Can You Retake the CNA Exam? Attempts, Windows, and Fees (2026 Guide)

The short answer: retakes exist, but the rules belong to your state

Yes, you can retake the CNA competency evaluation. Almost every state allows it. What no one can tell you from a national source is how many times and for how long, because retake rules are state-set and vary. There is no federal retake policy, and the two big testing vendors — Credentia, which runs the NNAAP, and Prometric — publish separate candidate handbooks for each state they serve.

So the honest framing is this: a common pattern in Credentia (NNAAP) state handbooks is that a candidate must pass both the written (or oral) component and the skills component within 3 attempts per component and within a fixed window measured from training completion — commonly 2 years, though some states use 1 year — whichever comes first. Exhausting the attempts or the window means completing a new state-approved training program before you can test again. A new examination fee applies to each retake.

That pattern is a starting point for your reading, not a promise about your state. Confirmed examples include Virginia (3 attempts per exam, 2-year window), South Carolina (both parts within 2 years or 3 attempts), North Carolina (3 attempts per exam), and Georgia (3 attempts per part within 1 year of training). Pull your own state's handbook before you plan anything.

Why you usually only retake the part you failed

The competency evaluation has two separately scored components: a written (or oral) knowledge test and a hands-on skills evaluation. You have to pass both to be placed on your state's nurse-aide registry. Because they're scored separately, failing one does not normally wipe out a pass on the other — you rebook and pay for the failed part.

That's also why the attempt limits in most handbooks are written "per component" or "per exam" rather than as a single pooled count. Virginia and North Carolina both express it that way. It matters: three attempts at the skills evaluation and three at the written test is a different situation from three attempts total, and candidates get this wrong when they're reading a summary instead of the handbook.

The catch is the clock. Even where attempts are counted separately, the overall window usually applies to completing both parts. South Carolina's rule is the clearest illustration — both parts within 2 years or 3 attempts. If you pass the written test early and then stall on skills, the window keeps running.

The attempts-and-window pattern, side by side

State (confirmed example)	Attempt limit	Time window
Virginia	3 attempts per exam	2-year window
South Carolina	3 attempts	Both parts within 2 years
North Carolina	3 attempts per exam	Check the state handbook
Georgia	3 attempts per part	Within 1 year of training
Every other state	Verify — state-set	Verify — state-set

Read that last row as seriously as the first four. States that use Pearson VUE or run their own nurse-aide program publish their own terms, and they don't have to match the NNAAP or Prometric pattern at all.

What happens if you run out of attempts — or run out of time

The consequence is the same in both cases, and it's the expensive one: you go back through a state-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program before you're eligible to test again. Under 42 CFR 483.152, an approved program must be no fewer than 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training and at least 16 hours of specified instruction before any direct resident contact. That's the federal floor — plenty of states require more.

Which means the retake question is really a budgeting question. Repeating a training program costs far more than repeating one test component. If you're on your last permitted attempt, or your window closes in the next few months, treat that sitting as the one that counts and prepare accordingly. Our breakdown of what CNA training and testing actually cost is worth a look before you assume a re-enrollment is trivial.

Fees: every retake is a new fee

Testing fees vary by state and are set in each state's contract with the vendor — there is no national CNA exam fee. Fees are commonly split between the written (or oral) test and the skills evaluation, and combined totals published in state handbooks typically fall in roughly the $100–$200 range depending on the state. Both vendors state that fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, and that a new examination fee is required to retake any failed part.

Two practical consequences. First, no-showing a rebooked test burns the money, not just the date. Second, if you failed only skills, you pay the skills portion again — not the whole combined amount — in states that price the components separately. Your state handbook lists the exact figures; don't rely on a number you saw in a forum.

Retaking the skills evaluation

Skills is where most retakes come from, and the reason is structural: the number and selection of tested skills vary by vendor and state, but candidates perform a small set of randomly selected hands-on skills and must pass all of them. Credentia (NNAAP) state handbooks specify 5 randomly selected skills, 30 minutes, all 5 correct. Prometric specifies 5 clinical skills — 3 prompted plus 2 unprompted, the unprompted ones being handwashing and an indirect-care skill — all of which must be passed. Handwashing is commonly a mandatory, critical skill.

