CNA practice test

By Ander, medical studentChecked November 2026

Ten original questions, modeled on the areas of the nurse aide written exam. Choose an answer to see why it is right or wrong, along with the rule or guideline behind it.

This is an unofficial study aid. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN, Credentia or any state agency, and these are not real exam questions. Your state's procedures and your facility's policies come first.

Client Rights1. A resident says she does not want the shower scheduled for this morning. What should the nurse aide do?A. Give the shower anyway because it is on the scheduleB. Tell her she will lose a privilege if she refusesC. Respect her choice and let the nurse knowD. Wait until she is distracted and then start the shower

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Federal rules give nursing home residents the right to refuse treatment. Telling the nurse keeps the care team informed. Pressure, threats and tricks all ignore the resident’s choice.

Source: 42 CFR 483.10(c)(6)

Client Rights2. You are about to help a resident with personal care in a shared room. What should you do first to protect privacy?A. Close the door and pull the privacy curtainB. Ask the roommate to look the other wayC. Work quickly so nobody has time to noticeD. Leave the door open in case you need help

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Residents have a right to personal privacy, and that includes personal care. Closing the door and pulling the curtain physically protects it. Asking a roommate to look away or hurrying does not.

Source: 42 CFR 483.10(h)

Legal and Ethical Behavior3. A resident with dementia keeps standing up from a chair. The unit is short-staffed, and a coworker suggests tying a sheet around the resident. What is the right response?A. Do it until the shift gets quieterB. Do not do it, and tell the nurse about the safety concernC. Do it only if the resident’s family agrees by phoneD. Tell the resident that standing up is against the rules

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Residents must be free from restraints imposed for discipline or staff convenience. A busy shift is convenience. The nurse can review the safety concern and look for the least restrictive alternative.

Source: 42 CFR 483.12(a)(2)

Legal and Ethical Behavior4. You see a coworker slap a resident. What should you do?A. Talk to the coworker privately at the end of the shiftB. Wait to see whether it happens againC. Write it in your personal notesD. Report it right away, following your facility’s procedure

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Residents have the right to be free from abuse. Federal rules require facilities to report alleged abuse immediately and no later than 2 hours after the allegation, so waiting or handling it privately is wrong.

Source: 42 CFR 483.12(c)(1)

Basic Nursing Skills5. Your unit has an outbreak of C. difficile. How should you clean your hands?A. With alcohol-based hand sanitizer onlyB. By putting on a second pair of glovesC. By washing with soap and waterD. With a dry paper towel

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Alcohol-based sanitizer is usually preferred in healthcare, but the CDC lists C. difficile outbreaks among the situations that call for soap and water. Gloves and paper towels do not replace hand hygiene.

Source: CDC: Clinical Safety: Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers

Basic Nursing Skills6. A new aide says, “I am wearing gloves, so I can skip hand hygiene.” Which reply is correct?A. Gloves do not replace hand hygieneB. That is correct for most resident careC. That is correct if the gloves are newD. Hand hygiene is only needed when hands look dirty

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. The CDC is explicit that gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene. Hands that do not look dirty still need cleaning, usually with alcohol-based sanitizer.

Source: CDC: Clinical Safety: Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers

Basic Nursing Skills7. A resident cannot change position in bed without help. Which action helps prevent pressure sores?A. Keeping the resident in the most comfortable position all dayB. Repositioning the resident regularly, as the care plan directsC. Raising the room temperatureD. Limiting how often the skin is checked

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Pressure sores come from staying in one position too long. MedlinePlus advises changing position every two hours, and each resident’s care plan sets the schedule to follow.

Source: MedlinePlus: Pressure Sores

Basic Nursing Skills8. You notice water spilled on the hallway floor outside a resident’s room. What should you do?A. Leave it for housekeeping’s next roundB. Step around it and finish your task firstC. Warn residents only if you see them walkingD. Deal with it right away so nobody can slip

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Facilities must keep the resident environment as free of accident hazards as possible. A wet floor is a fall hazard, so it should not wait for someone else.

Source: 42 CFR 483.25(d)

Basic Nursing Skills9. You are finishing care and about to leave a resident’s bedside. Where should the call light be?A. On the wall hook, out of the wayB. At the nurses’ stationC. Within the resident’s reachD. In the bedside drawer

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Federal rules require a call system at each bedside and in toilet and bathing areas so residents can get help. It only works if the resident can actually reach it.

Source: 42 CFR 483.90(g)

Activities of Daily Living10. While helping a resident who has had an episode of incontinence, what is the best way to protect the skin?A. Clean the skin and leave it dryB. Leave the area alone until the next bathC. Cover the wet area with an extra sheetD. Rub the skin hard so it warms up

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. MedlinePlus lists keeping skin clean and dry as a way to prevent pressure sores. Leaving moisture on the skin or covering it does neither.

Source: MedlinePlus: Pressure Sores

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What the real exam covers

Many states use the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, or NNAAP. Its written (or oral) test has 70 multiple-choice questions, of which 10 are unscored trial items, and there is a separate skills demonstration. The 2024 outline splits the 60 scored questions like this:

Area	Share
Activities of Daily Living	22%
Basic Nursing Skills	35%
Restorative Skills	7%
Emotional and Mental Health Needs	8%
Spiritual and Cultural Needs	2%
Communication	7%
Client Rights	8%
Legal and Ethical Behavior	5%
Member of the Health Care Team	6%

Sources: NCSBN 2024 NNAAP content outline; Credentia.

Not every state uses this exam, so check the format with your state's nurse aide registry. To see what the job pays, read about pay across healthcare jobs.