5.3 Michigan LARA & Headmaster Testing Rules

5.3 Michigan LARA & Headmaster Testing Rules

Michigan LARA Regulatory Framework & Nurse Aide Registry

In Michigan, nurse aides are regulated by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS). LARA oversees approved training programs, the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry (MINAR / MI-NATES), renewals, and compliance with federal OBRA nurse aide requirements.

To be listed on the registry, candidates must complete a LARA-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and pass both parts of the state competency evaluation administered by LARA's contracted vendor, D&S Diversified Technologies LLP / Headmaster (D&SDT-Headmaster) through TestMaster Universe (TMU©) at mi.tmutest.com. Michigan does not use Prometric for current nurse aide testing.

State Training Requirements (Minimum 75 Hours)

Michigan programs must provide at least 75 instructional hours, meeting the federal OBRA floor. Typical structure includes classroom/lab instruction plus supervised clinical experience in a licensed long-term care setting. Candidates generally complete required classroom hours before direct resident contact, per program and federal rules. Confirm your program's exact hour split with your instructor—LARA approves each NATCEP individually.

Registry Renewal (Administrative Rule R 400.315)

Once certified, renew every 24 months through MI-NATES. Renewal attestation requires:

If certification is lapsed more than two years, LARA requires retaking an approved training program and the competency exam. Address/name changes must be reported to BCHS within 30 days (R 400.320).

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Headmaster Examination Structure & Scoring

Michigan contracts with Headmaster to administer the competency evaluation. Authoritative logistics come from the Michigan Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook (effective January 1, 2025):

Testing fee (Handbook price table): $175.00 for the initial Knowledge + Skill Test package; $175.00 again for each Knowledge retake or Skill retake (2nd/3rd attempts).

Remote proctoring is available for the knowledge exam only when candidate technology requirements are met; the skill test is performed in person with an RN Test Observer.

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Knowledge Exam Content (LARA-Approved Test Plan)

The Knowledge Test draws 65 items from twelve official subject areas:

Total = 65. An audio version may be selected in TMU© before testing. Foreign-language translators and electronic dictionaries are not allowed.

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Skills Examination Details

• First task: Always one of the mandatory tasks that embed soap-and-water hand washing (bedpan with output; female catheter care on manikin; PPE + empty urinary drainage bag with output; or female perineal care on manikin).
• Additional tasks: TMU© randomly assigns two or three more skills from the published Michigan skill list so each candidate's test is comparable in difficulty.
• Scoring: You must demonstrate every key step (bold) and score 80% or better on remaining steps for each assigned task. Missing a key step fails that task.
• Retest rule: One failed task returns on the next skill attempt as a mandatory first task.

Practice the published skill steps from the Candidate Handbook / Michigan Mock Skills (effective January 1, 2025)—do not memorize Prometric checklists from other states.

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Clinical Scenario: Exam-Day Logistics

Scenario: Candidate Priya finishes a LARA-approved program in Lansing and schedules through TMU©. She incorrectly studied using an outdated guide that said "65 questions at 75%" and "five skills."

Correct plan: Priya uses the Headmaster handbook: 65 questions / 60 minutes / ≥74%, pays $175, and rehearses one mandatory first skill plus 2–3 random skills within 30 minutes, ensuring every bold key step is performed. She also calendars MI-NATES renewal with 40 paid work hours and (for expirations on/after March 23, 2026) 24 CE hours including abuse, neglect, and care planning.