How to Pass the CNA Exam: A Two-Week Plan for Both Parts

What is the secret to passing the CNA written exam?

There is no secret, but there is a pattern: the right answer is almost always the safe one, the one that respects the client's rights, and the one that keeps you inside your role and tells the nurse.

Safety first
Brakes locked, bed low, call light in reach, side rails only as the care plan says. When two answers look right, choose the one that prevents a fall, a choke or an infection.
The client decides
Clients may refuse care, choose their clothes and keep their routines. You explain, offer and report a refusal; you never force, scold or trick.
Report, don't diagnose
New pain, confusion, redness, a change in intake or output: tell the nurse now, not at the end of the shift. You observe and report; you do not decide what it means.
Stay in scope
No medicines, no sterile procedures, no changing oxygen or tube settings, no taking orders from a doctor in the hall. Tell the nurse.
Privacy and dignity
Close the door and curtain, expose only what you are washing, knock and wait, speak to adults as adults.

What are the most common mistakes on the CNA test?

Choosing the kind answer over the correct one, acting when you should report, and answering from what your clinical site did instead of the textbook rule.

Giving plain water to a client on thickened liquids because they asked for it.
Raising both side rails to stop a client climbing out of bed: that can be a restraint, and needs the nurse and the care plan.
Waiting to report pain, a fall or a change in vital signs until the end of the shift.
Accepting a tip, or a gift of money, because refusing seems rude.
Calling an adult "sweetie" or a brief a "diaper".
Choosing "ask the family" when the client can decide for themselves.

Every one of these is worked through, with its rule, in the CNA test questions.

How should I use practice tests for the written exam?

Sit a full 70-question mock on the 2-hour clock to get a baseline, then spend most of your time on the section that scored lowest, and read every explanation, including for questions you got right.

Our mocks are weighted to the 2024 NNAAP outline, so your section scores show where the marks are. Basic nursing skills is 35% of the real exam on its own, so if it is weak, start there. Each section has a guide with a free 12-question drill: daily living, basic nursing skills, psychosocial care and the role of the nurse aide.

Do not chase speed. The real exam gives about 103 seconds a question, which is plenty. Read the last line of the question first ("what should the nurse aide do first?"), then the situation, then all four options before choosing.

How do I practise for the CNA skills test?

Get your state's official skills list and practise each skill in order, saying each step out loud, with a partner reading the checklist back to you. Hand hygiene and one measurement skill are on every test, so perfect those first.

Start and end every skill the same way: knock, introduce yourself, identify the client, explain what you will do, provide privacy, and at the end leave the call light in reach, the bed low and wash your hands. These opening and closing steps are on almost every checklist and cost nothing to get right.

For measurement skills, practise the arithmetic too: doubling a 30-second count, converting ounces to milliliters, reading a graduate at eye level. Our mocks include generated measurement questions for exactly this reason.

Time yourself. Five skills in about 30 minutes is not rushed, but hesitation adds up. If you make a mistake, say so and redo the step before moving on.

Eight mocks, then the real one

8 full CNA-style mocks, 16 section drills and every answer explained, so day 13 is not a guess.

The CNA Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The CNA Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See what is inside the CNA Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 16
topic drills: 1
score predictor

What is a good two-week CNA study plan?

Week one finds and fixes your weak areas on the written test while you drill the skills; week two proves it on full mocks and polishes the skills you are least sure of.

Our two-week plan, 30 to 45 minutes a day
Day	Written test	Skills test
1	Full timed mock; note your two weakest sections	Hand hygiene until perfect, timed
2	Drill the weakest section; read every explanation	Pulse and respirations, counted and recorded
3	Learn the rules list above; drill the second-weakest section	Blood pressure or urinary output
4	Client rights and abuse: the role of the nurse aide drill	Transfer to a wheelchair with a belt
5	Infection control and safety: basic nursing skills drill	Perineal or catheter care
6	Rest or a light review of missed questions	Range of motion, positioning on the side
7	Second full mock; compare section scores	Two random skills from your list
8-9	Drill whatever is still under 80%	Feeding, mouth care, dentures
10	Psychosocial care and dementia drill	Dressing a client with a weak arm
11	Third full mock	Five random skills in 30 minutes
12	Review every explanation from mock three	Fix the steps you hesitated on
13	Fourth full mock; aim for 85%	One more timed run of five skills
14	Light review and sleep	Rest

What should I do on the day of the CNA exam?

Arrive early with the ID and paperwork your handbook lists, dress for the skills test (closed shoes, a watch with a second hand if allowed), and read every written question to the end before answering.

Most test centers will not let you in late, and ID rules are strict: the name must match your registration exactly. Check your handbook the night before.

In the written test, flag nothing and leave nothing blank; an unanswered question is simply wrong. If two answers look right, choose the safer one. In the skills test, talk through what you are doing; it keeps you on the checklist and shows the evaluator each step.

If you are aiming at nursing school after this, the next exam is usually the TEAS or the HESI A2.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I study for the CNA exam?

Two weeks of 30 to 45 minutes a day is enough for most people who have finished their training. Start earlier if your first full mock is under 60%.

What is the hardest part of the CNA exam?

For most people the skills test, because missing one critical step fails a skill. Practise from your state's official list.

How many people pass the CNA exam the first time?

States and vendors publish pass rates inconsistently and we could not confirm a current national figure, so we do not quote one.

Should I take the oral version of the written test?

If reading English slows you down, yes: in NNAAP states the oral version covers the same content and is read aloud to you. Choose it when you register.

What should I bring to the CNA exam?

What your handbook lists, usually two forms of ID with matching names and your admission letter. Some skills tests require a watch with a second hand. Check the night before.

Make the real exam your ninth

8 full mocks, 16 section drills and a practice predictor, in one payment with no subscription.