Results, Retakes, and Attempt Rules

How Results Are Reported

NAC knowledge results are handled entirely through the Credentia testing system, not by phone, mail, or your employer. Key facts:

• Speed: Score reports are generally available within a few hours after the testing event for the day is complete. A facility or online session that ends in the afternoon typically posts results that same day.
• Channel: You retrieve results by logging into your Credentia candidate account. Per the Washington handbook, examination results will not be given over the telephone, and Credentia will not release them to an employer on your behalf.
• What you see: A pass/fail outcome for the written (or oral) knowledge exam. If you also have a skills evaluation pending, that is reported separately.

The practical takeaway: do not call hoping for a result and do not rely on a facility coordinator to tell you — check your own account once the testing day wraps up.

Attempt Limits and Retakes

State and federal OBRA regulations set a hard ceiling on attempts:

The "both parts" language matters: federal rules treat the knowledge exam and the skills evaluation as two components of one certification exam. Failing one component does not erase a passed component on a normal retake, but exhausting all four attempts resets the requirement to retrain and retake everything. So treat each attempt as valuable — there is no unlimited do-over.

From Passing to Certification

Passing the knowledge exam is not the same as being certified. The pathway after a passing score:

1. Registry placement. Your name is submitted to the OBRA Nursing Assistant Registry, the federal database confirming you completed an approved program and passed the competency exam. Employers in nursing facilities verify your registry status before you provide nurse-aide care.
2. State certificate. In Washington, you must then contact the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to apply for and receive your NAC certificate/credential. The exam pass and the legal credential are separate steps, and the DOH application has its own fees and processing time.
3. Maintenance. Once credentialed, ongoing requirements (renewal, continuing education, and avoiding the 24-month work lapse that can require retesting) are handled by DOH and the Washington Board of Nursing.

Common Pitfall

Many candidates assume passing the test alone lets them start working. It does not — until your name is on the registry and your DOH credential is issued, you are not yet a Nursing Assistant Certified. Build that final application step into your timeline so a passed exam does not stall your start date.

Recovering From a Failed Attempt

A failed knowledge exam is a setback, not the end — most failures come from a few weak domains, and your score report points right at them. Treat a retake as a targeted-improvement plan, not a full restart:

1. Read the result honestly. Identify which content areas pulled your score down (Basic Nursing Skills and ADLs are the usual culprits because they carry the most items).
2. Re-study those domains specifically rather than reviewing everything equally — your time is best spent where you lost points.
3. Take fresh timed practice before rescheduling, aiming to clear passing comfortably across all domains, not just on average.
4. Reschedule through Credentia and pay the retake fee. Each new attempt counts toward the four-attempt ceiling.

Avoiding the Retraining Reset

The stakes rise with each attempt because after four failures you must repeat an entire state-approved training program and retake both parts — costing months and additional tuition. The lesson: do not treat early attempts casually. Walk in prepared, and if you fail, fix the specific gap before returning.

Watch the Lapse Clock

Separate from attempt limits, federal and Washington rules tie your registry status to active work as a paid nurse aide. A nurse aide who does not perform paid nursing-related services for 24 consecutive months generally must retest to be reinstated on the registry. So passing once is not permanent if you leave the field — keep documented work hours, and if you step away long enough, plan to study and retest. Track your dates so an avoidable lapse never forces an unexpected retake.

Keep copies of your score reports and credential paperwork. If a question ever arises about your attempt history, registry status, or lapse dates, your own records plus your Credentia and DOH accounts are the fastest way to resolve it without delaying a job start.