Delaware CNA exam-day guide
Delaware CNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID with signature
Bring a driver's license, state-issued ID card, or passport. The name on the ID must match your registration exactly (including maiden/married name differences). Confirm with the provider how many forms of ID are required and whether a photocopy is acceptable - this varies by site.
Authorization or eligibility-to-test document
If your training program or the state registry issued a letter, certificate, or authorization number, bring it. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or whether your eligibility is already in the system.
Appointment confirmation / registration receipt
Printed copy or accessible on your phone before you enter the building. It usually carries the date, time, address, and your candidate ID number.
Comfortable scrub-style clothing
Wear clothes you can move, bend, and kneel in. Short sleeves or sleeves that push well above the elbow, since skills such as handwashing and blood pressure require bare lower arms. Closed-toe, non-slip shoes.
A watch with a second hand
You will need to count a pulse and count respirations for a full minute. A traditional analog watch with a sweep second hand is the safest choice. Confirm with the provider whether a digital watch or a phone timer is permitted - phones are often not allowed in the testing area.
Hair tie or clips, and short clean nails
Hair secured off your face and shoulders. Nails short, clean, and without polish, artificial nails, or extenders. Confirm the site's exact grooming rules with the provider, since enforcement varies.
Minimal jewelry, no fragrance
Remove dangling jewelry, rings with stones, and bracelets. Skip perfume, cologne, and scented lotion - strong scent is a problem in a healthcare setting and some sites will ask you to wash it off.
Black-ink pen
Useful for signing in and any paperwork. Confirm with the provider whether the written test is on paper or computer, and whether a pencil is required instead.
Water and a light snack for afterward
Testing sessions can run long with waiting. Keep them in your bag or the car - food and drink are usually not allowed in the testing room itself.
Directions, parking information, and a backup arrival plan
Know the building, entrance, and check-in desk in advance. Plan to arrive well before your appointment time; confirm with the provider what arrival window they expect.
A one-page review sheet of skill steps
Glance at it in the car or waiting area before check-in, then put it away. Notes and study materials are typically not allowed into the skills testing room.
Nothing you have to carry in your hands
The site supplies the equipment - mannequin or partner, gloves, linens, gait belt, blood pressure cuff, thermometer. Do not bring your own supplies; confirm with the provider if you are unsure about anything on the equipment list.
Plan the day
Re-read the skill checklists exactly as your program taught them and rehearse out loud with a partner, in order, at realistic speed. Focus on the skills you are least sure of rather than starting new material. Confirm your appointment date, time, address, arrival window, and acceptable ID with the provider. Lay out your clothes and bag. Protect your sleep - do not study past midnight the night before.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, authorization document, watch, hair ties, pen, snack, water. Confirm the route and travel time, including traffic and parking. Run through the highest-risk skills one more time slowly. Eat normal meals, avoid alcohol, and go to bed early. Double-check that the name on your registration matches your ID.
Eat breakfast and drink water. Dress per your plan - short sleeves, closed-toe non-slip shoes, hair back, no polish, no fragrance. Leave your phone and notes in the car or a locker per site rules. Arrive early, use the restroom before check-in, and take a few slow breaths. When you meet the evaluator, listen to the full instructions before touching any supplies.
Perform hand hygiene first for every skill, then set up your supplies and announce what you are doing in a clear voice. Treat the mannequin or partner as a real resident: explain each step, provide privacy, use safety precautions. If you cannot physically perform a step, say aloud what you would do instead rather than skipping it silently. If an instruction is unclear, ask the evaluator to repeat it. If you realize you made an error, correct it and continue - finish the skill rather than abandoning it.
Rules to check
You must present acceptable identification. If you do not have it, you may be turned away and lose your appointment or fee - confirm the exact ID requirements with your provider before test day.
Follow the evaluator's directions exactly. The evaluator can repeat or clarify an instruction but generally will not tell you whether a step was correct or prompt you through the checklist. Ask if a direction is unclear, then proceed on your own.
Hand hygiene and standard precautions apply to every skill. Washing your hands or using sanitizer at the start and finish, and using gloves where indicated, is expected throughout - skipping it is one of the most common reasons candidates lose points.
Do not bring notes, study materials, or your phone into the skills testing area. Follow the site's rules on where personal items go and ask before leaving the room.
Each skill is scored pass or fail against a checklist of steps. Many checklists flag certain steps as critical, meaning a missed critical step fails that skill even if everything else was correct. Confirm with your provider how many skills must be passed, whether the skills and written portions are scored separately, and how retakes work.
Ask before taking a break or leaving the testing area, and do not leave in the middle of a skill. If you need to stop, tell the evaluator.
Do not discuss exam content with other candidates in the waiting area or afterward, and do not compare answers. If equipment is broken or a supply is missing, tell the evaluator immediately rather than improvising.