Texas CNA Skills (Part Thirteen): Resources to Help Prepare for the CNA State Test

The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP), also known as the CNA state test, must be passed by any nurse aide who wants to attain state certification as a CNA. In addition, nurse aides who plan to pass the CNA state test on the very first attempt would be wise to utilize all of the resources they can possibly get their hands on. It also helps that many of the existing resources are completely free!

Fortunately, there are numerous resources out there to help students conquer the state test successfully. Preparation is the key, so the following resources will prove useful only if the student uses them and does not wait until the last minute to cram them in and study during the final hour. In fact, studying for the CNA state test should really be an ongoing process in which small amounts of material are covered each day.

Even though a mountain of testing information exists throughout the deepest crevices of the world wide web, a few of the resources might be terribly outdated or not all that informative. Therefore, a list of more relevant resources have been compiled and listed below to help nurse aide students prepare for the CNA state test. Take a deep breath, relax, prepare, and enjoy your future nursing assistant career!

• Other Schools’ CNA Program Websites: Many CNA programs publish their lecture notes, study guides, PowerPoint presentations, online lessons and other learning materials for free. Click here to get to a series of excellent PowerPoint presentations on CNA lessons from the Kings County Office of Education.
• Texas Curriculum for Nurse Aides in Long Term Care Facilities: This is the official nurse aide curriculum that has been approved for use by the state of Texas. In fact, the theory and skills contained within this curricula are used to formulate the questions and skills scenarios on the Texas CNA state test. Click here to get to the Texas curriculum.
• Illinois State Nursing Exam Practice Test: This is a sample CNA state test that is being offered completely online through the Southern Illinois University website. This exam enables the user to select the number of questions; moreover, it automatically checks the submitted answers for correctness. Unlike the real CNA state test, no time limit have been imposed on this practice test.
• Study Guide Books: There happens to be a myriad of CNA study guides for sale on websites such as Amazon, Ebay and Barnes & Noble that are designed to help test takers prepare for the written portion of the CNA state test. Purchasing one of these study guides might be a wise investment.
• National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Practice Exam: This practice test contains a number of questions that are extremely similar to ones that will be seen on the written section of the CNA state test. Therefore, it would be a good idea to take this practice exam, review the answers, and study the rationales for all the answers. Click here to get to the NNAAP Practice Exam.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS website, which happens to be updated and maintained by the United States Department of Labor on a regular basis, contains the most up-to-date statistics on the nursing assistant role. The BLS site has info such as routine nurse aide duties, work environment, average pay rates, and projected job outlook. Click here to get to the BLS nursing assistant web page.
• Your CNA School: Do not forget to utilize the CNA school that you attended because the instructors can serve as knowledgeable resources. A reputable CNA program will be staffed with instructors who want students to succeed, so it is in the best interests of the school’s staff to assist graduates in preparing for the state test.