Free CNA Practice Test Alabama 2026 — NNAAP Exam Prep Guide

Here is what every Alabama CNA candidate needs to know before sitting for the exam — Alabama is unusual in that it genuinely runs two different testing pathways side by side: • Training required: 75 hours (federal minimum), including hands-on clinical practice • Exam vendor: most Alabama training programs test through Prometric; some private and facility-based programs test through Credentia instead — ask your training program which one applies to you • Prometric path: a 55-question written (or oral) exam, 90 minutes, built from Prometric's own 5-domain Alabama test plan (not the standard NNAAP 6); clinical skills test is 5 skills (3 assigned + handwashing + indirect care, always scored), 31–40 minutes • Credentia path: the standard national NNAAP exam — 70 questions, 2 hours, 6 content areas, 70% passing • Exam fee: Prometric's regional-site fee totals $115 (clinical skills $40 + written/oral $35 + test site administration $40); Credentia-administered programs report fees closer to $135 • Retake limit: up to 3 attempts at each portion, all within 2 years of your training completion date; a 3rd failure requires retraining • Registry: Alabama Nurse Aide Registry (ANAR), maintained by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) If your practice materials assume one fixed format, check with your training program first — Alabama candidates genuinely sit for two different exams depending on which vendor their program uses.

To become a Certified Nurse Aide in Alabama, you must complete a state-approved CNA training program and pass the Alabama Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation, administered on behalf of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) by one of two vendors: Prometric or Credentia, depending on which training program you attend. Alabama requires a minimum of 75 hours of CNA training, including hands-on clinical practice. Candidates who test through Prometric take a 55-question written (or oral) exam (90 minutes) plus a 5-skill clinical evaluation. Candidates who test through Credentia take the standard national NNAAP exam — 70 questions, 2 hours, plus a 5-skill clinical evaluation. You must pass both the written/oral test and the clinical skills test within the same eligibility period — within 2 years of your training completion date — to be listed on the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry (ANAR).

Alabama's written exam content depends on which vendor administers your test. Prometric's Alabama-specific test plan breaks its 55 questions into 5 content domains: • Basic Nursing Care Provided by the Nurse Aide (26%) • Promotion of Function and Health of Residents (24%) • Role of the Nurse Aide (18%) • Promotion of Safety (18%) • Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health (14%) (Prometric's own content-outline page header in some printings lists "60 questions" — the bulletin's own written description of the test is 55 questions; use 55 as the authoritative figure for study pacing.) Credentia's exam instead follows the standard national NNAAP format — 70 questions across the familiar six content areas, led by Physical Care Skills at 45%. Confirm with your training program which vendor you're registered with before you start studying, since the two formats are genuinely different exams.

Alabama's CNA exam is administered through nursing homes and state-approved training programs that serve as approved Prometric or Credentia test sites. You must contact your test site directly to schedule — Alabama does not use a small number of centralized regional testing centers the way some states do. Known approved sites include training programs such as Your Choice CNA Academy (Alabaster), Saad's CNA School (Mobile), and Northeast Alabama Community College (Rainsville), among others across the state. To find your assigned test site and available dates, check with your training program first — they will tell you whether you test through Prometric (prometric.com/NurseAide/AL) or Credentia (credentia.com), and will confirm your appointment and required documentation.

If you're testing through Prometric, your clinical skills test is a timed evaluation: you're assigned 3 skills by computer, and automatically scored on 2 more — handwashing and "indirect care" (resident rights, communication, resident safety, and infection control, observed throughout). You must pass all 5 skills to pass. Your time limit ranges from 31 to 40 minutes depending on which 3 tasks you're assigned. If you're testing through Credentia, you'll demonstrate 5 randomly selected skills from the national NNAAP skill list, scored against the standard checklist. Either way, handwashing is evaluated as part of every skill — incomplete or skipped hand hygiene is one of the most common reasons Alabama candidates fail the skills test. Review the Alabama Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook from whichever vendor administers your exam for the complete skills list and required steps.

Alabama's written exam pass rate for first-time candidates is approximately 70–75%. Since Alabama genuinely runs two different exam formats, your first step should be confirming which one applies to you. 1. Ask your training program whether you'll test through Prometric or Credentia — the question counts, timing, and content breakdown are different. 2. If you're on the Prometric path, take a full 55-question diagnostic test and review your scores across the 5 Alabama-specific content domains — Basic Nursing Care (26%) and Function/Health (24%) carry the most weight. 3. If you're on the Credentia path, use standard NNAAP practice materials — 70 questions across the familiar six content areas, with Physical Care Skills at 45%. 4. Either way, practice the handwashing and indirect-care steps until they're automatic — these are scored on every skills test regardless of vendor. 5. Aim for 80% or higher on practice tests before scheduling your real exam. CertPrepAcademy.com offers a free NNAAP-style practice test with 500+ questions across all content areas — no account required.

After passing both parts of the Alabama exam — within the same eligibility period — your name is added to the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry (ANAR) maintained by ADPH. Alabama employers are required to verify registry status before hiring any nurse aide. Your Alabama CNA certification is valid for 24 months. To maintain active status, you must work as a nurse aide for at least 8 hours for pay during each renewal period. If your certification lapses due to non-employment, you will need to retake the competency exam to be reinstated. You can verify Alabama nurse aide registry status through the ADPH website or by contacting the ADPH Nurse Aide Registry directly.