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Virginia Certified Nursing Assistant — Requirements & Free Practice

US-VA · License preparation

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Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Certified Nurse Aide

Virginia nurse aide certification and registry entry.

Licensing authority: Virginia Board of Nursing · Application information

Reinstatement after suspension or revocation — qualifying employment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the required reinstatement application and renewal fee.
Eligibility
Certification has been suspended or revoked and the Board permits the individual to seek reinstatement under 18VAC90-25-80(C). Meet subsection B requirements and applicable Board orders.
Employment before expiration
Verify paid nursing-related activities in the two years prior to certificate expiration.
Neglect removal
For a single neglect occurrence, a petition is permitted after at least one year with evidence that employment and personal history show no abusive or neglectful pattern; only one petition is allowed.
Recent employment
Verify paid nursing-related activities within the preceding two years.
Registry history
A previous abuse, neglect, or misappropriation finding prevents reinstatement except the single-occurrence neglect removal process in 18VAC90-25-81.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after suspension or revocation — examination alternative

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required reinstatement application and renewal fee.
Eligibility
Certification has been suspended or revoked and the individual is eligible for reinstatement under 18VAC90-25-80(C); applicable Board orders remain conditions.
Examination
Provide evidence of repeating and passing the nurse aide examination as the alternative to the qualifying paid-employment verifications.
Neglect removal
For a single neglect occurrence, a petition is permitted after at least one year with evidence that employment and personal history show no abusive or neglectful pattern; only one petition is allowed.
Registry history
A previous abuse, neglect, or misappropriation finding prevents reinstatement except the single-occurrence neglect removal process in 18VAC90-25-81.
Initial certification by endorsement
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the required application and verification from each jurisdiction of registration, certification, or licensure unless electronic verification is available. Va. Code § 54.1-3024 prescribes the required application fee.
Disciplinary history
No grounds for discipline or denial, no abuse, neglect, negligent practice, or misappropriation record, and no disciplinary action taken or pending against the certification.
Education
Graduate of a state-approved nurse aide education program meeting 42 CFR 483.152 clinical training and competency requirements.
Exam exemption
Va. Code § 54.1-3025 expressly exempts applicants certified by endorsement from the competency examination.
Prior certification
Current good-standing nurse aide certification in another United States state or territory with essentially similar requirements.
Prior competency evaluation
Have satisfactorily completed a competency evaluation program; the state text does not identify that prior evaluation as one particular registered examination.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Certification by examination — approved nurse aide education

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required application and testing fee prescribed by the Board.
Education
Satisfactorily complete a nurse aide education program approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Eligibility
No act or omission that would be grounds for discipline or denial of certification.
Retraining
An applicant who does not take the skills and written portions within two years of training completion, or fails in three attempts, must complete another approved nurse aide training program before reapplying.
Written or oral
The registered NNAAP written/oral examination permits an oral examination instead of the written examination; both that assessment and the Skills Evaluation must be passed.
Certification by examination — military education equivalency

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required application and testing fee prescribed by the Board.
Education equivalency
Under Va. Code § 54.1-3023(B), the Board shall consider and may accept relevant practical experience and didactic and clinical education and training completed during service in any branch of the United States armed forces as satisfaction of the educational requirements. Acceptance is a Board determination.
Eligibility
No act or omission that would be grounds for discipline or denial of certification.
Retraining
An applicant who does not take the skills and written portions within two years of training completion, or fails in three attempts, must complete another approved nurse aide training program before reapplying.
Written or oral
The registered NNAAP written/oral examination permits an oral examination instead of the written examination; both that assessment and the Skills Evaluation must be passed.
Certification by examination — nursing graduate

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required application and testing fee prescribed by the Board.
Education
Satisfactorily complete an education program preparing for registered nurse or practical nurse licensure.
Eligibility
No act or omission that would be grounds for discipline or denial of certification.
Retraining
An applicant who does not take the skills and written portions within two years of training completion, or fails in three attempts, must complete another approved nurse aide training program before reapplying.
Written or oral
The registered NNAAP written/oral examination permits an oral examination instead of the written examination; both that assessment and the Skills Evaluation must be passed.
Certification by examination — nursing student

