North Dakota CNA exam-day guide
North Dakota CNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring at least one current photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport, or permanent resident card). The name on it must match your name as registered for the test. Confirm with the provider whether a second form of ID is required.
Appointment / admission confirmation
Bring the scheduling confirmation or admission notice your training program or testing vendor sent you. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy is acceptable.
A watch with a second hand
You will need to count a pulse and respirations accurately during skills. Confirm with the provider whether a wall clock is provided in the skills room or whether you should bring your own non-smart watch (smart watches are usually not permitted).
Comfortable clinical clothing
Wear clean scrubs or loose, comfortable clothing you can move in for skills such as repositioning, transfer, and ambulation. Avoid clothing that restricts bending or reaching.
Closed-toe, non-skid shoes
Flat, closed-toe shoes with non-skid soles are safest for transfers and gait-belt work. Avoid sandals, heels, or slick soles.
Grooming for infection-control skills
Plan for short, clean fingernails, hair tied back, and no dangling jewelry. Many sites ask candidates to remove nail polish and artificial nails because handwashing is scored. Confirm the site's specific dress code with the provider.
Black-ink pens
Bring two pens in case the written portion is paper-based. If your test is computer-delivered, pens may not be needed. Confirm with the provider which format your written/oral exam uses.
Directions, parking, and arrival plan
Look up the exact testing address, parking, and building entrance in advance, and plan to arrive early. Test sites are sometimes in a different building than your training classroom.
Plan for personal items
Leave valuables, notes, and study materials at home or locked in your car. Phones and smart watches are typically collected or must be stored out of the testing room.
Contact information for your training program
Keep your program coordinator's phone number handy in case of a scheduling problem, illness, or a question about your eligibility paperwork.
Water and a snack for afterward
Testing can involve waiting. Bring water and a light snack to have after the exam, not during it. Confirm with the provider whether food or drink is allowed in the waiting area.
Accommodation request, if you need one
If you need extra time, a reader, a physical accommodation, or an oral rather than written exam, request it well before test day. Confirm with the provider what documentation and deadlines apply.
Plan the day
Re-read your admission notice and confirm the date, time, address, and what you are told to bring. Call the provider if any detail is unclear.
Rehearse the skills you have learned using the steps taught in your program, narrating each step as you go. Focus on hand hygiene, safety checks, and closing steps, which are usually scored strictly.
Run through full skills sequences without notes so you get used to performing while being observed. Ask an instructor or classmate to watch you and point out skipped steps.
Avoid all-nighters. Being rested matters more on a skills exam than one more hour of review, and you may be screened at the door if you appear ill. Confirm the provider's illness or rescheduling policy in advance.
Set out your ID, admission notice, watch, pens, and clothing so nothing is rushed in the morning. Put your phone charger and car keys in the same place.
Review the order of steps for the skills you find hardest, then stop. Do not try to learn new material the night before.
Check your route and set two alarms. If you are driving, confirm parking hours; if someone is driving you, confirm the pickup time.
Eat a normal meal and drink water so you are steady during physical skills. Avoid heavy caffeine if it makes you shaky.
Hair back, short clean nails, no polish or artificial nails, no dangling jewelry, closed-toe non-skid shoes.
Plan to arrive ahead of your scheduled time to allow for check-in, ID verification, and orientation. Confirm the required arrival time with the provider - late arrivals may not be admitted.
Answer the questions you know first, then return to harder ones if the format allows. If you are taking the oral version, ask the proctor to repeat a question if you did not hear it clearly.
Let the evaluator finish reading the scenario, then take a breath and plan the sequence. Announce key safety steps such as hand hygiene, privacy, and bed height as you perform them.
Say out loud what you are checking (ID band, call light, bed locked, side rails, gait belt) so the evaluator can score steps that are otherwise hard to see. Confirm with the provider whether verbalizing is expected.
Ask when and how results are reported, and what to do if you do not pass a portion. Confirm retake and fee rules with the provider rather than relying on what other candidates say.
Rules to check
Bring valid photo ID and be ready to show it at check-in. If the name on your ID does not match your registration, ask the provider before test day what documentation to bring.
Arrive at or before the arrival time stated in your admission notice. Policies on late arrivals and forfeited fees vary, so confirm them with the provider in advance.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, notes, or study materials into the testing room. Follow the proctor's instructions on where to store personal items.
Follow all evaluator instructions during skills. Ask a clarifying question if you genuinely did not understand the scenario, but do not ask for hints or coaching; confirm with the provider what questions are permitted.
Treat infection control and safety steps as high stakes. Hand hygiene, resident privacy, bed height and locks, gait-belt use, and fall precautions are commonly treated as critical steps, and missing one may fail the skill even if the rest is correct.
Do not discuss or share exam content with other candidates. Test content is confidential, and sharing it can jeopardize your eligibility.
Both the written/oral portion and the skills portion must be passed to be placed on the North Dakota Nurse Aide Registry. Ask the provider for the passing standard, since scores and retake rules are set by the testing vendor and the state registry.
Breaks are usually limited to scheduled times between portions of the exam. If you need a restroom break or have a medical need, tell the proctor; confirm the site's break policy with the provider beforehand.