14.1 Timed Practice Strategy
Key Takeaways
- The Ohio STNA Knowledge Test is 79 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes — roughly 68 seconds per question with time to spare.
- You must score 70% (about 56 of 79 correct) on the written test, so you can miss up to 23 items and still pass.
- The Skills Evaluation is separate: 5 randomly assigned skills in about 35 minutes, and you must pass each one — handwashing and indirect-care steps are scored on every skill.
- Review every missed practice item by cause (misread cue, wrong sequence, safety violation), not just by raw score.
14.1 Timed Practice Strategy
The Ohio nurse aide credential is the State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA), administered by D&S Diversified Technologies / Headmaster (hdmaster.com) under the Ohio Department of Health. Timed practice is how you convert what you learned in Chapters 1–13 into reliable test-day performance.
The exam you are pacing for
The certification has two independently scored parts. You must pass both to be listed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry.
| Component | Length | Passing standard |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge (Written) Test | 79 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes | 70% (about 56 of 79 correct) |
| Skills Evaluation | 3 or 4 tasks (1 mandatory handwashing task + 2-3 random), ~35 minutes | Pass each task (every key step + 80% of non-key steps; no partial credit on a failed task) |
An oral version of the written test is available for candidates who request it. You get up to three attempts at each component within 24 months of finishing your state-approved training program; fail three times and you must retrain.
Pacing the written test
Ninety minutes for 79 questions is generous — about 68 seconds per item. Set checkpoints: you should be near question 26 at 30 minutes and question 52 at 60 minutes. That leaves roughly 30 minutes to revisit flagged items.
- Answer every question; there is no penalty for guessing, and 70% means you can miss up to 23 items.
- Flag any item that takes more than ~90 seconds and move on — do not let one infection-control or vital-signs item eat five minutes.
- For "what does the STNA do FIRST" stems, choose the answer that protects safety and stays within the aide scope of practice (observe, report, provide basic care — never diagnose, give meds, or insert tubes).
Worked pacing example
You hit question 40 at the 50-minute mark — about 7 minutes behind your ideal pace. Do not panic. Pick the best-supported answer on the next several items quickly, bank the time, and return to your three flagged items at the end. A common trap is changing a correct first instinct on a vital-signs normal-range item (adult pulse 60–100, respirations 12–20, oral temp ~98.6°F) because a distractor "looked more medical."
Build an error log
After each timed set, write one line per miss: the topic, the cause, and the rule you should have applied. Group causes into a short table so patterns surface.
| Miss cause | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Misread the cue | Picked routine care when the stem said "choking" | Re-read the verb and any emergency word |
| Wrong sequence | Donned gloves before washing hands | Memorize order of care for top skills |
| Out of scope | Chose "administer insulin" | STNA observes/reports; never gives meds |
| Safety violation | Left bed in high position | Lowest position, both side rails per care plan |
If a domain (infection control, safety, communication, resident rights) produces repeated misses, do a short targeted set in that domain before your next full-length attempt.
Practicing skills under time
The written test is only half the credential. The Skills Evaluation is where most first-time candidates actually fail, so rehearse it under a timer too. The examiner assigns 3 or 4 tasks from the 21-task Ohio skill list — a mandatory first task with handwashing embedded plus 2 or 3 random tasks — so handwashing is always tested. Indirect-care steps — knock and greet, identify the resident, provide privacy, explain the procedure, raise the bed to a safe working height, lock wheels, and ensure call light and bed in low position when finished — are scored on every skill.
Critical (must-pass) elements
Some steps are flagged critical. Skip one and you fail that entire skill regardless of the rest. The most common automatic failures are:
- Not washing hands or breaking aseptic technique at the wrong moment.
- Not checking water temperature before a bed bath or perineal care (resident burns risk).
- Performing perineal care back-to-front instead of front-to-back (urinary infection risk).
- Not lowering the bed and placing the call light within reach before leaving.
- Measuring blood pressure or pulse outside accepted ranges or not reporting an abnormal reading.
A timed skills drill
Set a 35-minute timer and run four tasks back-to-back as if drawn at random: a handwashing-embedded task, partial bed bath, measuring and recording a radial pulse, and ambulating with a gait belt. Narrate each step aloud the way you would for the examiner, and record the measured values just like the real test. If you forget privacy on bed bath or forget to lock the wheelchair before a transfer, log it as a critical-element miss — those carry far more weight than a content question on the written test.
Why both halves matter
A strong written score does not rescue a failed skill, and a flawless transfer does not rescue a 65% written test. Treat them as two separate exams that happen to be scheduled together. Most candidates over-study facts and under-rehearse hands-on sequences, so spend at least a third of your final practice time physically performing skills, not just reading about them.
On the Ohio STNA written (Knowledge) test, which statement is correct about scoring and pacing?
While practicing skills under a timer, which omission would count as an automatic (critical-element) failure of that skill?