West Virginia CNA

Two parts: a written multiple-choice examination on nurse aide knowledge, and a skills demonstration where you perform selected procedures for an evaluator who scores you against a checklist. Oral and reading-supported versions of the written portion can be requested. You must pass both parts to be listed on the registry.

The official testing program publishes the current question count and time limit, and those figures change from time to time. Check the state nurse aide registry website or the testing vendor's candidate handbook for the number in effect on your test date rather than relying on secondhand information.

The passing standard is set by the state and the testing program, so the current figure should be taken from the official candidate handbook. Ask your training program coordinator if you cannot find it, and confirm before test day so you know exactly what you are aiming for.

Retake rules, waiting periods, and any limits on attempts are set by the testing program and are published in the candidate handbook. In many cases the parts are scored separately, so a candidate who passes skills but not the written portion may only need to repeat the written portion. Confirm your specific situation with the testing vendor.

The written portion is not designed to trick you; it rewards steady preparation. Most failures come from the skills portion, where candidates skip a step under pressure, forget hand hygiene, fail to explain a procedure to the resident, or rush. Slow, deliberate practice with the checklist in hand prevents most of these.

Start with infection control and safety, because those principles appear inside almost every other skill. Then work through personal care and basic nursing skills, followed by nutrition, elimination, and restorative care. Finish with communication, resident rights, psychosocial needs, and legal and ethical topics, which are easier to absorb once the clinical material is familiar.

Handwashing and glove use, indirect care steps like knocking and identifying the resident, providing privacy and draping, and the closing steps such as leaving the call light within reach. Candidates often perform the physical task well but lose points on communication and safety details. Rehearse the full sequence, not just the visible action.

Yes, an oral version of the written examination is available on request, and a reading-supported version may also be arranged. Ask the testing program in advance so the accommodation is set up before your scheduled date rather than on the day of the test.

Registry listing periods and renewal requirements, including any work-hour minimum and in-service education requirement, are set by the state. Because these rules can be revised, check the West Virginia nurse aide registry website for the current requirements well before your listing is due to expire.

Bring the supplies the testing program tells you to bring, arrive early, and read each skill instruction fully before you begin. Talk through what you are doing as you work, treat the evaluator's role-play resident respectfully, and pause between steps instead of rushing. Practicing under timed, observed conditions makes the real day feel routine.