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CNA state exam: who runs it in your state

Each state picks its CNA test company: Credentia, Prometric or Headmaster. Five state examples with their test company and fees.

Checked November 15, 2026
A state capitol building in spring
Photo: Pexels

Short answer: Each state chooses who runs its CNA exam, and most use one of three companies: Credentia (the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, NNAAP), Prometric, or D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster). For example, North Carolina uses Credentia (US$140 for both parts), Florida, Texas and New York use Prometric, and Ohio uses Headmaster, so always confirm with your own state's nurse aide registry.

A map-style grid of five states, each tile showing its CNA test company and, where the state publishes it plainly, the exam fee: New York, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas and Florida

Why there is no single national list

Federal rules (42 CFR 483.154) let each state give the competency test itself or approve another organization to give it. The organization may not be a nursing home that takes Medicare or Medicaid. States sign their own contracts, and contracts change.

No official body publishes one current list of every state's test company. The companies' own lists also overlap. On November 15, 2026:

  • Alabama appeared on both Prometric's and Credentia's state lists.
  • California, the District of Columbia, Iowa and Maryland appeared on both Headmaster's and Credentia's pages.

So we do not print a 50-state table. Use the five checked examples below, then confirm your state on its own registry or health department page.

Five state examples

State Test company Fee for both parts Who keeps the registry Registry or state page
North Carolina Credentia (NNAAP) US$140 NC Department of Health and Human Services https://ncnar.ncdhhs.gov/ncna.html
Florida Prometric US$155 Florida Board of Nursing, Department of Health https://floridasnursing.gov/renewals/certified-nursing-assistant/
Texas Prometric US$125 (from September 1, 2026) Texas Health and Human Services Commission https://www.hhs.texas.gov/business/licensing-credentialing-regulation/long-term-care-credentialing/nurse-aide-registry
New York Prometric See the New York manual NYS Department of Health; Prometric manages the registry https://www.prometric.com/exams/nurseaide-ny/
Ohio Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies) See the Ohio handbook (no plain fee table) Ohio Department of Health https://hdmaster.com/ohio/ohio-cna

The fees are the first-time fees for the written (or oral) test plus the skills test. Single parts cost less: in North Carolina the written test alone is US$40 and the skills test alone is US$100; in Texas the written test is US$33 and the skills test is US$92.

Each company's own list of states

These lists come from each company's website on November 15, 2026. They are the companies' statements, not a state's.

  • Credentia (NNAAP): Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Maryland, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, plus an Iowa page.
  • Prometric: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma and Texas. More detail is in Prometric CNA exam: what to expect.
  • Headmaster: CNA programs for Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, plus Kentucky's State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) program.

The test company and the registry are not always the same organization. In New York, Prometric runs both the exam and the registry for the state health department. In North Carolina, Credentia runs the test and the state runs the registry.

How to register with your state's company

The steps are different for each company. Four examples:

  1. Credentia (North Carolina): create an account on Credentia's CNA365 system, apply, and pay for both the written (or oral) test and the skills test the first time. Fees are not refundable.
  2. Prometric (Florida): send a complete application with fees so Prometric receives it at least 50 days before the test date you want. The Florida Board of Nursing then reviews it, which can take up to 30 days, and you must also complete a Level II background screening.
  3. Prometric (Texas): your training program uploads your completion, you apply in the state's TULIP system, and after approval Prometric emails you to schedule and pay.
  4. Headmaster (Ohio): create a TMU account, pay your testing fees online, then choose a test site and date. You cannot schedule before you pay.

In Florida, a training program may send the application for its students. Ask your instructor which company and route apply to you.

What to do next

  1. Go to your state's nurse aide registry or health department website and find the name of its test company.
  2. Download that company's candidate handbook for your state, not another state's.
  3. Read the fee, the time limit after training, and the number of attempts.
  4. Learn what both parts cover in CNA test: what the written and skills parts cover.

Common questions

Can I take the CNA exam in a different state from where I trained?

Each state sets its own rules for people trained elsewhere. North Carolina, for example, has a training waiver for people who finished a state-approved program in another state in the last 24 months and are listed there in good standing.

Is the NNAAP used everywhere?

No. The NNAAP is Credentia's exam. Prometric and Headmaster states use their own tests, with different lengths and skills.

Does my state's company change?

It can. States sign contracts with test companies. Check your state's page each time you register, and use the handbook date as a guide.

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