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North Carolina Nurse Aide I Examination (NNAAP®)
The North Carolina Nurse Aide I Examination is the state of North Carolina's nurse aide competency exam, delivered by Credentia as the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP®) examination: two required parts — a Written (or Oral) Examination of 70 multiple-choice questions (60 scored, 10 pretest) in 2 hours (oral alternative: 60 read-aloud questions plus 10 word-recognition questions, 2 hours) and a Skills Evaluation in which the candidate performs 5 randomly selected nurse aide skills (including Hand Hygiene and a measurement skill) in 30 minutes; both parts must be passed to be listed on the North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry. Fee USD 140 for the initial written/oral + skills registration.
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QuestionsWritten examination: 70 multiple-choice questions (60 scored, 10 unscored pretest). Oral substitute examination: Part 1 has 60 multiple-choice questions plus Part 2 has 10 word-recognition questions.
Testing timeWritten (or Oral) Examination: 2 hours; Skills Evaluation: 5 skills assessed in 30 minutes
ScoringPassing the exam requires passing BOTH parts: the written (or oral) examination and the skills evaluation; all five performed skills must receive a Satisfactory result ('You must achieve a Satisfactory result on all five skills to pass the skills evaluation'). No numeric passing score for the written/oral examination is published.
Exam feeUSD 140 for the initial combined registration (Written or Oral Examination + Skills Evaluation); retest/single-component fees: USD 40 written only, USD 40 oral only, USD 100 skills only; fees paid at registration by credit/debit card, prepaid card, ACH, or voucher; non-refundable and non-transferable. (NCDHHS fee schedule shows USD 145 initial / USD 45 written or oral retest / USD 100 skills beginning January 1, 2027.)
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NCDHSR
- Category
- Nurse Aide & Nursing Assistant
- Current version
- NNAAP® examination per the 2024 National Nurse Aide Assessment Program content outline, based on the 2019–2020 Job Analysis and Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Study of Nurse Aides published by NCSBN in 2023; North Carolina Candidate Handbook effective 5/1/2026
- Where it applies
- US-NC, United States
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish
- Testing provider
- Credentia
- Format
- Knowledge test (written or oral) delivered at test centers or online with live remote proctoring ('Credentia online proctoring' via webcam; a wired headset is required for the oral exam online); Skills Evaluation performed in person before a Nurse Aide Evaluator
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at Credentia test sites/online sessions; candidates schedule the written/oral exam and skills evaluation through the Credentia Platform after application approval
- Results
- Official test results posted to the candidate's Credentia Platform account within a few hours after the testing event (viewable within 24 hours); results are not given over the phone
- Score validity
- Both the knowledge test and the skills evaluation must be passed within two (2) years of the candidate's Nurse Aide I training program completion date
- Remote testing
- Varies by jurisdiction
Exam structure
Two required parts, both of which must be passed: (1) a knowledge test — Written Examination of 70 multiple-choice questions (60 scored, 10 pretest) covering entry-level nurse aide knowledge for long-term care, or its Oral Examination substitute (Part 1: 60 multiple-choice questions read twice; Part 2: 10 vocabulary word-recognition questions read three times); (2) a Skills Evaluation in which the candidate performs five randomly selected nurse aide skills in 30 minutes — Hand Hygiene (Hand Washing) is always included, along with a measurement skill (e.g., blood pressure, weight) — performed in the order listed on the instruction card, with a candidate volunteer playing the role of a weakened elderly person
Where rules vary
North Carolina-specific competency exam for listing on the North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry; it is the 'state-approved competency exam' for NC nurse aides and passing it qualifies a candidate for the NC Nurse Aide I listing only.
Eligibility
Completion of a North Carolina state-approved Nurse Aide I training program (or an approved training waiver) before applying; registration through the Credentia Platform with a testing application
Retake policy
Three (3) attempts to pass both the knowledge and skills portions within two (2) years of program completion; after three failures (or after the two-year window lapses), the candidate must successfully complete a new state-approved training program before retesting