Introduction

Welcome, and congratulations on your decision to take the professional Nurse Aide’s test. This handbook is designed for candidates who want to be listed on the Rhode Island Nurse Aide Registry. It tells you how to apply for and take the National Nurse Aide Examination.

This handbook will answer many of your questions about the test. Please take the time to read it and keep it so you can refer to it whenever you have a question about the test.

Exam Overview

There are two parts of the NNAAP Examination, the Written (or Oral) Examination and the Skills Evaluation. You will take both of these on the same day. You must pass both parts in order to be listed on the Rhode Island Nurse Aide Registry.

The written part of your test is made of seventy (70) multiple-choice questions written in English. Sample examination questions are provided in this handbook. Please note: If you have difficulty reading English, you can take an Oral Examination instead of the Written Examination. 

The Oral Examination includes sixty (60) multiple-choice questions plus ten (10) reading comprehension/word recognition questions. If you want to take the Oral Examination, you must request it when you submit your registration form.

For the Skills portion of your test, you will be asked to perform five (5) randomly selected nurse aide skills. You will be rated on these skills by a Nurse Evaluator. You can review The Written (or Oral) Exam and The Skills Evaluation for more details about the NNAAP Examination.

See Written (or Oral) Exam and Skills Evaluation for more details on the parts of the NNAAP Examination.

National Nurse AIDE Assessment Program (NNAAP®)

The Nursing Home Reform Act, adopted by Congress as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA ’87), was designed to improve the quality of care in long-term health care facilities and to define training and evaluation standards for nursing assistants who work in such facilities. Each state is responsible for following the terms of this federal law.

The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) is an examination program designed to determine minimal competency to become a certified nursing assistant in your state. The NNAAP was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc., (NCSBN) to meet the nurse aide evaluation requirement of federal and state laws and regulations. Credentia is the authorized administrator of the NNAAP in your state.

The NNAAP Examination is an evaluation of nursing assistant-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. The NNAAP Examination is made up of both a Written (or Oral) Examination and a Skills Evaluation. The purpose of the NNAAP Examination is to test that you understand and can safely perform the job of an entry-level nursing assistant.