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Massachusetts Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation
The Massachusetts Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation is the two-part state certification exam (multiple-choice knowledge test plus clinical skill test) that candidates must pass to be listed on the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Registry; it is approved by the Department of Public Health and delivered through its testing vendor D&S Diversified Technologies (HEADMASTER).
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions60 multiple-choice questions on the Knowledge Exam (an Audio version of the Knowledge Exam is available for an additional fee)
Testing time60 minutes for the Knowledge Exam; 40 minutes for the Skill Test (three or four assigned tasks)
ScoringPass/fail on each part; candidates must pass both the knowledge test and the skill test. To pass the Skill Test, all critical (bolded) steps and 80% of non-key steps must be performed correctly on each assigned task. No knowledge-test cut score is published
Exam feeUSD 30 for the Knowledge Exam (USD 40 for the Audio version); USD 70 for the Skill Test; retakes cost the same per-part fee
Prep options
Study resources for MA Nurse Aide Exam
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- MA DPH
- Category
- Nurse Aide & Nursing Assistant
- Current version
- Massachusetts NA Candidate Handbook, effective May 2026; knowledge exam content per the DPH-approved Massachusetts test plan
- Where it applies
- US-MA, United States
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chinese
- Testing provider
- D&S Diversified Technologies LLP (HEADMASTER)
- Format
- Knowledge Exam computer-delivered via the TMU system at a test site or remotely proctored from home (two internet-connected devices required); Skill Test is an in-person manual demonstration observed by an RN Test Observer
- Availability
- Scheduled by appointment through the D&S TMU account (register online, pay by credit card or mailed payment); appointments can be rescheduled online or by phone up to 1 business day before the test event
- Results
- Official results in the TMU account after 8:00 PM ET on the business day after the test event (no results by phone or postal mail); Mass.gov advises allowing at least three weeks for results to appear on the license verification website
- Credential validity
- Certification is maintained by renewing registry eligibility every 24 months, which requires at least 8 hours of paid nurse aide work during the previous 24 months
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
Two parts taken through D&S HEADMASTER: (1) a 60-question multiple-choice Knowledge Exam drawn from 12 DPH-approved subject areas with published counts (Basic Nursing Skills 8, Role and Responsibility 9, Disease Process 7, Resident Rights 6, Safety 6, Communication 5, Infection Control 4, Mental Health 4, Personal Care 4, Aging Process and Restorative Care 2, Care Impaired 3, Data Collection 2); (2) a Manual Demonstration Skill Test of three or four randomly assigned DPH-approved nurse aide tasks — one mandatory task with embedded hand washing plus two or three additional tasks — observed and scored by an RN Test Observer
Where rules vary
The exam is the Massachusetts state nurse aide competency evaluation under 105 CMR 156.00; passing both parts is required for listing on the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Registry
Eligibility
Completion of a DPH-approved Massachusetts Nurse Aide Training Program, or a DPH Nurse Aide Training Waiver under 105 CMR 156.100; training programs register students through D&S, who then receive an email to complete test registration
Retake policy
Four attempts for the knowledge portion and three attempts for the skill portion; after exhausting attempts, a new DPH-approved training program is required before retesting (retakes cost the same per-part fee)