Free CNA Practice Test New Jersey 2026 — NNAAP Exam Prep Guide

Here is what every New Jersey CNA candidate needs to know before sitting for the exam — New Jersey's sequencing and retest deadline are both genuinely different from most states: • Training required: 90 hours (50 classroom + 40 clinical) • Exam structure: New Jersey splits the exam across two different administrators — the Skills exam is given directly by the State (via HDmaster), and the Written (or Oral) exam is given by PSI. You must pass the Skills exam first before you're even eligible to register for the Written exam. • Written exam: 60 questions, 90 minutes, 75% passing score; available in English (written or oral) or Spanish (oral) • Exam fee: $53 for the English written exam, $67 for the oral version (English or Spanish) — the skills exam has its own separate fee, set by your training program • Retest deadline: you have 2 years from training completion to pass both exams — but once you start testing (your first Skills attempt), you have only 1 year to pass both, or you must restart the entire certification process from scratch • Fingerprinting required: all candidates must complete a Criminal Background Investigation (CBI) and fingerprint appointment — failure to complete both results in disqualification • Registry: New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, maintained by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) The 1-year-from-first-attempt deadline is easy to miss if you assume you have the full 2 years — don't delay once you've passed your Skills exam.

To become a Certified Nurse Aide in New Jersey, you must complete a state-approved CNA training program and pass the New Jersey Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation. Unlike most states, New Jersey splits this across two separate administrators: the clinical Skills exam is given directly by the State (skills evaluation is handled by HDmaster at state-approved sites), and the Written (or Oral) exam is administered by PSI Services, both on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). New Jersey requires 90 hours of CNA training — 50 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of clinical experience in a licensed long-term care facility. You must pass the Skills exam first — it's a prerequisite for even registering for the Written exam. The Written exam is 60 questions, 90 minutes, with a 75% passing score. You have 2 years from training completion to pass both exams, but only 1 year from your first exam attempt — if you don't pass both within that year, you must restart the entire certification process, including retraining.

New Jersey's PSI-administered written exam does not have a publicly available percentage-weighted content breakdown the way some Prometric and HDmaster states do. The 60-question exam (90 minutes, 75% passing) draws from the standard core nurse aide knowledge areas: personal care, safety, infection control, communication, resident rights, and basic nursing skills. The exam is available in English (written or oral) or Spanish (oral only) — selecting the oral or Spanish format adds $14 to the standard written fee and must be requested in advance, not on test day. Because no official percentage breakdown is published, broad preparation across all core topic areas is the safest approach for New Jersey candidates.

The New Jersey CNA written exam is administered by PSI Services at testing centers throughout the state: • Newark • Jersey City • Paterson • Elizabeth • Edison • Woodbridge • Toms River • Hamilton • Trenton • Cherry Hill To find PSI testing locations and available exam dates, visit psiexams.com and search for New Jersey nurse aide. The northern New Jersey and Philadelphia metro areas have the most testing availability. The clinical skills evaluation is administered separately by HDmaster at state-approved skills testing sites, and must be passed before you're eligible to register here.

New Jersey's clinical skills evaluation is administered directly by the State (through HDmaster at state-approved skills testing sites) — and you must pass it before you're even eligible to register for your Written exam with PSI. This skills-first sequencing is unusual; most states let you take either part first or schedule them together. Handwashing is evaluated as part of every skill — perform it correctly at the start and end of each demonstration. New Jersey evaluators pay close attention to infection control steps and resident dignity throughout the skills test. Because the skills exam is a gateway requirement — you can't even sign up for the written exam without passing it first — treat it as the first and most urgent thing to prepare for, not an afterthought you can schedule around the written exam. The New Jersey Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook is available through your training program or the state's skills testing administrator.

New Jersey's skills-first sequencing and tight 1-year-from-first-attempt deadline call for a different preparation strategy than most states. 1. Prepare for the Skills exam first — you cannot register for the Written exam until you pass it, so delays here cascade into your entire timeline. 2. Once you're eligible for the Written exam, take a full 60-question diagnostic practice test. New Jersey doesn't publish a percentage breakdown, so study broadly across personal care, safety, infection control, communication, and resident rights. 3. Decide early whether you'll take the English written, English oral, or Spanish oral version — the oral formats cost $14 more and must be requested before test day, not on the day itself. 4. Complete your fingerprinting and Criminal Background Investigation (CBI) paperwork as early as possible — incomplete CBI steps can delay your certificate even after you pass. 5. Track your 1-year clock from your first exam attempt carefully — don't assume you have the full 2 years from training completion. CertPrepAcademy.com offers a free NNAAP-style practice test with 500+ questions — no account required.

After passing the Written (or Oral) Examination — and provided you've completed the CBI and fingerprinting requirements — you'll receive your nurse aide certificate at the test site the same day. If your CBI isn't complete yet, your photograph is taken and you notify PSI once it clears. Your New Jersey certificate is valid for 24 months from the date you pass the Written (or Oral) Examination. Scores are not sent electronically to the state — review the recertification process directly with NJDOH as your renewal date approaches. Registry status and CBI/licensing questions can be directed to NJDOH; written-exam scheduling and PSI administrative questions go through PSI's New Jersey support line.