Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Official Illinois Nurse Assistant/Aide Competency Examination (INACE) results will be available on the Health Care Worker Registry (HCW) approximately two weeks after testing. Registry status may be verified through the HCW Registry website at http://www.hcwrpub.dph.illinois.gov. If you go to the website, hcwrpub.dph.illinois.gov, in the middle of that page, you will see “Search the Health Care Worker Registry”, where you will be prompted to enter your name (enter last name, first name, — NO middle name or middle initial). Once you enter your name and click search, your name will appear on a separate page. At the end of your name will be a square icon of a silhouette of a person with a magnifying glass. Click on that icon, and another page will open up with your name and other information. At the bottom of that page, you will see the word Competency, and after that will be the date of the test and either an F1, 2 or 3, NS, or P. F = fail, NS = no show, P = Pass. You may print that page out as verification for any employer that wants to know your result of the exam.

If you fail or no show, you may login and reschedule your test.

English as a second language is not considered by the Illinois Department of Public Health to be a disability under which special accommodations may be made for testing. 

A written request for specific testing accommodations from a qualified disability support person along with documentation of a learning disability (Individualized Education Plan) are needed in order to provide accommodations for testing due to a learning disability. This information should be provided to the Nurse Aide Testing Project at least 30 days prior to the desired testing date. If a student requires testing accommodations that cannot be achieved by computer-based testing, the student must contact our office immediately.

If a student requires accommodations specifically referencing paper-based testing, the student must contact the Nurse Aide Testing office at (618) 453 – 4368 or by email at inat@siu.edu.

An individual who has completed an approved nurse aide training program and has met all other requirements of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker Registry may take the competency exam. Those individuals placed on the Health Care Worker Registry based on reciprocity from another state are not required to take the Illinois written competency test. See additional information on our website at: http://www.nurseaidetesting.com/out-of-state-cna-application/. Also, aides approved on the ILLINOIS HEALTH CARE WORKER REGISTRY PRIOR TO January 1, 1990, are NOT required or permitted to take this test.

If a nurse aide is in good standing with no findings of abuse, neglect or theft and has not worked for pay in the nursing-related services for 24 consecutive months or more, the nurse aide may be able to re-certify by manual skills testing and competency testing only. Check out the following link on this website for re-certification information: http://www.nurseaidetesting.com/recertification-process/.

When a student is creating account, they enter their email address, SSN and DOB to verify their eligibility. The student will then enter their email address in the same way and it should match up. It is case specific. The use of a student’s personal email address as opposed to a school email address is important as, when a student finishes school, their school email may be deactivated which causes a student to not be able to access it once they are done.

If a student’s information is entered incorrectly, the only solution is for the student to contact the program coordinator to have their correct information entered on a new roster and submitted so the student will receive an email and then be able to create their account. The NAT office cannot create their account for them if the wrong information is entered.

Certified Nursing Assistants are NOT issued a license, card or credential of any kind by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The nurse aide certification/registry number is the aide’s social security number. Approximately two weeks after testing, test result information is available on the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker Registry at http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/index.htm. Enter your name and verify with your social security number. The individual’s information is provided by computer system. This printable page verifies your Illinois Nurse Aide Registry status.

When you purchase a seat for testing you are given a receipt for payment that contains your test schedule information. You may also use your INACE login ID and password to sign in to your account at any time and verify your test schedule. You should arrive at least 30 minutes before the stated testing time and bring a picture identification, which contains a current photo and your signature (i.e. Illinois driver’s license or Illinois State ID or a Student ID) and two number 2 lead pencils. You will be required to use your login ID and password to sign in to the exam. Failure to have this information will result in your being dismissed from the testing area. You would then need to purchase a future test seat in order to complete your exam.

• Duty A: Communicating Information – 31 tasks
• Duty B: Performing Basic Nursing Skills – 59 tasks
• Duty C: Performing Personal Care Skills – 43 tasks
• Duty D: Performing Basic Restorative Skills – 42 tasks
• Duty E: Providing Mental Health and Social Service Needs – 11 tasks
• Duty F: Providing Residents’ Rights – 14 tasks

The Nurse Aide Competency Exam is scheduled at various test sites across the state on designated dates. The test fee information is available here.

To find test administrations in your area, please log into your INACE account. 

The examinee must bring a photo ID that contains a current picture of the individual and their signature, such as a driver’s license, state ID or student ID. State ID’s can be obtained from a local driver’s examination station. Applicants MAY NOT bring notes, paper, books or other instructional aides to the exam. No electronic devices such as cell phones, e-notebooks, smart watches or other devices which provide internet access or communication are allowed on your person during a test administration. If you are discovered with such a device, your test will be marked “FAILED” and you will be instructed to leave the exam.

• identify the tasks (jobs) that nurse aides perform on the job.
• review important facts and information associated with skills required to perform those tasks.
• practice doing the task.
  (Repetition increases your skill and what you remember about the task.)
• study in small groups.
  (Another person may be able to share information you did not know, explain a concept or procedure that is unclear, and reinforce information you already know.)
• take a timed practice exam.
  (A timed practice exam can help examinees learn how to pace themselves so they can use time efficiently to complete the exam. A practice exam also familiarizes the examinee with the types of questions expected on an exam.)
• review explanations of correct answers.
  (May provide new facts and help understand new information, aid in applying information already known, reinforce current knowledge, increase confidence and reduce anxiety about taking the exam.)