Free CNA Practice Test Massachusetts 2026 — NNAAP Exam Prep Guide

Here is what every Massachusetts CNA candidate needs to know before sitting for the exam — the exam is called the "NACE" and genuinely differs from the generic NNAAP template: • Training required: 75 hours (federal minimum) • Exam vendor: D&S Diversified Technologies / Headmaster (HDmaster), on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) • Written exam: 60 questions, 90 minutes — not the 70-question/2-hour format most states use; available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, plus an audio/remotely-proctored option • Skills exam: 3 to 4 randomly selected tasks, 40 minutes, scored on all critical (bold) steps plus 80% of non-key steps; your first task is always one of 4 mandatory hand-washing-embedded tasks • Exam fee: $100 for the combined Knowledge ($30) + Skill ($70) test; audio version of the knowledge exam is $40 • Retake pricing: up to the 4th attempt on the Knowledge exam, up to the 3rd on the Skill Test — each retake priced separately; the handbook states no overall time-window deadline • Registry: Massachusetts Nurse Aide Registry (MANAR), maintained by DPH If you've studied using a generic "70 questions in 2 hours" practice test, recalibrate — Massachusetts's real exam is 60 questions in 90 minutes, built from HDmaster's own Massachusetts-specific test plan.

To become a Certified Nurse Aide in Massachusetts, you must complete a state-approved CNA training program and pass the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Competency Exam (NACE), administered by D&S Diversified Technologies / Headmaster (HDmaster) on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Massachusetts requires a minimum of 75 hours of CNA training. The exam has two parts: • A Knowledge exam: 60 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes • A Manual Demonstration Skill Test: 3 to 4 randomly selected tasks, 40 minutes You must pass both parts to be listed on the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Registry (MANAR).

Massachusetts doesn't use the national NNAAP content outline — HDmaster's own Massachusetts test plan breaks the 60 questions into 12 content domains: • Role and Responsibility (9 questions) • Basic Nursing Skills (8 questions) • Disease Process (7 questions) • Resident Rights (6 questions) • Safety (6 questions) • Communication (5 questions) • Infection Control (4 questions) • Mental Health (4 questions) • Personal Care (4 questions) • Care Impaired (3 questions) • Aging Process and Restorative Care (2 questions) • Data Collection (2 questions) There's no single dominant category like the 45% Physical Care Skills weighting used elsewhere — Role and Responsibility (15%) and Basic Nursing Skills (13%) are the two largest, so spread your study time across all 12 areas rather than over-indexing on one.

The Massachusetts CNA exam is scheduled through your TMU© account at mc.tmutest.com. A Remotely Proctored Knowledge Exam option is also available, letting you take the knowledge portion from home via a video-conferencing app with a remote proctor — useful if you can't easily reach a physical test site: • Boston • Worcester • Springfield • Lowell • Cambridge • New Bedford • Brockton • Quincy • Lynn • Fall River To find the nearest testing center, remote-proctoring eligibility, and available exam dates, visit hdmaster.com and search for Massachusetts nurse aide, or sign in at mc.tmutest.com.

The Manual Demonstration Skill Test assigns you 3 or 4 randomly selected tasks with scenarios read aloud by the RN Test Observer immediately before each one. You have 40 minutes total, with an alert at the 15-minutes-remaining mark. Your first task is always one of 4 mandatory hand-washing-embedded tasks (assisting with a bedpan, catheter care, donning/doffing a gown and gloves, or perineal care) — handwashing with soap and water must be demonstrated at the end of each mandatory task. To pass, you must correctly perform all critical steps (shown in bold in HDmaster's materials) and at least 80% of non-key steps on each assigned task. All steps must be physically demonstrated — verbalizing what you would do does not count. The Massachusetts Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook, available at hdmaster.com, lists all 17 possible skill tasks and their full checklists.

Massachusetts's 60-question, 90-minute format and 3-4-task skills exam call for different pacing than the generic national format. 1. Take a full 60-question diagnostic practice test before studying. Review your scores across Massachusetts's 12 content domains — Role and Responsibility and Basic Nursing Skills carry the most weight, but no single area dominates the way Physical Care Skills does elsewhere. 2. Practice under timed conditions — 90 minutes for 60 questions. 3. Drill the 4 mandatory hand-washing-embedded tasks until automatic — one of them is guaranteed to be your first skill task. 4. Memorize which steps are "critical" (bold) versus standard on each skill — missing a critical step fails that task outright, while standard steps allow up to 20% error. 5. Target 80% or higher on written practice tests. CertPrepAcademy.com offers a free NNAAP-style practice test with 500+ questions — no account required.

After passing both the Knowledge Test and Skill Test, your name is added to the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Registry (MANAR), listed only after you've met all DPH requirements. Test results are available in your TMU© account after 7:00 PM ET the business day after your test — HDmaster does not mail results or release them by phone. To maintain eligibility, you must renew every 24 months by working at least 8 consecutive paid hours as a nurse aide during the prior 24 months. Nurse aides with misconduct restrictions on the registry are not eligible for renewal. Registry status can be verified through the Massachusetts DPH website.