them and offer small amounts at a pace that allows chewing and swallowing.

Question 9

How long must you rub your hands with soap during the Arkansas hand-washing key step?

Accepted Answer

At least 20 seconds of friction with soap. This became a bolded key step on July 1, 2026, so missing it fails that entire task no matter how well you performed the other steps.

Question 10

Why do you keep your fingers pointed downward while washing and rinsing your hands?

Accepted Answer

So water and contaminants run from the cleaner wrists toward the dirtiest fingertips and into the sink. Rinsing with hands raised sends dirty water back over skin you already cleaned.

Question 11

How do you turn off the faucet after washing your hands?

Accepted Answer

With a clean, dry paper towel, or by using a knee or foot control or a motion sensor. The faucet handle is contaminated, so touching it with bare clean hands re-contaminates them and loses the step.

Question 12

When is alcohol hand sanitizer acceptable instead of soap and water?

Accepted Answer

Sanitizer covers routine hand hygiene at the start and end of most tasks - cover all surfaces and rub until completely dry. Every Arkansas mandatory task still ends with soap-and-water washing, and visibly soiled hands always require soap and water.

Question 13

What is the correct order for putting on and removing an isolation gown and gloves?

Accepted Answer

Gown first, then gloves overlapping the gown cuffs at the wrist. To remove: gloves BEFORE the gown, then unfasten the neck and waist and fold the gown soiled area over soiled area before discarding it.

Question 14

What do standard precautions assume about a resident's body fluids?

Accepted Answer

That blood and all body fluids, secretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes of every resident are potentially infectious, whatever the diagnosis. You do not wait for an isolation order before gloving up.

Question 15

Which direction do you clean during perineal care for a female resident?

Accepted Answer

Front to back - from the vagina toward the rectal area - using a clean portion of the washcloth for every stroke. Wiping back to front drags rectal bacteria toward the urethra and causes urinary tract infections.

Question 16

How do you clean an indwelling catheter on the Arkansas skill test?

Accepted Answer

Hold the catheter where it exits the urethra and clean 3 to 4 inches down the tubing, stroking only away from the urethra with a clean section of cloth each time. Never allow the tubing to be pulled during the procedure.

Question 17

Which arm do you dress first on a resident with one-sided weakness?

Accepted Answer

Dress the affected (weak) side first; when undressing, remove the gown from the unaffected side first. Forcing a stiff or paralyzed limb through a sleeve last strains the joint and can injure it.

Question 18

Where should lotion never be applied during foot care?

Accepted Answer

Between the toes. Wash, rinse, and dry thoroughly between the toes, then massage warmed lotion over the rest of the foot - trapped moisture between the toes leads to skin breakdown and fungal infection.

Question 19

What is a nurse aide allowed to do during nail care?

Accepted Answer

Soak the nails, clean underneath them with an orange stick, gently push cuticles back, and file each nail. Nurse aides do not cut or clip nails - that is a licensed nurse's task, especially for residents with diabetes.

Question 20

What does RACE stand for during a facility fire?

Accepted Answer

Rescue anyone in immediate danger, Alarm by pulling the alarm and alerting staff, Confine the fire by closing doors and windows, and Extinguish or Evacuate. Rescue comes first: people before property.

Question 21

Which single step appears in nearly every Arkansas skill task?

Accepted Answer

Placing the call light or signaling device within the resident's easy reach before you leave. It is scored on almost every task, and a resident who cannot summon help has been left unsafe.

Question 22

What do you do for a conscious adult whose airway is completely blocked?

Accepted Answer

Give abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the resident becomes unresponsive, then call for help. If the resident can still cough forcefully or speak, the airway is only partly blocked - encourage coughing and do not intervene.

Question 23

When is a side rail considered a restraint?

Accepted Answer

Whenever it is raised to keep a resident from getting out of bed rather than to help the resident reposition themselves. Restraints require a physician's order, must be the least restrictive option, and are never used for staff convenience or discipline.

Question 24

What should you do if a resident starts to fall while you are walking with them?

Accepted Answer

Ease them to the floor while protecting the head, then stay with them and call for the nurse. Never try to hold a falling resident upright - you will likely injure both of you.

Question 25

What are the two parts of the Arkansas nurse aide competency exam?

Accepted Answer

A multiple-choice knowledge exam and a manual skill test, both administered by D&SDT-Headmaster for Arkansas DHS. You must pass both parts before your name goes on the Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry (ARNAR).

Question 26

What is the format and passing score of the Arkansas knowledge exam?

Accepted Answer

75 multiple-choice questions in a maximum of 60 minutes on a computer, and you need 76% or better to pass. Audio and Spanish versions exist; on the audio version only the first 67 questions are read aloud.

Question 27

How is the Arkansas manual skill test scored?

Accepted Answer

You receive 3 or 4 tasks within a 30-minute limit and must earn at least 80% of the steps on every task while performing all bold key steps. Missing a single key step fails that task.

Question 28

How many attempts do you get on the Arkansas competency exam?

Accepted Answer

Three attempts, and they must all fall within one year of completing your training program. Failing three times, or letting the year lapse, means retraining in a DHS-approved 90-hour program before you can test again.

Question 29

How do you keep an Arkansas nurse aide certification active?

Accepted Answer

Renew in your TMU account every 24 months after working for pay as a nurse aide at least 8 consecutive hours during that period, verified by your employer. Going 24 consecutive months with no paid nursing-related work ends your eligibility until you re-pass both exam parts.

