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.

Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines and the Privacy Act of 1974 as Amended forbids the Nurse Aide Testing Project from releasing by phone, fax or e-mail any personal information regarding an applicant for the nurse aide examination.

The Illinois Department of Public Health-Health Care Worker Registry provides online access to information regarding nurse aide’s status. Illinois state law requires employers of nurse aides to verify a nurse aide’s status through the Health Care Worker Registry and they are NOT to accept any other documentation as proof of test result or eligibility.

The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam is a pass/fail exam. The cut-off score for the pass/fail result is information that cannot be released according to the agreement between the Illinois Department of Public Health and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

An employer is required by state law to contact the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker Registry in order to verify a nurse aide’s status on the Health Care Worker Registry. You may print your HCW Registry profile page as verification for any employer that wants to know your result of the exam. There are no CNA certificate numbers for the State of Illinois. If you are completing a general application form that asks for your certificate number, enter not-applicable (N/A) and attach a print out of your Registry verification page.

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, he/she 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/.

Current nursing students who wish to take the Nurse Aide Examination must meet specified criteria in order to be submitted for approval. Check out the following link on this website for Fundamentals of Nursing student competency testing: http://www.nurseaidetesting.com/fundamentals-of-nursing/.

Individuals who “No Show” for a scheduled exam may use their INACE login ID and password to access his/her account where a future testing seat may be purchased according to the current fee schedule for the next available testing cycle.

Any questions regarding your criminal background should be directed to the Registry staff at 217-785-5133, or via email at: Healthcare Worker Registry

A nurse aide may take and fail the examination three times before he/she is required to retrain. All three tests must occur within 12 months of the program completion date. After the 12 month eligibility period, a student would need to complete a new training program before becoming eligible to test again.

Please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health website at http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/cnafacts.htm.

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.

• 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

• 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.)