1.3 Registry, Renewal, and the 120-Day Rule

Registry Status Is the Proof

In Maryland, passing the exam is not the final administrative step. MBON maintains the CNA certification database and the GNA registry, and facilities are expected to use online verification as the primary proof of status. A candidate may hold a passing notice, a pending renewal, or an employer promise, but the operative question for work is whether the status can be verified on the MBON lookup.

MBON keeps the CNA database and GNA registry combined; GNA certification appears through online verification, and the Board — not Credentia — processes GNA certification and renewals. Credentia posts results and forwards passing names, but it does not replace the Board registry.

Registry and Renewal Rules

Worked example — expiration date. A GNA born in March 1998 (odd year). Their certification expires on March 28 of an odd year (for example, 2027), not March 31, and not in an even year. If a question offers "March 31" or "December 31," both are wrong; the 28th-of-birth-month rule controls.

The 120-Day Rule

Maryland's 120-day rule applies in long-term care. An individual may work performing nursing assistant duties in a long-term care facility for a period not exceeding 120 days, with the clock starting on the first day of employment as a nursing assistant. Critically, those 120 days include the time to complete CNA/GNA training, obtain certification, take the examination, and receive results — it is the entire route, not just a post-training scheduling grace period.

Worked example — counting the window. A facility hires an aide on June 10. Day 1 is June 10, and day 120 falls about October 8. MBON also says the CNA should be scheduled for the GNA examination as soon as possible. Waiting until late in the window is risky: a testing delay or a failed part can consume the days that remain, and the facility cannot keep the aide in the GNA role past the limit without meeting the safeguards below.

If a Candidate Fails During the 120-Day Window

A facility may retain a CNA in the GNA role after a failed NNAAP attempt only if specific safeguards are met. The candidate must be immediately registered for the next available examination, must practice under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse, must not be the only nursing assistant on the unit, and must receive assessment, remediation, precepting, and skill-improvement support from the facility's RN staff development coordinator.

For repeated failure, official Maryland sources are explicit: a candidate who fails all or any portion of the GNA examination four times within a 24-month period (measured from training-program completion) must retake the entire 100-hour training program. The same retraining consequence applies if the candidate does not become certified as a GNA within that 24-month period, regardless of the number of attempts. Where a local prep summary gives a different attempt count, the official Maryland rule controls.

Renewal Work Requirements

GNA renewal requires employer verification of at least 8 hours of GNA work in a comprehensive care facility during the two years immediately before renewal. The general nursing-assistant active-practice instruction also references 16 hours of qualifying work in the preceding two years. Treat renewal as proof of recent, qualifying work — keep employer documentation organized before the 90-day renewal window opens.

Exam Scenario Pattern

When a question gives an expiration date, choose the 28th of the birth month (matching odd/even year), not the month's end. When a facility hires a new long-term-care aide, count 120 days from the first employment day. When asked where to verify active status, choose MBON online lookup. When asked how soon to schedule after training, choose the option that tests promptly rather than waiting.

Reinstatement of a Lapsed Certification

If you miss the 30-day post-expiration grace window, the certification is expired, and you cannot legally work as a CNA/GNA until it is reinstated. Maryland distinguishes how long it has been lapsed: a recently expired holder may reinstate through the renewal process plus any required active-practice hours, while a holder who has been expired for an extended period may be directed to retest or re-train. The practical lesson for both exam and career is the same — renew inside the window. Mark the 90-day open date on a calendar, gather your employer verification of work hours early, and submit before the 28th of your birth month.

Putting the Timeline Together

Common trap. Candidates assume the 120-day window is a deadline only for testing. It is not — it bounds the entire route from the first paid shift through receiving results, so a facility that delays scheduling can run out of compliant days even if the aide has not yet failed anything. Likewise, do not confuse the 8-hour GNA work-verification requirement with the broader 16-hour active-practice reference, or the $40 CNA fee with the no-charge GNA renewal. The exam loves to swap these numbers between distractors, so lock each figure to its specific rule rather than memorizing a single "renewal number."