Exam-Day Plan, Retakes, and Remediation
Key Takeaways
- Arrive about 30 minutes early with your Prometric admission letter and two forms of ID (including government photo ID matching your registered name).
- Wear scrubs/uniform and closed-toe nonskid shoes; bring a watch with a second hand; leave phones, notes, and unauthorized electronics out of the testing area.
- Delaware commonly allows up to three attempts within 24 months of training completion; CIB retake fees include Written $40 and Skills $75—confirm current CIB figures before paying.
- If all three attempts are exhausted without passing, retrain per Delaware rules before testing again; after pass, your name goes on the Delaware Nurse Aide Registry (maintain with required work hours and CE, including the 64-hour paid work expectation in each 24-month renewal window).
- Use a 7-day final review mapped to Domains I–V weights; if you fail, use item feedback online and skills dry-run remediation before the next attempt.
Exam-Day Plan, Retakes, and Remediation
Quick Answer: Arrive ~30 minutes early with admission letter + two IDs. Wear scrubs/uniform and closed-toe nonskid shoes; bring a second-hand watch. Know what not to bring. Use smart computer tips on the written test. Delaware typically allows 3 attempts within 24 months of training; retake fees in the CIB include Written $40 and Skills $75. Fail all three → retrain. After pass → registry listing. If you fail → use online item feedback and skills dry-run remediation. Run a 7-day final review mapped to Domains I–V weights.
Content knowledge gets you to the door. Logistics and a calm plan get you seated and scored. Many non-passes start in the parking lot—wrong ID, late arrival, or prohibited items—not in Domain IV.
Arrival and Admission
Arrive 30 minutes early
Plan traffic, parking, and building security so you are at check-in about 30 minutes early. Early arrival absorbs delays and lowers cortisol before skills. Late candidates risk forfeiting the seat or starting flustered.
Admission letter and two IDs
Bring:
- Your Prometric admission letter / authorization correspondence (printed or as the site accepts).
- Two forms of identification, including one government-issued photo ID.
- Names on IDs must match the name on your application and admission letter. Resolve legal name changes before exam day.
Without matching ID, you can be turned away after months of study. Photocopies of IDs are typically not accepted as substitutes for originals—follow CIB rules.
Attire and Tools
| Bring / wear | Why |
|---|---|
| Scrubs or clean uniform | Professional clinical appearance; freedom to move for skills |
| Closed-toe, nonskid shoes | Transfer and ambulation safety; site requirement |
| Watch with a second hand | Pulse, respirations, and timed skill elements |
| Hair secured; minimal jewelry | Infection control and safety during care skills |
What not to bring (typical rules)
Leave in the car or locker as instructed:
- Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers used as devices
- Study notes, textbooks, flashcards
- Bags not allowed in the secure area
- Translators, dictionaries, or language aids (English only)
- Weapons or prohibited items under site policy
Do not plan to use a phone as a second-hand timer. Personal electronics are generally banned in the testing room.
Written Test: Computer Tips
Delaware’s knowledge exam is 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes (about 1.5 minutes each), computer-based (oral option only if selected on the application).
Computer strategy:
- Read the stem fully before looking at options—many traps live in “first,” “best,” or “immediately.”
- Eliminate two wrong answers quickly; decide between the remaining pair using safety, infection control, dignity, and CNA scope.
- Flag and move on if stuck; return with leftover time.
- Watch absolute words (“always,” “never”) and out-of-scope actions (diagnose, medicate, change sterile orders).
- Do not second-guess every answer in the last two minutes—change only when you find a clear misread.
English only: no translators. If reading under time pressure is a barrier, the oral knowledge format must have been selected on the application in advance.
Attempt Limits, Fees, and Retakes
Official Prometric Delaware CIB figures used throughout this study guide (confirm on the current CIB before payment):
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Written + Skills (combined first-time style registration) | $115 |
| Skills retake | $75 |
| Written retake | $40 |
| Reschedule (≥5 business days in advance) | $25 |
Three attempts within 24 months
Candidates generally have up to three attempts to pass within 24 months of training completion. Track your training end date as carefully as your exam date. Burning an unprepared attempt wastes money and narrows your window.
- Pass written, fail skills → pay Skills $75 and retake skills only (while still eligible).
