1.1 Current NC CNA Exam Facts

What the NC CNA Credential Actually Is

Quick Answer: To become a Nurse Aide I (NA I) in North Carolina you must finish a 75-hour state-approved training program, pass the Credentia NNAAP written/oral test (60 scored + 10 pretest items, 90 minutes, 70% to pass) and a 5-skill clinical evaluation (handwashing is always one), pay roughly $101 combined, and get listed on the NC Nurse Aide I Registry maintained by NC DHSR. The listing lasts 24 months and renews automatically only if you work at least 8 paid hours of nursing-related duties in that window.

North Carolina regulates two nurse-aide credentials. Nurse Aide I (NA I) is the entry-level certification that lets you provide basic personal-care and basic-nursing tasks in long-term care, hospitals, home care, and adult care homes. Nurse Aide II (NA II) is a separate, more advanced credential governed by the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) that requires additional training and its own competency evaluation — it is not what you earn by passing the standard CNA exam.

NA I listing is administered by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) Health Care Personnel Registry Section. Testing itself is delivered by Credentia, the current vendor for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP). Credentia took over from a chain of earlier vendors most candidates still remember by name — Pearson VUE, D&S Diversified Technologies, and Headmaster — so older textbooks and YouTube videos that reference those names are describing the same exam you will sit.

Eligibility and Training

• Age: at least 16 years old on test day.
• Training: completion of a 75-hour NA I program approved by NCBON / NC DHSR, including a minimum of 24 hours of supervised clinical practice in a long-term care setting.
• Background check: NC Criminal Record Check plus an SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) check is required before registry placement; certain convictions are disqualifying under DHSR rules.
• Test window: you must test within 24 months of finishing the approved program, with a maximum of three attempts at each portion before retraining is required.

Exam Logistics at a Glance

How the Written/Oral Section Is Built

The NNAAP written/oral test follows a published content outline. Of the 70 items you see, 60 count toward your score and 10 are unscored pretest items that Credentia mixes in to validate future questions — you cannot tell which is which, so treat every item as scored. You need 70% of the scored items correct (i.e., 42 of 60). The oral version plays an audio recording of each item while you read along in a booklet; it is designed for candidates who prefer to hear the questions, not as a translation into other languages.

How the Skills Evaluation Is Built

Credentia selects 5 skills at random from the published NC skills list for each candidate. Handwashing (Hand Hygiene) is the only skill that is always included — it counts as one of the five. Evaluators score every critical step (called a checkpoint) for each skill. Missing even one critical step on one skill — for example, failing to lock a wheelchair before a transfer — fails that skill and can fail the entire evaluation.

Cost, Retakes, and the Registry Clock

The combined fee is approximately $101 (the NC fee schedule splits this between the written/oral and the skills portions; if you fail only one part you re-pay only that part on retake). You may attempt each portion up to 3 times within 24 months of finishing your 75-hour program. Exceeding either limit forces you to retake an approved training program before testing again.

Once you pass, NC DHSR lists you on the Nurse Aide I Registry. The listing is valid for 24 months and renews automatically only if registry records show you completed at least 8 paid hours of nursing-related duties under the supervision of a licensed nurse during that window. Volunteer hours, unpaid clinical, and family caregiving do not count. If your listing lapses, you generally must retest (and in many cases retrain) to be reinstated.

NC CNA II Is a Separate Credential

A common point of confusion: the standard NNAAP exam covered in this guide certifies you as NA I only. NA II is governed by NCBON, requires extra coursework in skills such as sterile dressing changes, tracheostomy care, suctioning, and IV-fluid monitoring, and uses a separate competency exam approved by NCBON. You cannot "test up" from NA I to NA II — you must complete an approved NA II program first.