Tennessee CNA exam-day guide
Tennessee CNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring an unexpired ID with your photo and signature (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID). Confirm the exact accepted forms and whether a second ID is required with your training program or the state-contracted testing vendor.
Admission or scheduling confirmation
Bring the printed or emailed confirmation showing your name, test date, time, and location, plus any authorization or eligibility paperwork your program told you to bring. Print a copy as a backup in case your phone is collected at check-in.
Test site address, parking notes, and arrival time
Confirm the address, which entrance to use, parking cost, and how early you must arrive. Plan to arrive with buffer time - 15 to 30 minutes early is a common expectation, but confirm the specific window with the provider.
Short-sleeved, comfortable clothing and closed-toe non-skid shoes
Skills like hand hygiene, blood pressure, and bed baths are easier in clothing that lets you move and exposes forearms and wrists. Avoid long sleeves, dangling jewelry, and open-back or open-toe shoes.
Hair tie and minimal jewelry
Tie long hair back and remove watches, bracelets, rings, and necklaces unless the vendor's dress code allows them. Confirm the site's jewelry policy ahead of time.
Plain watch with a second hand or timer
Some skills require you to time a step (for example, at least 20 seconds of handwashing). Confirm whether a watch is permitted or provided, since smartwatches and phones are usually prohibited in the testing area.
Lists of required skills from your training program
Study the skill sheets your program issued, and pay special attention to the steps marked as critical - those typically must be performed correctly or the entire skill is scored as failed. Confirm with your instructor how critical steps are marked.
Practice setup: a timer, a checklist, and a practice partner
Rehearse each skill out loud in the same order you will perform it on test day, narrating hand hygiene, safety checks, and patient privacy. Verbalizing helps you avoid skipped steps under pressure.
Pens or pencils
The site usually provides writing materials for the written or oral portion, but bring two pens only if your confirmation says they are allowed. Confirm what is permitted in the testing room.
Food, water, and any needed medication
Eat a normal meal beforehand and bring water for the wait. If you need medication, ask the provider in advance about rules for bringing it into the facility.
Backup transportation plan
Line up a second way to get to the site. Arriving late can mean forfeiting your seat and fee; confirm the vendor's late-arrival policy.
Contact number for the testing site
Save the testing vendor's phone number in case of a delay, illness, or site change, and know their policy on rescheduling.
Plan the day
Re-read every skill sheet from your training program. Practice the highest-risk skills out loud at least twice each - hand hygiene, measuring and recording vital signs, and any skill involving positioning, transfers, or perineal care. Confirm your test time, location, ID requirements, and dress code with the provider. Set out your clothes and ID the night before.
Do a full timed dry run of the skills in the order you expect them. Stop studying by early evening, eat a normal dinner, and get a full night's sleep. Charge your phone and pack your bag: ID, confirmation paperwork, clothes, shoes, hair tie, and any permitted items. Confirm your ride or route.
Eat breakfast and hydrate. Dress according to the confirmed dress code, leave jewelry at home, and arrive early enough to park and check in without rushing. Use the restroom before check-in. Keep your phone off and stored away before entering the testing area.
Present your ID and paperwork, listen carefully to the proctor's instructions, and ask questions only about the directions or logistics - not about how to perform a clinical step. Note where supplies are stored and how the skills area is arranged.
Read each question fully and answer every item; there is usually no penalty for guessing, but confirm that with the provider. If you finish early, review your answers before submitting.
Before each skill, take a breath and mentally rehearse the first three steps. Narrate your hand hygiene and safety checks, keep the resident's privacy and dignity in mind, and complete every critical step. If you make a mistake, keep going and finish the skill unless the proctor tells you to stop.
Turn in all materials, retrieve your belongings, and ask the proctor how and when results are reported and what the retake process is. Confirm with the provider rather than assuming a timeline.
Rules to check
Follow all proctor instructions. If a direction is unclear, ask the proctor to repeat it - but do not ask for coaching on clinical steps, because that can be treated as cheating.
Phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices are typically prohibited in the testing area. Turn them off and store them as directed before check-in.
Bring only approved items into the testing room. Ask in advance where to store bags, coats, and personal items; storage space may be limited.
Perform hand hygiene at the beginning and end of every skill and verbalize it, along with safety and privacy checks. Skipped critical steps commonly cause a skill to be scored as failed.
Maintain resident dignity throughout: explain what you are doing, provide privacy, and use proper body mechanics. Unsafe technique can be scored as a failure even if the task is completed.
Treat the mannequin or partner and the proctor with professional courtesy. Disruptive behavior or arguing about scoring during the exam may result in removal; raise concerns afterward through the vendor's official process.
Breaks are usually limited and scheduled by the proctor. Ask at check-in whether you may step out between portions of the exam, and confirm the policy with the provider rather than leaving the area unannounced.
Scoring rules, passing standards, the number of skills tested, and retake policies vary - confirm them with your training program and the state-contracted testing vendor before test day rather than relying on secondhand information.
If you are ill or cannot attend, contact the testing vendor as early as possible. Do not arrive sick and assume you will be admitted; confirm the rescheduling and refund policy in advance.