Question 30

What happens if an abuse or neglect finding against you is substantiated?

Accepted Answer

The finding is entered on the Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry along with neglect and misappropriation of resident property, and aides carrying a misconduct restriction are not eligible to renew. Any employer who checks the registry sees it.

Question 31

Who may you discuss a resident's condition with?

Accepted Answer

Only the care team members who need the information to do their jobs. Talking about residents with family, other residents, or in hallways and elevators breaks confidentiality and violates HIPAA.

Question 32

A resident refuses the bath you were assigned to give. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Honor the refusal and report it to the charge nurse - residents have the legal right to refuse any care or treatment. Giving care over a refusal is battery, no matter how necessary the care seems.

Question 33

How do you protect dignity and privacy during a personal care task?

Accepted Answer

Knock and wait before entering, introduce yourself, explain the procedure, close the door and curtain, and expose only the body part you are working on. Overexposure is scored against you on the Arkansas skill test.

Question 34

How do you support a joint during passive range-of-motion exercises?

Accepted Answer

Support above and below the joint - for hip and knee, one hand under the knee and one under the ankle. Move only to the point of free movement, never forcing past resistance, and ask at least once whether there is pain or discomfort.

Question 35

How many repetitions does the Arkansas skill test require for each range-of-motion movement?

Accepted Answer

At least three of each movement, such as three abductions and adductions of the hip and three flexions and extensions of the knee. Performing a movement once or twice loses the step.

Question 36

What is the goal of restorative care?

Accepted Answer

To maintain and rebuild the resident's independence, letting them do everything they can for themselves even when it takes longer. Doing tasks for a capable resident speeds the loss of function.

Question 37

How should you speak to a resident with a hearing impairment?

Accepted Answer

Face them at eye level in good light, lower the pitch of your voice, speak slowly and clearly, and cut background noise. Shouting distorts words; also check that the hearing aid is switched on with a working battery.

Question 38

What do you report to the charge nurse, and when?

Accepted Answer

Any change in a resident's condition - new pain, confusion, refusal of food, skin changes, a fall - reported immediately and in objective terms. Nurse aides observe and report; they never diagnose or explain the cause.

Question 39

How do you communicate with a resident who has aphasia after a stroke?

Accepted Answer

Ask yes-or-no questions, give the resident time to answer without finishing sentences for them, and offer picture boards, gestures, or writing. Watch nonverbal cues such as grimacing, which may be the only report of pain you get.

Question 40

What are the warning signs of a stroke (CVA)?

Accepted Answer

Sudden facial droop, arm weakness, slurred or garbled speech, and new confusion - remember FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, Time. Note the time symptoms started and get the nurse immediately, because treatment is time-critical.

Question 41

What are the signs of low blood sugar in a resident with diabetes?

Accepted Answer

Shakiness, sweating, pale skin, hunger, rapid pulse, irritability, and sudden confusion. Report it at once - untreated hypoglycemia drops a resident into unconsciousness far faster than high blood sugar does.

Question 42

What is the earliest sign of a pressure ulcer?

Accepted Answer

Redness over a bony prominence that does not turn white when pressed, often feeling warm or firm. Report it immediately and reposition the resident at least every 2 hours before the skin breaks open.

Question 43

How do you measure urinary output accurately?

Accepted Answer

Pour into the graduate, set it on a level flat surface, and read it at eye level. On the Arkansas skill test your recorded output must be within 25 mL of the RN Test Observer's reading.

Question 44

How is meal intake recorded on the Arkansas feeding task?

Accepted Answer

Solid food is recorded as a percentage of the total eaten and must fall within 25 percentage points of the observer's figure. Fluid intake is recorded in mL and must fall within 60 mL of the observer's total.

Question 45

What is the difference between objective and subjective data?

Accepted Answer

Objective data is what you see, hear, or measure, such as a pulse of 92 or a reddened heel. Subjective data is what the resident tells you, such as 'my hip hurts.' Report both, quoting the resident, and add no conclusions of your own.

Question 46

What is sundowning?

Accepted Answer

Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation that appears in the late afternoon and evening in residents with dementia. Keep the routine predictable, turn lights on before dusk, and reduce noise and clutter rather than arguing with the resident.

Question 47

How does depression differ from dementia in an older resident?

Accepted Answer

Depression usually develops over weeks with a sad mood and loss of interest, and it responds to treatment; dementia develops gradually with lasting memory and judgment loss. Report withdrawal, appetite loss, or any statement about wanting to die immediately.

Question 48

How do you support a resident who is grieving or approaching death?

Accepted Answer

Listen without arguing, allow denial, anger, or silence, and let the resident set the pace and the topics. Offer presence, touch if it is welcomed, and privacy for family and clergy; avoid saying 'everything will be fine.'

Question 49

A resident with dementia becomes combative as you approach for care. What is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Stop, stay calm, and step back, then approach from the front, use simple one-step directions, and redirect to another activity before trying again. Arguing or reasoning escalates agitation; look for the trigger, such as pain, noise, or fear.

Question 50

How do you help a resident who is blind or has low vision at mealtime?

Accepted Answer

Describe the plate by clock positions - chicken at 6 o'clock, green beans at 9 o'clock - and name what is in each dish. Announce yourself when you enter and leave, and never move furniture or belongings without telling the resident.

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