1.1 The Kentucky SRNA Exam: Format, Scoring & Registry

The Kentucky SRNA Exam: What Makes It Different

Kentucky does not officially call its nursing assistants "CNAs." The legal title is State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA), and that is the wording used on the Kentucky Nurse Aide Registry (KNAR), on your competency-exam paperwork, and throughout state regulation. In everyday speech people still say "Kentucky CNA," and the content you study is identical to any CNA exam — but on paper you become an SRNA. This vocabulary point is one of the most frequently tested Kentucky-specific facts, so lock it in first.

Kentucky is also structurally unusual. Most states hire a national vendor — Prometric, Credentia (Pearson VUE), or Headmaster/D&S Diversified — to build and deliver the exam. Kentucky uses none of them. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) is the state's sole provider of nurse aide training and testing, and it administers the competency exam at KCTCS campuses across the commonwealth. After you pass, the Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN) adds you to the registry — usually about 30 days later. Expect at least one question asking "who administers the exam?" The answer is KCTCS, not Prometric.

Three agencies, three jobs

Kentucky splits oversight across three bodies, and confusing them is a classic trap.

A quick memory hook: KCTCS tests, KBN lists, CHFS inspects.

Training you must finish first

You cannot test until you complete a Kentucky-approved program. Kentucky requires a minimum of 75 clock hours — typically 59 classroom hours plus 16 supervised clinical hours in a nursing facility — which meets the federal OBRA 1987 floor of 75 hours with at least 16 clinical. A block of preclinical skills training must be finished before you touch a resident. You must be at least 16 years old, and a criminal background check is required for registry listing. If a facility hires you before you finish, Kentucky's "employed aide" rule lets you work up to four months while you complete certification.

The written exam: format and scoring

The written portion is a multiple-choice test of 75 to 100 questions (Kentucky's standard KCTCS form is 75), and you have 2 hours to finish. The passing standard is approximately 70%. An oral/audio version is available for candidates who need it, so reading speed alone should not sink you. Every item has four options and one best answer, and a wrong answer simply counts as zero — so never leave a question blank.

The written content blueprint

KCTCS groups the exam into three broad areas. Commit these weights to memory:

On a 75-item form, KCTCS distributes questions roughly as: Basic Nursing 10, Client Rights 9, Role of the Nurse Aide 9, Disease Process 9, Safety 7, Communication 6, Infection Control 6, and Care of the Cognitively Impaired 5, with the rest spread across personal care, restorative, and mental-health items. The takeaway: physical care dominates, but the Role domain (rights, reporting, scope) is unusually heavy for a "soft" topic — do not neglect it.

The skills demonstration

After the written test you perform a hands-on skills evaluation. An evaluator randomly selects 5 skills from a checklist of about 34, and you have roughly 30 minutes to complete them. You must pass 4 of the 5. Scoring works on two levels: you need about 70% of the checkpoints on each skill, but every "critical" step must be done correctly (100%). Handwashing/hand hygiene is a critical component woven into essentially every skill, so a single missed handwash can fail an otherwise perfect performance.

Retakes, fees, and renewal

You get 3 attempts to pass both parts within one year of completing training (or within a 4-month initial employment period if hired by a facility) (usually your training graduation date). Fail all three and you must complete another approved training program before retesting. The combined fee is $115 ($40 written-only, $75 skills-only if you must repeat just one part). Once listed, renewal is simple: prove 8 paid hours of SRNA work per 24-month cycle — via pay stub, prior-year W-2, or a notarized employer letter — through the KBN Nurse Portal. Kentucky requires no continuing-education hours, which surprises aides transferring from other states.

Exam-day logistics and reciprocity

Bring two documents on test day: a valid photo ID and your original, non-laminated Social Security card. KCTCS can turn you away without them, forfeiting your fee and an attempt. Your school submits a testing roster on your behalf, so confirm your name is on it before you arrive. Because Kentucky offers an oral/audio option, request it in advance if reading or English literacy is a barrier — it is a legitimate accommodation, not a lesser exam.

If you are already certified elsewhere, Kentucky offers reciprocity rather than retesting. With an active, good-standing status on another state's registry and no findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation, you apply directly to the KBN for the Kentucky registry. Kentucky charges no fee for CNA reciprocity, and you generally do not retest.

How Kentucky differs from other states — a recap

Four points make Kentucky distinctive on exam questions:

• Title: aides are SRNAs, not "CNAs," on all official records.
• Testing vendor: KCTCS delivers the exam — never Prometric, Credentia, or Headmaster.
• Renewal: 8 paid hours per 24 months, with no CE hours required.
• Registry: the KBN lists you (verify online), while CHFS regulates training and inspects facilities.