All-or-nothing scoring means one missed checkpoint on one skill ends the attempt, even if the other four were clean. When you rebook, don't re-study everything at the same shallow depth. Get the checkpoint lists back out, run the skill you failed out loud until the sequence is automatic, and drill handwashing and indirect care every single session, because they can show up unprompted. Our rundown of the skills that get tested and how they're checked is the right companion to your state's candidate handbook.

Practise the way you'll be scored

Say each step aloud. Have someone hold the checklist and mark you silently — no coaching mid-skill, because you won't get any on test day. Time yourself against the limit your vendor uses. Candidates who fail twice usually fail on the same category of error both times: privacy, call light, bed position, or an omitted verbal check.

Retaking the written or oral knowledge test

Item counts and time limits vary by vendor and state — don't treat one figure as national. Credentia (NNAAP) state handbooks commonly specify a 70-question multiple-choice Written Examination, with an alternate Oral Examination of 60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading-comprehension questions, and commonly allow 2 hours (120 minutes). Prometric state materials commonly specify a 60-question multiple-choice written test with 90 minutes allowed. Individual states may deviate.

If reading speed contributed to the failure, ask about the oral alternate before you rebook. It's offered in NNAAP and Prometric state handbooks for candidates with reading difficulty, and choosing it is a decision to make in advance, not on test day.

For content targeting, Prometric's written test content outline weights its domains: Role of the Nurse Aide 20%, Promotion of Safety 22%, Promotion of Function and Health of Residents 20%, Basic Nursing Care Provided by the Nurse Aide 24%, and Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health 14%. Credentia's NNAAP written test covers parallel nurse-aide content — physical care skills, psychosocial care skills, and role and responsibilities — but with different labels and weights. Use the outline for the vendor your state actually contracts with, then work through a structured study approach rather than rereading your course binder front to back.

Will you see a score to work from?

Often, no. There is no single national CNA passing score. Both components must be passed, but the standard is set per state and vendor. The skills evaluation requires performing all selected skills correctly — Credentia (NNAAP) state handbooks require a Satisfactory result on all 5 of 5 skills, and Prometric likewise requires passing all 5 clinical skills. Written cut scores are set by the state, and many state registries report results only as Pass/Fail with no numeric score released. Don't chase a national percentage; it doesn't exist. There's more on how that works in our piece on what counts as a passing CNA result.

What you may get on a skills failure is an indication of which skill or checkpoint went wrong. Read that notice carefully and keep it — it's the most useful piece of paper you'll have for the retake.

How to confirm your own state's retake rule

Find out which vendor your state contracts with — most states use Credentia (NNAAP) or Prometric, a few use Pearson VUE, and some run their own program. Download that vendor's candidate handbook for your state specifically, not the generic vendor page. Look for the sections headed retesting, attempt limits, and eligibility period. If the handbook and your training program's advice disagree, the handbook and the state registry win. If the language is ambiguous about whether the window runs from training completion or from your first attempt, call the registry and get it in writing.

Building a retake plan that actually changes the outcome

Rebooking quickly feels productive. It usually isn't, unless you've fixed something. Before you pick a date, write down which component failed, which specific skill or content area sank it, and what you're going to do differently. Then schedule far enough out to complete that work and near enough that your window isn't at risk.

The three habits that separate a clean second attempt from a repeat: rehearse skills out loud against the checkpoint list, take at least one full-length timed run at the written test so the pacing isn't a surprise, and review every practice question you get wrong until you can explain why the other options fail. That last one is the difference between recognising an answer and knowing the content — and it's what the practice-test routine should be built around.

Quick answers

Do I have to retake both parts if I only failed one?

Normally no. The components are scored separately and most states let you rebook only the failed part — with a new examination fee for it. Confirm in your state handbook.

How soon can I retest?

That's a scheduling question set by your state's contracted vendor and their seat availability, not a fixed national waiting period. Scheduling runs through the vendor portal for your state.

Does a failed attempt stay on my record?

Attempts are counted against your state's limit, which is why the count matters. Many registries report results only as Pass/Fail.

What if my training was a while ago?

Check the window first, before attempts. Where the window runs from training completion — as in Georgia's 1 year and the 2-year pattern elsewhere — it can close even if you have attempts left.