11.1 Knowledge Exam Day Map

Start With The Current Washington Map

Washington candidates routinely say "CNA" because that is the phrase used in job postings and study searches, but the official Washington credential is Nursing Assistant Certified, abbreviated NAC. Your application, credential number, score report, and future license lookup are all tied to the official NAC record, so use that name when you register and when you check results.

The Washington credential has two separate exams. The Skills Evaluation is administered in person by a Nurse Aide Evaluator: you draw five skills from the published skill set and have thirty (30) minutes to demonstrate all five. The Written (or Oral) Examination is the knowledge test, and in Washington it is administered by Credentia through the CNA365 online platform. gov. Do not treat old national handbook language as proof that Credentia still books your skills test.

Current guidance has candidates complete the skills test first and pass skills before sitting the knowledge exam, then pass both parts to be eligible for certification. The knowledge side is either the written exam or the oral exam, and the two formats differ in structure.

Exam Structure At A Glance

The written exam has seventy (70) multiple-choice questions, of which ten (10) are pretest (non-scored) items used only to gather statistics, leaving 60 scored questions, with a two (2)-hour limit. The oral exam has two parts: 60 multiple-choice questions (each read aloud twice) plus 10 reading-comprehension or word-recognition items; you must pass both parts to pass the oral exam. A wired headset is required for the oral online format.

Keep The Roles Straight Before You Schedule

Use this checklist to avoid the three most common mapping errors:

• Wrong agency. Skills now route through nursing.wa.gov; the knowledge exam routes through Credentia/CNA365. Booking the wrong one wastes days.
• Wrong order. Plan to pass skills first; do not register for the knowledge exam assuming skills can wait indefinitely.
• Wrong record. Enter your exact NAC credential number from the official source, not from memory, because a transposed digit can delay how your score connects to your record.

Four fees frame the whole process (effective October 1, 2023): Written $55, English Oral $55, Spanish Oral $55, and Skills Evaluation $100. Under federal and Washington law, nursing homes must pay the NNAAP exam fee for their nursing assistant employees, including re-tests; if you are not employed at a nursing home, you may pay yourself. Payment is made at registration by credit card, pre-paid credit card, ACH/electronic check, or electronic voucher — personal checks and cash are never accepted, and once payment is received, no refunds are issued.

Online vs. Test Center Scheduling

The knowledge exam can be taken two ways, and the scheduling lead times differ sharply. An online proctored exam can often be scheduled as early as the following day, depending on availability, which makes it the faster route. A test-center exam must be reserved at least ten (10) calendar days before the test date using a laptop or computer. Choosing the right channel up front affects how quickly you can sit and how much advance notice you need to change plans.

Plan The Morning, Not The Whole Curriculum

On the morning of the knowledge exam your goal is not to relearn every skill. It is to arrive with correct account information, the right exam format selected, two valid identification documents, and a calm timing plan. The pass mark is set by Credentia using a fixed cut score, not a fluctuating curve, so do not chase a remembered percentage from another candidate — focus on demonstrating safe nurse-aide judgment on the 60 scored items.

If you scheduled an online appointment, treat the scheduled time as a formal proctored appointment, not a flexible study session: the proctor verifies your identity, scans your room, and monitors you throughout, exactly as a test center would.

Finally, keep the vocabulary straight, because the official documents use precise terms. "NNAAP" is the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, the exam family Credentia delivers; "CNA365" is the candidate platform where you apply, schedule, and read results; "NAC" is your Washington credential; and "ExamRoom AI" is the proctoring app for online testing. Knowing which name refers to the exam, the platform, the credential, and the proctor prevents the confusion that causes candidates to look in the wrong place for an application, a result, or a reschedule button.