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required application and testing fee prescribed by the Board.
Education
While enrolled in an RN or practical nurse education program, complete at least one clinical nursing course including at least 40 hours of direct client-care clinical experience within the past 12 months.
Eligibility
No act or omission that would be grounds for discipline or denial of certification.
Retraining
An applicant who does not take the skills and written portions within two years of training completion, or fails in three attempts, must complete another approved nurse aide training program before reapplying.
Written or oral
The registered NNAAP written/oral examination permits an oral examination instead of the written examination; both that assessment and the Skills Evaluation must be passed.
Registration based on qualifying training before October 1, 1989
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing requirements
Meet the Board continuing requirements to retain certification.
Historical training
The Board must determine that the individual was qualified by training in accordance with federal law before October 1, 1989.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement of lapsed certification — qualifying employment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the required reinstatement application and renewal fee.
Employment before expiration
Verify paid nursing-related activities in the two years prior to certificate expiration.
Lapse
Certification has lapsed for more than 90 days.
Neglect removal
For a single neglect occurrence, a petition is permitted after at least one year with evidence that employment and personal history show no abusive or neglectful pattern; only one petition is allowed.
Recent employment
Verify paid nursing-related activities within the preceding two years.
Registry history
A previous abuse, neglect, or misappropriation finding prevents reinstatement except the single-occurrence neglect removal process in 18VAC90-25-81.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement of lapsed certification — examination alternative

All of the following:

Application
Submit the required reinstatement application and renewal fee.
Examination
Provide evidence of repeating and passing the nurse aide examination as the alternative to the qualifying paid-employment verifications.
Lapse
Certification has lapsed for more than 90 days.
Neglect removal
For a single neglect occurrence, a petition is permitted after at least one year with evidence that employment and personal history show no abusive or neglectful pattern; only one petition is allowed.
Registry history
A previous abuse, neglect, or misappropriation finding prevents reinstatement except the single-occurrence neglect removal process in 18VAC90-25-81.
Renewal with qualifying paid nursing related activity
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the annual renewal application and required fee by the certificate expiration date.
Employment
Attest to performance of nursing-related activities for compensation within the two years immediately preceding expiration.
Notice
Failure to receive a renewal notice does not relieve the holder of timely renewal responsibility.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal without qualifying paid nursing related activity

All of the following:

Application
Submit the renewal application and required fee.
Employment
No performance of nursing-related activities for compensation during the two years preceding certification expiration.
Examination
Repeat and pass the nurse aide examination before applying for renewal.

National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Skills Evaluation

This assessment does not have a question bank.

Provider
Credentia Nurse Aide LLC (develops and manages the NNAAP exam); administered by Credentia at test centers
Format
Performance evaluation at a test center, scored and retaken separately from the Written (or Oral) Examination: the candidate performs five skills on a candidate volunteer acting as the client and is rated by a Nurse Aide Evaluator; each skill is scored Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory and all five must be Satisfactory to pass
Time limit
30 minutes
Examination sources

NNAAP Written (or Oral) Examination

Provider
Credentia Nurse Aide LLC (develops and manages the NNAAP exam); administered by Credentia online or at test centers
Format
Multiple-choice examination taken online or at a test center, in English or Spanish, scored and retaken separately from the Skills Evaluation; candidates may choose the Oral Examination form, in which the multiple-choice questions are read aloud by recorded voice (MP3 player at test centers) and ten reading comprehension (word recognition) questions are added, and both Oral sections must be passed
Exam questions
70 multiple-choice items: 60 scored and 10 pretest (non-scored); the Oral form has 60 multiple-choice items and 10 reading comprehension (word recognition) items
Time limit
2 hours
Examination outline
  • I. Physical Care Skills — A. Activities of Daily Living (22% of the exam; 13 questions) (22%)
    • Activities of Daily Living — 1. Hygiene
    • Activities of Daily Living — 2. Dressing and Grooming
    • Activities of Daily Living — 3. Nutrition and Hydration
    • Activities of Daily Living — 4. Elimination
    • Activities of Daily Living — 5. Rest/Sleep/Comfort
  • I. Physical Care Skills — B. Basic Nursing Skills (35% of the exam; 21 questions) (35%)
    • Basic Nursing Skills — 1. Infection Control
    • Basic Nursing Skills — 2. Safety/Emergency
    • Basic Nursing Skills — 3. Therapeutic/Technical Procedures
    • Basic Nursing Skills — 4. Data Collection and Reporting
  • I. Physical Care Skills — C. Self-Care and Independence (7% of the exam; 4 questions) (7%)
    • Self-Care and Independence
  • II. Psychosocial Care Skills — A. Emotional and Mental Health Needs (8% of the exam; 5 questions) (8%)
    • Emotional and Mental Health Needs
  • II. Psychosocial Care Skills — B. Spiritual and Cultural Needs (2% of the exam; 1 question) (2%)
    • Spiritual and Cultural Needs
  • III. Role of the Nurse Aide — A. Communication (7% of the exam; 4 questions) (7%)
    • Communication
  • III. Role of the Nurse Aide — B. Client Rights (8% of the exam; 5 questions) (8%)
    • Client Rights
  • III. Role of the Nurse Aide — C. Legal and Ethical Behavior (5% of the exam; 3 questions) (5%)
    • Legal and Ethical Behavior
  • III. Role of the Nurse Aide — D. Member of the Health Care Team (6% of the exam; 4 questions) (6%)
    • Member of the Health Care Team
Examination sources