1.3 Attempts, Retakes, Fees, and 12-Month Rules

The Three-Attempts-in-12-Months Rule

The single most-misunderstood rule in Kansas CNA testing is the 12-month window. After completing an approved 90-hour course, a candidate has three attempts to pass the state test — and the clock runs from the course start date, not from the date of the first test.

That distinction trips up procrastinators. If you finish your course, wait several months to schedule your first test, fail it, and then wait again, you can run out of calendar time before you run out of attempts. Plan to test promptly after finishing the course so all three attempts fit comfortably inside the window.

Retaking Only the Part You Failed

Because the state test has two independent components, Kansas lets you keep a passed part while you retake the failed one. If you pass the written test but fail the skills evaluation, you generally re-test only the skills evaluation; if you pass skills but fail the written, you re-test only the written. You do not have to re-earn a component you already cleared, as long as you stay within your three attempts and the 12-month window.

This is a strategic advantage. It means you can concentrate your second attempt entirely on the weak area — for example, drilling the specific skills (handwashing, transfers, range-of-motion, vital signs) that cost you points the first time, rather than re-studying material you already mastered.

Common retake traps

• Letting the window lapse while you have attempts left — calendar time, not attempt count, ends the eligibility.
• Failing the same critical skill step twice (e.g., forgetting hand hygiene or resident identification) — review which critical elements caused the first failure.
• Assuming a passed component carries forever — it carries only within the same 12-month eligibility window.

Fees and Scheduling Costs

Kansas keeps the nurse aide test relatively inexpensive, which is consistent with its role as an entry-level credential.

The $20 application fee is nonrefundable, so do not pay it until you are confident in your test date. The $20 reschedule fee applies when you move a confirmed appointment — another reason the prompt-scheduling strategy saves money as well as time. Reciprocity applicants pay a comparable $20 with the Interstate Application.

Beyond these state fees, candidates typically pay separately for the training course itself, which varies widely by provider (community colleges, technical schools, and employer-sponsored programs). Some Kansas employers, especially long-term care facilities facing staffing shortages, reimburse or fully sponsor the course and test for new hires, so it is worth asking a prospective employer before paying out of pocket.

A Worked Timeline Example

Walking through a realistic timeline shows how the attempt and window rules interact. Suppose Maria starts an approved course on March 1:

• Her 12-month window closes the following March 1 — every attempt must fall inside that year.
• She finishes the course in mid-April and schedules her first test for early May. She passes the written but fails the skills evaluation (she missed hand hygiene before a transfer).
• For her second attempt in June, she retakes only the skills evaluation and passes. She is certified — using just two of her three attempts, well inside the window.

Now contrast with James, who finishes the same course but does not schedule until December, fails, reschedules for February, fails again, and finally tests in late March — after his 12-month window has closed. Even though he technically has an attempt left, the window has expired, so he must repeat approved training before testing again. The lesson is identical in both cases: schedule early and keep momentum, because calendar time is the binding constraint as often as attempt count.

Practical money-saving tips

• Do not prepay the $20 application fee until your date is locked — it is nonrefundable.
• Avoid the $20 reschedule fee by building in buffer time before you book.
• Ask employers about sponsorship. Many Kansas long-term care facilities cover the course and test, and some reimburse the fee after you complete your first months of employment.
• Retake only the failed component to avoid re-paying and re-preparing for a part you already passed within the window.

Why the window, not the count, usually bites

In practice, very few candidates fail three times — the more common failure mode is the one James hit: running out of calendar. The 12-month clock starts at the course start date and keeps ticking through every delay, holiday, and rescheduled appointment. A candidate who treats the certificate as urgent and books the test within a few weeks of finishing almost always has ample room for a retake if needed. A candidate who lets months drift by 'until life settles down' can forfeit eligibility with attempts still on the table.

Build your plan around the date your course began, mark the one-year deadline on a calendar, and schedule your first attempt as early as your authorization allows.