- Pass skills, fail written → pay Written $40 and retake written only.
- Fail both → plan remediation for both before re-sitting.
If you fail all three attempts
If you exhaust attempts without passing, Delaware requires you to retrain (complete an approved program path again per current DHCQ/Prometric rules) before further testing. Do not assume a fourth paid attempt is available without retraining—read the current CIB and registry instructions.
After You Pass: Registry Listing
Passing both portions leads to listing on the Delaware Nurse Aide Registry (Prometric registry systems and DHCQ/Office of Long Term Care Residents Protection processes). You are employable as a DE CNA when registry status is active—not merely when you walk out of the test site with a verbal pass.
Maintain certification with renewal requirements taught earlier in this guide: paid nursing-related work under licensed supervision (Delaware’s ≥64 hours in each 24-month window is the work-hour expectation candidates must plan for) plus required continuing education hours. Keep proof of work and CE; update name/address with the registry promptly.
If You Fail: Feedback and Skills Dry-Run Remediation
Written fail
Use item feedback available through your Prometric/candidate online tools when provided. Map weak areas to blueprint domains:
| Domain | Weight | Focus if weak |
|---|---|---|
| I. Role of the Nurse Aide | 18% | Scope, rights, abuse reporting, teamwork, documentation |
| II. Promotion of Safety | 18% | Falls, infection control, PPE, emergencies, restraints alternatives |
| III. Promotion of Function and Health | 24% | ADLs, nutrition, elimination, mobility, restorative |
| IV. Basic Nursing Care | 26% | Vitals, observation, acute situations |
| V. Specialized Care | 14% | Sensory loss, chronic illness, dementia, end-of-life |
Drill 30–40 practice questions daily on weak domains only until rationales feel predictable, then mix full 60-question timed sets.
Skills fail
Request or review any skill-level feedback the program/site provides. Then run dry-run remediation:
- List every failed checkpoint (privacy, locks, recording, contamination, weak side, ROM force, etc.).
- Practice the failed skill plus handwashing daily for five days.
- Partner scores with a printed official checklist—no coaching mid-skill.
- Full timed five-skill simulation (handwashing + Indirect Care habits + three random skills) twice before rebooking.
- Rebook only when two clean simulations occur in a row.
7-Day Final Review Plan (Domain I–V Weights)
The last week consolidates; it does not introduce brand-new theory.
| Day | Focus (weight-aware) | Skills drill |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Domain I Role (18%): scope, rights, abuse, HIPAA, chain of command | Handwashing ×3 + open/close routine |
| 6 | Domain II Safety (18%): falls, infection, PPE, fire RACE/PASS | Gait belt ambulation or pivot transfer |
| 5 | Domain III Function/Health (24%): ADLs, feeding, elimination, mobility | Peri care or bedpan + privacy checkpoints |
| 4 | Domain IV Basic Nursing (26%): vitals ranges, observation, emergencies | Radial pulse + respirations with recording |
| 3 | Domain V Specialized (14%): dementia, sensory, end-of-life, chronic care | Passive ROM (stop at pain) |
| 2 | Full timed 60-question written practice + review all misses | Full 5-skill simulation with partner |
| 1 | Light review of weak notes only; pack IDs; confirm route; sleep | Handwashing only; no new skills |
Daily minimum this week
- 30–40 practice questions with rationale review.
- Handwashing plus one rotating skill against checkpoints.
- One page of weak-domain notes rewritten from memory.
- Sleep—fatigue deletes call light and privacy steps.
Day-before checklist
- Admission letter and two IDs laid out.
- Scrubs, nonskid shoes, second-hand watch.
- Site address and parking plan; leave early.
- Normal meal; no all-night cram.
- Positive script: “Open routine, checkpoints, announce corrections, close safe.”
Exam day is the performance of habits you already own. Logistics protect those habits; retake rules define your runway; registry listing is the finish line after both portions pass.
What should a Delaware CNA candidate bring for Clinical Skills timing and measurement skills?
According to Delaware CIB fee figures used in this guide, what is the skills retake fee?
How many attempts does Delaware commonly allow within 24 months of training completion?
In a weight-aware 7-day final review for the Delaware written exam, which domain should receive the largest share of question practice?
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