1.2 Illinois Training Program Requirements (BNATP)
Key Takeaways
Illinois BNATPs require a minimum of 120 hours, exceeding the 75-hour federal OBRA floor
The 120 hours are 80 hours of classroom/theory-and-lab plus 40 hours of supervised clinical, per Illinois Administrative Code Title 77 Part 395
Within the 80 classroom hours, at least 62 are theory and 18 are laboratory; at least 12 theory hours must cover Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
16 hours of basic instruction must be completed before any direct resident contact
The program must span a minimum of four weeks and cannot exceed 120 days (except term/semester schedules at colleges)
You have 12 months after program completion and 3 attempts to pass the INACE before retraining is required
The BNATP Gateway
Before you can register for the INACE you must complete an IDPH-approved Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program (BNATP). Illinois rules are set in Illinois Administrative Code Title 77, Part 395 (Long-Term Care Assistants and Aides Training Programs) and they exceed the federal OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987) floor of 75 hours.
Required Hours
| Component | Minimum Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total program | 120 hours | The Illinois minimum |
| Classroom instruction | 80 hours | Theory + skills lab combined |
| -- Theory portion | 62 hours | Lecture/discussion |
| -- Laboratory portion | 18 hours | Practice on mannequins/peers |
| Supervised clinical | 40 hours | Direct resident care in a facility |
| Alzheimer's/dementia | 12 hours (within theory) | Mandated dementia content |
| Pre-contact instruction | 16 hours | Before ANY resident contact |
The widely quoted '60 classroom + 20 lab + 40 clinical' shorthand is an approximation; the Administrative Code states 80 classroom + 40 clinical, with the classroom block itself split into 62 theory and 18 lab.
These hour minimums are floors, not ceilings - a community-college BNATP that runs over a full semester may log well above 120 hours, but it can never dip below the 120-hour total or shortchange the 40 supervised clinical hours. Clinical time must be supervised by a qualified instructor at an approved facility, not unstructured shadowing, and it cannot begin until the pre-contact instruction is complete.
Timeline Rules
Illinois constrains how fast and how slowly a BNATP can run:
- Minimum span: the program content must be delivered over at least four weeks - it cannot be crammed into a single week.
- Maximum span: it cannot exceed 120 days, unless run by a community college or other institution on a term, semester, or trimester calendar.
- Pre-contact rule: the first 16 hours of basic instruction (communication, infection control, safety, residents' rights, body mechanics) must be finished before a student touches a resident in clinical.
- Post-training exam window: you have 12 months from your program completion date to pass the INACE.
- Attempts: you may take and fail the exam three times before you are required to retrain; all three attempts must fall inside the 12-month window.
Worked Example
Devon completes a 120-hour BNATP that ends April 1. His 12-month window runs to the following April 1. He fails the skills portion twice (attempts 1 and 2) and passes on attempt 3 in November - inside both the window and the three-attempt limit, so no retraining is needed. Had he failed a third time, he would have had to complete a new BNATP before testing again.
Common Traps
- Assuming the federal 75-hour number applies - Illinois is 120.
- Believing clinical hours can start on day one - 16 hours of instruction come first.
- Forgetting the 12-hour dementia requirement, which is heavily reflected in DA5 questions.
- Thinking the 12-month window starts on the exam date - it starts on the program completion date, so a slow first registration eats into your retake time.
Eligibility Basics
Beyond finishing a BNATP, candidates must generally be at least 16 years old, be able to read and write English at a functional level (or use the oral-exam accommodation), and clear the Health Care Worker Background Check. A disqualifying criminal conviction can bar registry placement even after a passing score, so resolve background-check questions with IDPH before investing in training and testing.
What the Curriculum Covers
A compliant BNATP teaches every content area mandated by OBRA and Part 395:
| Content Area | Representative Topics |
|---|---|
| Communication | Verbal/nonverbal skills, documentation, change-of-condition reporting |
| Infection control | Hand hygiene, PPE, standard and transmission-based precautions |
| Safety/emergency | Fall prevention, fire safety (RACE/PASS), choking, the Heimlich |
| Residents' rights | Privacy, dignity, self-determination, abuse and neglect prevention |
| Basic nursing skills | Vital signs, positioning, transfers, intake and output |
| Personal care | Bathing, grooming, oral care, dressing, feeding |
| Mental health | Dementia/Alzheimer's care (12+ hours), depression, behavior management |
| Restorative care | Range of motion, ambulation, mobility devices |
| Body mechanics | Lifting, gait belts, back-injury prevention |
| Death and dying | End-of-life care, grief, advance directives |
The 21 Mandated Performance Skills
Every BNATP must teach and check off all 21 skills - the same pool the INACE draws from:
- Handwashing
- Indirect care (preparing the environment, call light, privacy)
- Positioning in bed (turning, side-lying)
- Transfer (bed to wheelchair with gait belt)
- Ambulation with assistive device and gait belt
- Passive range of motion
- Feeding and hydration assistance
- Oral temperature measurement
- Blood pressure measurement
- Radial pulse and respirations
- Height and weight measurement
- Intake and output measurement
- Bed bath or partial bath
- Perineal care (female)
- Mouth care (conscious resident)
- Mouth care (unconscious resident)
- Denture care
- Dressing and undressing
- Hair care
- Fingernail care
- Catheter care / emptying a drainage bag
Approved Program Pathways
| Program Type | Setting | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|
| Community college | Campus + clinical site | 6-12 weeks |
| Vocational/private school | Training facility | 4-8 weeks (verify IDPH approval) |
| Long-term care facility | On-the-job + classroom | 4-16 weeks (often employer-paid) |
| Hospital-based | Hospital education dept. | 4-8 weeks |
| Red Cross / community | Community site | 6-10 weeks |
To confirm a program is approved, check the IDPH site (dph.illinois.gov) or the Health Care Worker Registry, and never enroll in a program that cannot show its IDPH approval number.
Under Illinois Administrative Code Part 395, how are the 120 BNATP hours allocated?
80 classroom (including lab) and 40 supervised clinical hours
75 classroom and 45 clinical, matching the federal OBRA floor
100 classroom and 20 clinical hours
40 classroom and 80 clinical hours
How many hours of dementia-related content must an Illinois BNATP include?
At least 12 hours on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
Exactly 4 hours combined with end-of-life care
No specific requirement; it is left to the instructor
At least 40 hours, all delivered in clinical
What must happen before a BNATP student has any direct contact with a resident?
They must pass the written INACE first
They must complete all 40 clinical hours
They must complete the full 120-hour program
They must complete 16 hours of basic instruction
How long after BNATP completion do you have to pass the INACE, and how many attempts are allowed?
24 months and unlimited attempts
6 months and 2 attempts
12 months and 5 attempts
12 months and 3 attempts
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.