Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in Illinois requires successfully completing a two-part competency examination. This examination serves as the necessary gateway to practice and is a mandatory step for inclusion on the state’s official registry of healthcare workers. Navigating the process of locating an approved testing center and completing the registration steps can be confusing for new applicants due to the number of entities involved. This guide provides the practical steps for prospective CNAs to understand the prerequisites, identify testing locations, and register for the required examination in Illinois.
Meeting Illinois CNA Exam Eligibility Requirements
A candidate must first satisfy several prerequisites before they can be deemed eligible to sit for the state competency examination. The foundational requirement is the successful completion of a state-approved Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP), which is also known as a Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program (BNATP). This program must consist of a minimum of 120 hours of instruction, which is divided between classroom theory and practical clinical experience.
The mandated training hours include at least 80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of supervised on-the-job clinical training. The curriculum specifically requires at least 12 instructional hours dedicated to the care and treatment of residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Furthermore, all applicants must undergo a criminal history records check, as prescribed by the Health Care Worker Background Check Act, and have no administrative findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriated property on any state registry.
The Official Illinois CNA Exam Administrator
The administration of the Illinois Nurse Assistant Competency Examination (INACE) is managed through a partnership between the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and a singular third-party vendor. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU-C) Nurse Aide Testing is the entity responsible for overseeing the entire testing process, including scheduling, site management, and score reporting.
All registration, payment, and scheduling must be processed directly through the SIU-C Nurse Aide Testing program’s online portal. This system is the official link between the candidate and the state-mandated competency evaluation. Upon passing the exam, SIU-C electronically submits the successful results to the Illinois Nurse Aide Registry, which is housed within the IDPH Health Care Worker Registry (HCWR).
How to Find Approved Testing Sites
Identifying an approved testing site is integrated into the official registration portal administered by SIU-C. The testing sites are typically established at approved facilities, such as vocational schools, community colleges, and certain long-term care facilities across the state. These locations serve as the controlled environment for both the written and clinical skills portions of the competency evaluation.
The public search page for testing sites has been removed. To view the current schedule and locations, an applicant must first gain access to the SIU-C Nurse Aide Testing online registration system. Once logged in with their unique ID and password, they can access the full test site schedule to search for available dates and locations.
The Exam Registration Process
The registration process begins once the candidate has successfully completed their approved training program. The program coordinator at the Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program (BNATP) is responsible for electronically submitting a final roster of all successful students to the SIU-C Nurse Aide Testing Project. This roster submission verifies the candidate’s eligibility to test.
Following the roster submission, the candidate receives an email from the INACE program directing them to the registration website. The applicant must create an account, verify eligibility using the provided information, and select a specific testing site, date, and time. Payment for the exam must be made at the time of registration to secure the seat. Registration for the computer-based test must be completed at least 48 hours before the exam date, while the paper-based test often requires registration at least 30 days in advance.
Understanding the Exam Components
The Illinois CNA competency evaluation is a two-part examination designed to test both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for the role. The first component is the Written Examination, which consists of 85 multiple-choice questions. Candidates are allotted 90 minutes to complete this section, covering topics from basic nursing skills to residents’ rights.
The second part is the Clinical Skills Examination, which evaluates the candidate’s hands-on ability to provide safe and effective patient care. This component is based on 21 mandated performance skills. Candidates must demonstrate specific tasks selected randomly from the full list of skills, and they must show competence in all skills tested to pass this section.
Fees, Scheduling, and Retesting Rules
The current fee for the initial examination, which covers both the written and the skills portions, is $85, effective since July 1, 2023. This fee is also the cost for a failed exam retake, and all purchases are final with no refunds or exchanges. A separate fee of $55 is charged for a no-show exam reschedule.
A candidate who fails one or both portions of the test is allowed a total of three attempts to pass the full competency examination within 12 months of their training program completion date. If a candidate fails the exam on the third attempt or allows the 12-month eligibility period to expire, they must complete the full Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program again before being allowed to retest.
What Happens After Passing
Once a candidate successfully passes both the written and clinical skills components of the examination, their results are processed for official certification. Unofficial exam results are typically sent to the candidate’s email address at midnight on the third day following the test date. The official results are then electronically submitted to the Illinois Health Care Worker Registry (HCWR) by SIU-C each Monday before noon.
The candidate’s status on the HCWR is generally updated and available for verification approximately two weeks after the testing date. The HCWR entry serves as the official proof of certification, as the state of Illinois does not issue a physical CNA certificate card or license number. To maintain an active certification status on the registry, a CNA must work at least one 8-hour shift performing nursing or nursing-related services for pay under the supervision of a licensed nurse within a consecutive 24-month period.