1.4 The Skills Evaluation

Format of the Skills (Manual) Test

The skills test (the "manual" or practical test) is a separate, hands-on component scored by an RN Test Observer. The observer reads you a short scenario immediately before each task; you then perform the care on a live resident-actor or, for some intimate tasks, a manikin (female catheter care and female perineal care are done on a manikin).

• You are assigned 3 or 4 randomly selected MDH-approved tasks by the TMU assignment algorithm, balanced so every test is comparable in difficulty.
• You have a maximum of 30 minutes, with a 15-minute warning.
• You may request a scenario be repeated at any time until you run out of time or say you are finished.
• Once the timer starts, the observer cannot answer questions — bring no notes.
• All steps must be physically demonstrated. A step you only say out loud but do not perform will not count.

Because assignment is random, you must be ready to perform any task on the published list — you cannot study only a favorite few.

The Mandatory First Task and the Full Task List

Every skills test begins with one mandatory hand-washing-embedded task, drawn from these four:

1. Assisting a resident with a bedpan, then measure and record urine output, with hand washing
2. Catheter care for a female (on a manikin), with hand washing
3. Donning PPE (gown and gloves), emptying a urinary drainage bag, measure and record output, and removing PPE, with hand washing
4. Perineal care for a female (on a manikin), with hand washing

You then receive 2 or 3 more randomly selected tasks from the full MDH list, which includes:

• Hand washing (soap and water) as a standalone task
• Apply an anti-embolic stocking to one leg
• Assist to ambulate using a gait belt
• Transfer from bed to wheelchair using a gait belt
• Position a resident on one side in bed
• Range of motion for a shoulder; ROM for one knee and one ankle
• Count and record radial pulse and respirations (vital signs)
• Modified bed bath (face and one arm/hand/underarm)
• Mouth care (brushing teeth); denture care
• Dressing a resident with an affected (weak) side
• Feeding a dependent resident; foot care for one foot

Note the recurring theme: nearly every task opens and closes with hand hygiene (hand sanitizer rub, or soap-and-water on the embedded tasks), so handwashing technique is the single most-tested behavior of the day.

Key Steps, the 80% Rule, and Corrections

Each task is scored as a checklist of steps. Steps printed in bold are key steps — they protect resident safety, dignity, and infection control.

• You must perform every key (bold) step correctly AND score at least 80% on the non-key steps of each task. Missing a single key step fails that entire task, no matter how well the rest went. Common key steps: hand hygiene, providing privacy, locking wheelchair/bed brakes, accurate measurement, and the call light within reach.
• Order does not matter — except where a step explicitly contains BEFORE or AFTER (e.g., wash hands before providing care). Outside those, you can sequence naturally.
• Corrections are allowed anytime within your 30 minutes: tell the observer you want to correct a step, then re-demonstrate it before you declare yourself finished. Verbalizing the fix is not enough — you must physically do it.
• When done with a task, say you are finished and move to the relaxation area; the observer sets up the next scenario.

Test trap: candidates lose tasks by skipping the closing handwash or the call light, or by saying "I would lock the brakes" instead of actually locking them. Treat the manikin or actor as a real resident — knock, greet, explain, drape, and keep them safe and covered throughout.

The Indirect-Care Steps in Every Task

Minnesota's checklists embed the same indirect-care ("universal") steps in nearly every task, and these are where most points are won or lost. Memorize the opening and closing sequence until it is automatic:

Opening every task: perform hand hygiene; knock and greet the resident by name; introduce yourself; explain the procedure clearly and face-to-face; provide for privacy (curtain/door and draping); and gather your supplies.

Closing every task: position the resident comfortably and safely; lower the bed if it was raised; place the call light/signal device within reach; tidy the area; maintain courteous interaction throughout; and perform hand hygiene again. On tasks that produce a measurement — pulse and respirations, or urine output — you must also record and report the result on the provided Recording Form, and your number must fall within the allowed accuracy tolerance.

Because these universal steps repeat across all 3-4 of your tasks, drilling them once protects you on every assignment you could draw.