Colorado CNA exam-day guide
Colorado CNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Unexpired government-issued photo ID with your signature
Bring the original document (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID). The name on the ID must match the name on your testing record; if you have had a legal name change, confirm with the provider before test day how to document it. Photocopies and expired documents are not accepted.
Appointment/scheduling confirmation and any admission paperwork
Bring the confirmation you received when you scheduled (printed or on paper, since phones are usually not allowed in the testing room). Your training program may also give you an authorization or eligibility form - confirm with the provider whether you must present it at check-in.
A watch with a sweep second hand
You will need to count a pulse and respirations during skills. Many programs and testing centers require an analog watch with a second hand and prohibit using a phone as a timer. Confirm with the provider whether a watch is required or supplied.
Comfortable scrubs or clinical-style clothing
Wear clean, loose-fitting clothing you can move and bend in, since you will be performing skills on a classmate or a mannequin. Avoid clothing that restricts reaching, squatting, or lifting.
Closed-toe, non-skid shoes
You will be on your feet and moving around a skills lab; secure, flat, closed-toe shoes reduce slipping risk and are standard attire for nurse aide testing.
Short, clean nails with no polish or artificial nails
Standard infection-control expectations prohibit nail polish, acrylics, tips, and long nails during skills testing. Trim nails short before test day.
Hair secured and minimal jewelry
Tie back long hair and remove dangling jewelry, watches on the working hand, and rings that could interfere with glove donning or hand hygiene. Confirm with the provider if you have a plain wedding band or religious item you need to keep on.
Directions, parking, and arrival plan for the testing site
Confirm the exact address, which entrance to use, where to park, and how early to arrive. Do a practice drive or check the route the day before so a delay does not cost you your appointment.
Water and a light snack for before or after the test
Food and drinks typically are not allowed in the testing room, but having something before you start (and after you finish) helps with concentration and nerves. Confirm with the provider whether a break is scheduled and whether items can be stored in a locker.
A written list of the skills you may be asked to perform
Review the skill steps from your training program's checklists the night before, and practice saying the key steps aloud. Any notes must stay outside the testing room - most centers do not allow study materials at the testing station.
Plan for phone and personal belongings
Expect to turn off your phone and store it, along with bags, notes, and smart devices, in a locker or designated area. Do not bring anything you cannot leave outside the testing room.
Plan the day
Reconfirm your appointment date, time, and location with the testing provider, and verify your ID is unexpired and the name matches your testing record. Rehearse each skill on the official checklist from your training program, out loud, with a partner if possible - especially hand hygiene, gloves, privacy, explanation to the resident, and safety checks. Gather your ID, confirmation, watch, and clean scrubs so nothing is left to the last minute.
Pack your bag and set out clothing and shoes. Do one calm review pass over the skill steps rather than cramming new material. Confirm your transportation and set two alarms. Aim for a full night's sleep - fatigue is the most common reason candidates skip a step such as hand hygiene or locking a bed.
Eat something light, dress in your prepared clothing, and arrive earlier than the check-in time the provider specified so you can find the room and use the restroom. Leave your phone and notes in the car or locker. At check-in, present your ID, listen carefully to the proctor's instructions, and ask any procedural questions before testing begins.
Read each item completely before answering, and watch your time so you can review. If you are taking the oral version, follow the reader's pace. Use the restroom before this section if breaks are offered - once a section begins you may not be allowed to leave.
Listen for the scenario and the assigned skill, then take a breath and work in order. Verbalize what you are doing when required, narrate hand hygiene, and announce steps like raising the bed rail or checking the resident's identification. If you are unsure of an instruction, ask the evaluator before you begin; do not ask whether your performance was correct.
Turn in all materials as directed and collect your belongings. Ask the provider when and how results are reported and what the retake process is, since both the written and skills portions must be passed for certification. Report your results to your training program if they require it.
Rules to check
Bring an unexpired, government-issued photo ID with your signature. If you arrive without acceptable identification, you may be turned away - confirm the accepted ID list with the provider in advance.
Follow the testing center's rules on personal items: phones, smartwatches, notes, and bags stay in the designated storage area, and any device in the testing room may be treated as misconduct.
Do not communicate with other candidates during testing, and do not discuss or share exam content afterward. Coaching from an instructor or classmate during the test is not permitted.
Ask procedural questions before a skill begins (for example, where supplies are located or whether to verbalize). Evaluators cannot tell you whether a step was correct or prompt you through a missed step.
Expect the written and skills portions to be scored separately; both must be passed for certification. Certain steps are treated as critical, and missing one can fail that skill - review the critical steps in your program's skill checklists.
Breaks are limited and usually not allowed mid-section. Use the restroom before each section begins and confirm with the provider what break, if any, is scheduled.
If you feel ill, are injured, or cannot complete a skill safely, stop and tell the evaluator immediately rather than continuing. Ask the provider how illness or an emergency affects rescheduling or scoring.
Report to your training program and the testing provider if you believe testing conditions were unfair or unsafe. The exact appeal, rescheduling, and retake policies vary - confirm them with the provider rather than relying on secondhand information.