Renewing a Certified Nursing Assistant License

Planning a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) career is a great move for all students who are interested in a nursing career. But after you’ve finished the course you do need to apply for the state licensing exam in your state. The exam is basically comprised of two parts: theory and practical.

Practical exam

The exam is carried out by a state examiner who will ask you to carry out four to five clinical tests on a volunteer. The examiner will be watching you carefully during the clinical test so ensure that you follow the basic procedures of cleanliness and patient hygiene before you start on your test. Usually examiners will tell you immediately if you’ve passed or not at the end of the exam.

Theoretical exam

After that you will have to pass your theory test which is based on the coursework you will have completed during your clinical training. Most of the questions are simple and you will be well prepared to handle them. You can also prepare by taking free online tests present at several websites. Once you’ve completed the test, you will get your results in about ten to fifteen days and then you will get your licensing.

Once you’ve passed the exam, you will be given temporary and then permanent registration with the State licensing board. This licensing is however for a limited period of time. In most states the license lapses once a year and you have to renew it annually.

New licenses will be issued every year after you pay the renewal fee to the state licensing board. You will have to pay a large amount for the initial license registration and the fee varies from state to state. The annual renewal may be for a much smaller amount, almost half of the initial registration fee. A few states may have continuing education requirements for renewing your license so check with your local licensing authority before you renew your license. States like Alaska have a requirement for about 160 hours of paid employment after you’ve received your primary registration to have your license renewed.

Most state boards will inform you about the renewal of you license with a renewal notice that is mailed to your registered address. Please remember to verify and update the State registration address or your license could lapse permanently. The renewal notice will reach you at least sixty days before your license expiration date. If you cannot make it to the office, you can also renew your license online with a secure online payment system. Online payment is the easiest method for renewing licenses and almost 50% of all licenses get renewed this way.