1.2 Arkansas DHS/OLTC Training & Registry Rules
Key Takeaways
- The current Arkansas standard training route requires at least 91 hours: 75 clock hours plus 16 supervised practical hours.
- Candidates must pass both exam components within three attempts each and within one year after training completion.
- ARNAR eligibility renews every 24 months through TMU.
- Renewal requires at least 8 consecutive hours of paid nurse-aide nursing or nursing-related work in the preceding 24 months.
- If work-based eligibility lapses, the current handbook requires passing both competency-exam components to restore it.
1.2 Arkansas DHS/OLTC Training & Registry Rules
Arkansas DHS oversees the nurse aide program, while D&S Headmaster operates testing and the Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry (ARNAR) through TMU. For exam preparation, keep three separate timelines straight: training eligibility, the one-year testing window, and the 24-month registry-renewal cycle.
Current Arkansas Training Minimum
Arkansas rule 20 CAR § 403-203 requires a minimum of 91 total hours on the standard training route:
| Requirement | Current minimum |
|---|---|
| Clock-hour training | At least 75 hours |
| Supervised practical training | At least 16 hours |
| Total | 91 hours |
The rule also requires at least 16 hours of initial classroom instruction in Part I before a trainee may be used in a facility staffing pattern. The supervised practical training must occur at an eligible clinical site under the instructor's direct supervision; another nursing assistant may not serve as the clinical supervisor.
Do not use the obsolete 90-hour / 74+16 summary. The current rule expressly states 75 clock hours plus 16 supervised practical hours, for 91 total hours.
Testing Eligibility Window
After an approved program enters the training record in TMU, the candidate can schedule the Headmaster competency exam.
- Both knowledge and skill components must be passed.
- A candidate has three attempts per component.
- Testing must be completed within one year after training completion.
- Exceeding either limit requires another approved training program before further testing.
These testing limits are separate from registry renewal after certification.
ARNAR Maintenance and Renewal
Candidates and nurse aides manage registry information through ar.tmutest.com. Keep the TMU email, phone number, address, and legal name current because Headmaster sends renewal notices electronically. A legal-name correction requires supporting documentation through the TMU application process.
Registry eligibility must be renewed every 24 months. To renew, the nurse aide must have worked for pay as a nurse aide performing nursing or nursing-related services for at least 8 consecutive hours during the preceding 24 months. The aide records the work in TMU and the employer verifies it.
If the work requirement is not met and employment eligibility lapses, the current handbook says the aide must successfully pass both Arkansas competency-exam components to reestablish eligibility; contact Headmaster for authorization.
Exam-Focused Distinctions
| Rule | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Training minimum | 91 total hours |
| Test completion | 3 attempts each, within 1 year |
| Registry renewal | Every 24 months |
| Work proof | 8 consecutive paid nurse-aide hours |
| Lapsed work eligibility | Pass both exam components again |
Use the Arkansas rule and current Headmaster handbook for these numbers rather than older program summaries.
What is the current minimum training requirement on Arkansas's standard nurse-aide training route?
What paid-work record is required for an Arkansas nurse aide to renew registry eligibility?
What does the current handbook require if an aide's Arkansas registry employment eligibility lapses because the 24-month work requirement was not met?