1.4 Exam Format, Fees, Scheduling, and Remote Options

Know exactly which exam you are scheduling

The Texas CNA competency evaluation has two required sides: knowledge and hands-on performance. The knowledge side is either the Written test or the Oral test. The performance side is the Clinical Skills test. A candidate must pass both required sides before placement on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry.

The Written test has 60 multiple-choice questions and a 90-minute time limit. The Oral test may be selected instead of the Written test. The Oral test has 60 multiple-choice questions and a reading comprehension section. For the Oral test route, the candidate must pass the English reading comprehension section on the same day to pass the Oral test. The Oral option is not a shortcut around understanding resident care. It changes the delivery format and adds the reading comprehension requirement described in the source brief.

The Clinical Skills test is performance-based. The candidate is asked to perform five assigned skills from the official Prometric skills list. The list includes handwashing behavior plus tasks such as ambulation with a gait belt, bedpan assistance, occupied bed change, side-lying positioning, weak-arm dressing, urinary drainage bag output, feeding, pulse, respirations, catheter care, foot care, mouth care, perineal care, hand and nail care, partial bed bath, passive range of motion, and bed-to-wheelchair transfer.

The exact assigned set is not chosen by the candidate, so preparation must cover the full official skills list and the indirect care behaviors that apply to every skill.

Current exam and fee snapshot

Scheduling should be treated as part of exam preparation. Choose the Written or Oral route deliberately. A candidate with reading or language concerns should review the current bulletin and accommodation process early instead of waiting until a test date is near. A candidate taking the Oral test must still handle English reading comprehension on the same day. A candidate taking Written or Oral remotely must still follow Prometric rules for identity, environment, technology, and proctoring. A remote knowledge test does not remove the need to appear at a site for the Clinical Skills test.

Fees should be checked against current Prometric materials before payment. The source brief lists the current first-time test taker fees as $125 for Written Exam plus Clinical Skills Exam and $135 for Oral Exam plus Clinical Skills Exam. Individual retake or component fees are also listed: $35 for Written Exam only, $45 for Oral Exam only, and $90 for Clinical Skills only. Candidates should budget for the route they are actually taking and should not rely on old online fee tables.

The format should shape the study plan. For the knowledge test, timed practice matters because 60 questions in 90 minutes allows enough time for careful reading but not endless second-guessing. For the skills test, repeated hands-on practice matters because the candidate must perform while being observed. The safest plan includes both types of preparation: scenario-based question practice and physical rehearsal of every official skill with communication, privacy, infection control, safety, and reporting built in.

Do not study around myths. The current source brief does not authorize a specific Texas written passing-score percentage, so this guide does not teach one. It also avoids unsupported counts for the total skills checklist. The safe statement is that the candidate performs five assigned skills from the official Prometric skills list.