The Prometric CNA application registers you for the nurse aide competency exam in states that contract with Prometric, and you can submit it on paper or through the online portal at oap.prometric.com. To get it accepted the first time, you need to pick the correct certification route, enter your name exactly as it appears on your photo ID, have your training coordinator complete their section with the right program code, and pay the state fee. Prometric currently runs the exam in roughly a dozen states, including New York, Texas, Florida, Connecticut, and Alabama, and the form is substantially the same in each.
Pick the Correct Certification Route
The first field on the application asks which route you qualify under. This choice controls what documents you attach and which sections you fill in, and selecting the wrong route is one of the fastest ways to get an application returned. Connecticut’s routes are typical:
- Route 1 — New Nurse Aide: you finished a state-approved training program and are testing for the first time.
- Route 2 — Nurse or Student Nurse: you are enrolled in or graduated from an approved nursing program and can produce academic verification.
- Route 3 — Out-of-State Nurse Aide: you hold an active CNA certification elsewhere and are seeking reciprocity.
- Route 4 — Lapsed Nurse Aide: your prior certification expired and you need to retest.
- Route 5 — Previous Test Candidate: you took the exam within the last 24 months and are retaking one or both portions.
- Route 7 — Reciprocity: a pathway tied to specific state agreements.
If you graduated from a CNA training program and have never tested, you are Route 1. If you are a nursing student, you are Route 2 even though you also completed clinical hours. Read your state’s version of the descriptions closely, because the training coordinator section and the required attachments change based on the box you check.
Enter Your Personal Information
Write your full legal name exactly as it appears on the government-issued photo ID you will bring on test day. The application warns explicitly that if the name on your application does not match your ID, you will not be allowed to test and you will forfeit your fees.1Prometric. New York Certified Nursing Assistant Examination Application If your legal name has changed since any earlier Prometric exam, attach the supporting document: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court-issued name change order.
You will also enter your Social Security Number, date of birth, mailing address, phone number, and email. The email matters: your Authorization to Test letter arrives there.
Training Program Section
Route 1 candidates need their training program coordinator to complete a section certifying that you finished a state-approved program.1Prometric. New York Certified Nursing Assistant Examination Application The coordinator enters the training program code, the program name, and your completion date. The program code is assigned by the state and links your file to the correct school in Prometric’s system. Your instructor should know it, and it usually appears on your graduation certificate. Entering the wrong code, or leaving it blank, delays your application while Prometric contacts you for a correction.2Prometric. Prometric Nurse Aide Exam Application
Route 2 candidates typically submit an official transcript or a registrar’s letter verifying enrollment or degree completion in place of the coordinator section.
One deadline to write down now: your training certificate is valid for testing purposes for two years from the date you completed the program.3Prometric. New York State Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook If that window closes before you pass both portions of the exam, you have to retake the entire training program.
Choose Your Exam Components and Site
The exam has two parts: a written knowledge test and a clinical skills test. On the application you can register for both together or for just one, which is what you’ll do if you already passed one portion and are retesting the other. An oral version of the knowledge test is available in most states to any candidate who prefers it, and you do not need to apply for a special accommodation to take it.4Prometric. Nurse Aide Frequently Asked Questions
You also pick a preferred testing site. If you are registering for both parts, choose a location that administers the clinical skills exam, since not every site offers it on every date.
Pay the Fee
Exam fees vary by state and by whether you are registering for both portions or one. They generally fall in the range of $100 to $130 per component, and your state’s candidate handbook lists the exact figures. Payment is normally by credit or debit card. Some employers and training facilities sponsor candidates with institutional vouchers; if your facility is paying, confirm how the voucher applies before you submit.
A federal rule worth knowing: if a nursing facility employed you (or gave you a job offer) at the time you started your training program, that facility cannot charge you for the exam or training materials.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1395i-3 – Requirements for, and Assuring Quality of, Care in Skilled Nursing Facilities If a facility is trying to pass those costs on to you, push back.
After You Submit: The Authorization to Test
Once Prometric has your completed application and payment, staff verify your training records and documentation. In New York, Prometric advises contacting them if you have not received your Authorization to Test (ATT) letter within 10 to 14 business days.1Prometric. New York Certified Nursing Assistant Examination Application Processing time in other states can differ, but that range is a reasonable expectation.
The ATT arrives by email with instructions for scheduling your specific date and time. In New York the ATT is valid for 60 days; if you do not test within that window you forfeit it and must reapply with a new fee.3Prometric. New York State Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook Check your state’s handbook for the exact validity period. Popular sites fill up, so schedule as soon as the letter lands.
Retake Rules if You Need to Reapply
If you fail one portion, you only reapply for that portion. You get three attempts to pass each component within a 24-month window from the date you completed your training program. If you do not pass within those three tries, you have to complete a new training program before you can test again.6Prometric. Demystification of Clinical Exam 2025 Each retake requires a fresh application and a new fee.
Two clocks run at the same time: the three-attempt limit per component, and the two-year expiration on your training certificate.3Prometric. New York State Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook If you pass one portion but not the other, do not let months pass before retaking the failed part.
Requesting ADA Accommodations Before You Apply
If you need a testing accommodation beyond the standard oral exam option, you submit a separate Accommodation Request Packet before you send in the exam application. The packet includes your testing application, a Candidate Accommodation Request Form, and a Professional Evaluation Form completed by a qualified diagnosing professional. The specialist has to be appropriate to the disability, so a general internist cannot diagnose a reading disability or a mental health condition.7Prometric. Nurse Aide ADA Accommodations Request Packet
All supporting documentation must be dated within one year of your request. Prometric reviews completed packets within 30 business days, and if you need a reader, recorder, sign language interpreter, or specialized equipment, they require at least 30 business days of advance notice to arrange it.7Prometric. Nurse Aide ADA Accommodations Request Packet Incomplete packets are not processed at all, so verify every piece before you send it. The 30-day review runs before you even receive an ATT, so a late start can push your exam date out by months.