Pennsylvania CNA exam-day guide
Pennsylvania CNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID (original)
The name on your ID must match the name on your registration. Bring the actual card, not a photocopy or a photo of it. Confirm with your training program or the testing vendor which ID types they accept and whether a second form of ID is required.
Appointment/scheduling confirmation
Have the date, check-in time, full address, and any confirmation or eligibility number with you. Keep a screenshot on your phone and a printed copy in your bag. needs_review - confirm with the provider whether a printed confirmation is required at your specific site.
Analog wristwatch with a second hand
You may be asked to count a pulse or respirations during the skills portion. A watch with a sweep second hand is the safest choice. needs_review - confirm with your program whether a phone timer is acceptable (it often is not, since phones are usually barred from the testing room).
Scrubs or uniform and closed-toe, non-slip shoes
Dress as you would for a clinical shift. You will be repositioning, transferring, and ambulating a 'resident' figure or person, and performing bed-based skills. Loose jewelry and dangling items are a safety and infection-control problem.
Short, clean nails; hair pulled back
Long nails, nail polish, and artificial nails commonly conflict with the hand-hygiene steps you will be scored on, and loose hair can contaminate a sterile field. needs_review - confirm the exact grooming restrictions with your training program before test day.
A working pen
Many sites supply everything you need, but a pen costs nothing to carry. needs_review - confirm with the provider whether any scratch paper or note-taking is permitted; typically it is not.
Water and a light snack for afterward
Sessions can run long, especially if the written/oral portion and the skills portion are scheduled back to back. needs_review - confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed in the waiting area.
Your program's skills checklists, kept in your bag or car
Review the steps one last time before you walk in, then put the notes away. Written notes, study sheets, and phones are not allowed in the testing room itself.
Accommodations approval documentation (only if applicable)
If you were approved for testing accommodations, bring the approval paperwork and confirm in advance with the vendor how and when it gets applied to your appointment.
Payment or proof of payment for any testing fee
needs_review - confirm with your training program or the vendor whether the fee is prepaid by your program, billed to you, or collected at check-in, and what payment forms are accepted.
A charged phone and your transportation plan
Use it for directions and a ride home, then silence it and put it away before check-in. Phones, smart watches, and recording devices are standard prohibited items in the testing room.
Plan the day
Reconfirm the date, time, address, and check-in time in writing with your training program or the testing vendor, and map your route including parking. Verify which portions you are testing (written/oral, skills, or both) and how scoring works so nothing surprises you.
Do timed run-throughs of full 5-skill sets rather than isolated skills - set up, greet the 'resident,' perform, clean up. Practice out loud the steps that must be verbalized, and rehearse hand hygiene and glove donning/doffing until they are automatic.
Practice your weakest three skills with a partner acting as the resident. Have the partner read the checklist aloud and stop you at any missed critical step, especially privacy, safety, and infection control.
Lay out your clothes, shoes, ID, watch, and confirmation. Protect your sleep for these nights - being rested matters more than one more hour of reviewing.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, watch, pen, clothes and shoes, water and snack, accommodations paperwork if applicable. Put the bag by the door.
Review the skills sheets one final time, then stop. Light review of written/oral content only - no cramming new material the night before. Confirm your alarm and your ride, and check the weather and traffic outlook.
Eat a normal breakfast and hydrate, but avoid anything heavy or unusual. Dress in your scrubs and safe shoes, take your ID and bag, and leave early enough to arrive ahead of your check-in time.
On arrival, silence your phone and put it away, use the restroom, and take a few slow breaths. Once you are called, follow the proctor's directions exactly rather than anticipating them.
Read or listen to the scenario carefully before you touch anything. Say your hand hygiene, privacy, and safety steps out loud where the checklist expects verbalization, and narrate what you are doing so the evaluator can see your reasoning.
Perform skills in a logical order, keep the 'resident' covered and addressed respectfully, and don't rush - but keep an eye on the clock if the skill is timed. If you realize you skipped a step, correct it calmly and continue; stopping to apologize wastes time.
If an instruction is unclear, ask a procedural question ('May I confirm which skill is next?'). Do not ask the evaluator to remind you of steps - the evaluator scores what you do, not what you know.
Rules to check
Bring original government-issued photo ID; the name must match your registration. Confirm accepted ID types, and the late-arrival and no-show policies, with your training program or the testing vendor in advance - a candidate who cannot verify identity may not be allowed to test.
Phones, smart watches, notes, and recording devices are prohibited in the testing room. Silence and stow them before check-in; using them during testing can void your result.
Scoring is pass/fail per skill, and certain steps (hand hygiene, privacy/dignity, safety, correct body mechanics) are treated as critical. Missing a critical step can fail that skill even if everything else was correct - confirm the exact critical-step list with your program.
The written or oral portion and the skills portion are scored separately, and both must be passed for certification. Confirm with your provider which portions you are taking on this date and what happens if you pass one and not the other.
Do not discuss, photograph, or share exam content with anyone. Coaching from another candidate, talking during the test, or attempting to look at scoring materials is grounds for disqualification.
Breaks: confirm with the provider whether breaks are permitted, whether the clock stops, and what happens if you leave the testing area. Do not leave the room without permission.
Retake policy: if you do not pass a portion, there is typically a waiting period, a fee, and a limit on attempts within a set timeframe. Confirm the specific numbers with your training program or the state-approved vendor rather than relying on what other candidates tell you.
Follow the evaluator's and proctor's directions at all times, and treat the person or mannequin acting as your 'resident' with full dignity and privacy - evaluators score communication and respect, not just technique.