Nurse aide (CNA)
What the CNA exam costs, and who pays
Independent site, not affiliated with the certifying body or the test vendor. Applications, payments and scheduling happen only on their own websites.
Pick a state to see each fee and its source. Below: a ten-state comparison, the cost of a failed part, and your rights on payment.
- Written exam
- $33
- Oral (audio) version
- $33
- Skills exam
- $92
- Retake, written
- $33
- Retake, skills
- $92
60 questions in 90 minutes; skills: five scored, three assigned plus handwashing and indirect care
Three attempts at each part within 24 months.
Read on Prometric: Texas nurse aide candidate information bulletin (PDF) and Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
First attempt, written and skills
$125
Texas, Prometric
Training programs and employers often pay this fee. Check the vendor's current page before you pay.
The nurse aide exam has no national price: each state contracts with a testing vendor and the fee follows that contract. On the vendor pages read on October 26, 2026, a first attempt at both parts costs $125 in Texas with Prometric ($33 written, $92 skills), $130 in Georgia with Credentia and $175 in Michigan with Headmaster. The skills part is almost always the more expensive one, because an evaluator and a room are needed for each candidate. A retake is paid again, usually only for the part that was failed, at the same price as the first attempt in most states. Federal rules limit who can be charged: under 42 CFR 483.152 and 483.154, an aide who is employed by a nursing facility, or has an offer from one, on the day the program or evaluation begins cannot be charged for any part of it, and a state must arrange pro rata reimbursement for an aide hired by a facility within 12 months of completing a training and competency evaluation program.
What the exam costs
Exam fee
Set by your state
- Example: Texas, Prometric
- $125
- Example: Michigan, Headmaster
- $175
Nurse aide exam fees and vendors change by state: the state table gives ten of them.
Questions, formats and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Ten states side by side
The table gives the first vendor listed for each state. Where a state sells both parts together, the first attempt shows that bundle price. The last column gives the retake fee for the written part, then the skills part.
| State | Vendor | First attempt, both parts | Retake written / skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Credentia | $120 | $40 / $80 |
| Texas | Prometric | $125 | $33 / $92 |
| Florida | Prometric | $155 | $35 / $120 |
| New York | Prometric | $115 | $57 / $68 |
| Pennsylvania | Credentia | $135 | $50 / $85 |
| Illinois | Southern Illinois University Carbondale (INACE) | $85 | $85 per attempt |
| Ohio | (Headmaster) | $120 | $30 / $90 |
| Georgia | Credentia | $130 | $35 / $95 |
| North Carolina | Credentia | $140 | $40 / $100 |
| Michigan | (Headmaster) | $175 | $175 / $175 |
The spread is wide, but the price says nothing about difficulty. It reflects each state's contract with its vendor, not the content of the test, and a few states sell both parts as one bundle.
What a failed part adds
Budget for the realistic case, not the best one. A candidate in Texas who passes the written test but must repeat the skills part pays $33 plus $92, then $92 again: $217 in all (Prometric Texas bulletin). In New York the first attempt comes as a bundle of $115, or $135 with the oral version, while retakes are priced by part: $57 for the written test and $68 for the skills (Prometric New York bulletin). In Illinois there is a single fee of $85 per attempt (Illinois nurse aide testing).
Count time as well as money. A retake means a new appointment, seats at regional sites are not always available the next week, and your attempt window keeps running while you wait. Book the retake as soon as your result arrives, even if you plan to practise for a few weeks first.
The fee calculator near the top lets you add attempts to see the total. The cheapest exam is the one you pass the first time, and the skills part is where an extra attempt costs most, so the practice hours you put into the checklist are the best money you will save.
Who is allowed to charge you
Federal law protects aides who are already hired. Under 42 CFR 483.152, a nurse aide who is employed by a facility, or has received an offer of employment from one, on the date the training and competency evaluation program begins may not be charged for any portion of it, including textbooks and required materials. 42 CFR 483.154 repeats the rule for the competency evaluation alone.
A second rule covers people who paid first and were hired later. If someone not employed by a facility gets a job or a job offer from one within 12 months of completing a training and competency evaluation program, the state must provide for reimbursement of the costs, on a pro rata basis during the period the person works as a nurse aide. How the refund is made differs by state, so ask your employer or the state program, and keep your receipts.
Other costs to plan for
- Training. The program itself is a separate cost from the exam, and its price varies widely. A facility based program may cost an employed trainee nothing, under the rule above.
- Travel. Test sites are regional. Count transport, and possibly a missed shift.
- Rescheduling and no-shows. Vendors set deadlines to move a date; missing your appointment usually forfeits the fee. Read the policy in your handbook before you book.
- Registry renewal. Renewal rules, proof of paid work and any fee are set by each state registry. Check yours once you pass.
Paying the right body
Fees go to the vendor named by your state, often through your training program, which may pay on your behalf. California candidates, for example, can test with Credentia (Credentia fee page) or another approved vendor. This site does not collect any fee and is not affiliated with any vendor or state. To find your vendor before paying, use the state guide; for every certification on this site, the fees and retakes page compares the costs.