1.1 Virginia CNA Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
- Virginia CNA candidates take a knowledge exam and a separate skills evaluation through Credentia/NNAAP under the Virginia Board of Nursing.
- The written knowledge exam has 70 multiple-choice questions; the oral version has 60 knowledge questions plus 10 reading questions.
- The skills evaluation assigns five random skills, lasts 30 minutes total, and gives a 5-minute warning at the 25-minute mark.
- Current Credentia fees are $45 for written/oral and $95 for skills, and candidates need two current IDs at check-in.
- Virginia-approved nurse aide training is 140 hours effective May 2023 in the local metadata.
The Virginia CNA Credential, Decoded
In Virginia a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) is a person listed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry, maintained by the Virginia Board of Nursing (part of the Department of Health Professions, DHP). You earn that listing by completing a state-approved training program and then passing the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) competency examination. The NNAAP is owned by Credentia, the vendor that schedules, administers, and scores the exam through its CNA365 candidate portal.
Start with the official Credentia Virginia exam overview and the Board's nurse aide applicant resources.
The single most important structural fact: the NNAAP is two separate tests you must pass independently — a written (or oral) knowledge exam and a hands-on skills evaluation. Passing one does not carry the other; both are required to be added to the registry.
Hard Facts to Plan Around
| Requirement | Virginia fact (verified) |
|---|---|
| Approved training | Minimum 140 hours of Board-approved training (raised from 120); includes classroom, lab, and supervised clinical hours |
| Knowledge exam | 70 multiple-choice questions (written, in English) |
| Oral option | 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading-comprehension / word-recognition questions; must be requested at registration |
| Skills evaluation | 5 skills: handwashing is always included, plus 4 randomly selected skills |
| Skills timing | 30 minutes total; the evaluator warns you when 25 minutes have elapsed (5 minutes left) |
| Knowledge fee | $45 (written or oral) |
| Skills fee | $95 |
| Total exam fee | $140 |
| Result | Must pass both parts to be listed on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry |
| Check-in | Two current, signature-bearing IDs; the name must match your CNA365 registration exactly |
Fee figures come from Credentia's exam fees page; skills rules come from the skills evaluation article.
What Each Test Actually Measures
The knowledge exam rarely asks for a textbook definition. Most items are scenario stems that ask what a safe nurse aide should do next, what must be reported to the licensed nurse, or which action stays inside CNA scope. The exam rewards the candidate who identifies the safest, most respectful, in-scope action — not the most aggressive one.
The skills evaluation is a live, observed demonstration. You perform care out loud and in order while an evaluator scores discrete checkpoints. Indirect-care steps — knocking and identifying yourself, washing hands, providing privacy, calling the resident by name, and ensuring the call light is in reach and the bed is in a safe position at the end — are scored on nearly every skill, so one missed hand-hygiene step can fail an otherwise perfect skill.
Reverse-Plan Your Calendar
- Confirm program approval first. Only a Virginia Board-approved 140-hour program makes you eligible; verify status before you pay for the exam.
- Pick your exam mode early. If English reading is a barrier, request the oral version at registration — you cannot switch on test day.
- Budget the full $140 as two separate fees, since skills and knowledge are billed as distinct events.
- Rehearse under a 30-minute timer so the 25-minute warning becomes a pacing cue, not a panic trigger.
- Verify both IDs and confirm the name spelling matches CNA365 before test week.
Treat the skills day with the same weight as the written test. Five skills can span hand hygiene, a measurement (such as blood pressure or pulse), a mobility or positioning task, a personal-care task, and a resident-rights step — all judged in one 30-minute sitting.
Registration, Results, and Retakes
You register and pay through CNA365, Credentia's online portal, after your approved program submits your eligibility. The two parts may be scheduled together or separately, and many candidates take the written and skills on the same day at the same regional test site. Because the parts are scored independently, a candidate who passes one part and fails the other only retakes the failed part — you do not repeat both.
Credentia generally allows three attempts within a defined eligibility window before a candidate must complete additional training, so do not treat the first sitting casually, but also do not panic over a single failed part. Results for the written exam are typically available quickly through CNA365, while the skills evaluation is scored by the on-site Nurse Aide Evaluator. Once both parts are passed, Credentia reports the result and the Board of Nursing adds you to the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry; your certification then carries an expiration and renewal cycle tied to documented paid nursing-related work.
Reciprocity and Out-of-State Aides
If you already hold an active certification in another state, Virginia uses a reciprocity (endorsement) pathway rather than re-testing — you apply to the Board to be added to the Virginia registry based on your existing, in-good-standing credential. This is separate from the examination route described above and is processed by the Board, not by Credentia. Confirm current reciprocity steps on the Board's applicant-resources page before assuming you must re-test.
Common Logistics Traps
- Name mismatch. Your two IDs and your CNA365 profile must show the same legal name; a nickname or maiden-name mismatch can block check-in.
- Expired ID. Both IDs must be current and at least one must be a government-issued photo ID with a signature.
- Wrong exam mode. You cannot switch from written to oral at the test center — choose at registration.
- Untracked eligibility window. Your eligibility to test expires; schedule early so a delay does not force you to re-establish eligibility.
A Virginia candidate selects the oral knowledge exam instead of the written exam. Which statement is accurate for planning?
During a timed Virginia skills practice, what checkpoint best mirrors the official pacing rule?
How many total exam fees and what total amount should a Virginia candidate budget for the standard NNAAP, and what does passing one part mean for the other?