Exam Format: Written and Clinical Skills

Exam Format: Written and Clinical Skills

Quick Answer: Delaware’s CNA exam has two parts: a 60-question, 90-minute computer-based written test (oral option if selected on the application) and a Clinical Skills evaluation of five skills—three assigned skills plus Handwashing and Indirect Care—in roughly 31–40 minutes. First-time testers usually schedule both. CIB fees include $115 for Written+Skills, $75 skills retake, $40 written retake, and $25 reschedule (≥5 business days). Bring admission letter + two IDs, closed-toe nonskid shoes, and a second-hand watch. English only.

Delaware uses Prometric’s Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation. Passing both the knowledge exam and the skills demonstration is required for candidates who must test (most Routes 1–5 situations). Treating skills day as “easy if you were good in clinical” is a common reason strong students fail on first attempt—evaluation rules matter as much as muscle memory.

Written Examination

How to use the 90 minutes

Sixty questions in 90 minutes is about 1.5 minutes per item. Many candidates finish early; use leftover time to review flagged questions. Watch for absolute words (“always,” “never”), priority frames (airway, safety, infection, dignity), and scope-of-practice traps that ask a CNA to diagnose, prescribe, or alter orders.

Oral format notes

The oral format is for candidates who need the knowledge test delivered that way as selected on application. It is still a content exam of the same blueprint domains—not a different, easier outline. If reading English under time pressure is a barrier, discuss the oral option with your training program before you submit the application.

Clinical Skills Evaluation

You are scored on five skills:

1. Handwashing (required / always evaluated component of the skills set)
2. Indirect Care (safety, rights, infection control, communication, and related behaviors scored across the demonstration) 3–5. Three computer-assigned skills drawn from the official Delaware skills list

Time allowed is typically 31–40 minutes, depending on which skills are assigned. Do not invent your own timing; follow the NAE’s instructions and the clock rules for your form.

Pass standard for skills

• You must pass all five scored skills.
• Critical steps (for example, infection control, safety, privacy, and measurement accuracy on measurement skills) can fail a skill even if other steps look polished.
• You may correct a step during a skill if you announce the correction to the Nurse Aide Evaluator (NAE) before that skill is finished.
• You may not return to a skill after it is completed and you have moved on.

That last pair of rules is exam-day gold. If you realize mid-skill that you skipped privacy, hand hygiene, or a measurement, stop, tell the NAE you are correcting, and fix it now. Silent “I’ll fix it later” does not count, and reopening a finished skill is not allowed.

What “Indirect Care” really means

Indirect Care is not a separate random chore. It captures behaviors such as:

• Knocking, introducing yourself, and explaining procedures
• Providing privacy (curtains, draping, closing doors as appropriate)
• Using infection control (hand hygiene, clean technique, glove use when indicated)
• Promoting safety (bed height, locks, call light, nonskid footwear, proper body mechanics)
• Speaking respectfully and offering choices when the skill allows

Candidates sometimes perform a textbook bedpan skill and still fail because they never locked the bed, left the call light out of reach, or exposed the resident unnecessarily. Practice every skill with Indirect Care behaviors built in, not bolted on at the end.

Handwashing

Handwashing is evaluated to a strict sequence. Practice until the order is automatic: wet, soap, friction on all surfaces including nails and between fingers, time/friction standard your program teaches from the CIB checklist, rinse, dry, and faucet control without recontamination. If handwashing is performed poorly, it can sink the skills attempt even when the three assigned care skills feel easy.

Fees (Official CIB Figures)

Use these Prometric Delaware CIB fee figures when budgeting (confirm on the current CIB before payment—fees can be updated):

First-time testers typically register for both written and skills. If you fail one part, you retest only the failed part under retake rules and attempt limits in the CIB (commonly framed with a limited number of attempts within a training-completion window—verify the current attempt policy before you schedule).

Late reschedules or no-shows can forfeit fees. Put exam dates on a calendar with a 5+ business day buffer if your work schedule is unstable.

What to Bring and Wear

Identification and admission

Bring:

• Your admission letter / authorization correspondence from Prometric
• Two forms of ID, including one government-issued photo ID
• Names on IDs must match the name on your application/admission letter (plan legal name updates early)

Without proper ID matching, you can be turned away even if you studied for weeks.

Attire and tools for skills

• Closed-toe, nonskid shoes (clinical footwear—not open sandals)
• Clothing that allows safe movement and professional appearance per site rules
• A watch with a second hand (or equivalent second display acceptable under CIB rules) for pulse, respirations, and timed skills

Do not rely on a phone as your second-hand timer; personal electronic devices are typically prohibited in the testing area.

English-only rule

The evaluation is administered in English only. No translators and no dictionaries. If language access is a concern, discuss training support and the oral written-exam option early—skills demonstration still requires understanding English instructions from the NAE and communicating appropriately with the resident actor.

Exam-Day Flow (Mental Model)

1. Arrive early with IDs and admission letter.
2. Complete check-in; store prohibited items as instructed.
3. Sit the written portion (or oral, if selected) within 90 minutes for 60 items.
4. For skills, listen to NAE instructions; you will perform Handwashing, demonstrate Indirect Care behaviors, and complete three assigned skills within the allotted 31–40 minutes.
5. During a skill, correct mistakes only by announcing corrections to the NAE before finishing that skill.
6. After each skill is done, mentally close it—no going back.

Strategy Differences: Written vs Skills

Written rewards blueprint knowledge: role and rights, safety, function and health promotion, basic nursing care, and specialized care (weights appear in the blueprint section of this chapter). Use practice questions that force you to choose the safest and most in-scope CNA action.

Skills reward checklist discipline under observation. Train with a partner calling out missed steps. Video yourself doing handwashing and one measurement skill (pulse/respirations or I&O) weekly until your sequence is boringly consistent.

Failure and Retake Mindset

Failing one part does not erase the other if your eligibility window still allows a partial retake—confirm current CIB attempt rules. Use the score report or feedback to target weak domains or specific skills. Pay the correct retake fee ($40 written or $75 skills per CIB table) and reschedule with the $25 / 5 business day discipline so you do not burn money on avoidable changes.

Checklist Before You Leave Home

• Admission letter printed or accessible per site rules
• Two IDs, names matching application
• Closed-toe nonskid shoes
• Watch with second hand
• Know oral vs standard written selection if applicable
• Review handwashing + Indirect Care + three high-yield skills you find hardest
• Plan travel time; arrive early; English-only expectations understood

Mastering format logistics is part of Delaware CNA competence. The CIB is your rulebook; this section is your study map of that rulebook.