Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Question: When will I receive my test results?
How?
Answer: Nurse aide examination results must be provided to
applicants by U.S. mail. Result letters will be mailed to students
approximately two weeks after all test materials have been received from each
test site. Information will be available on the Illinois Department of Public
Health Registry approximately three weeks after testing. Registry status may be
verified through the Illinois Department of Public Health Nurse Aide Registry
automated phone registry system almost 24 hours a day at 217-782-3070 or through
the website at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/home.htm.
VERIFICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES MUST BE DONE USING ONLY THE NURSE AIDE'S
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
Question: Can I call the Nurse Aide Testing
Office and get my test results by phone?
Answer: Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines and the
Privacy Act of 1974 as Amended forbids the Nurse Aide Testing Project from
releasing by phone, fax or e-mail any personal information regarding an
applicant for the nurse aide examination.
Question:
How do I get a copy of my results if I
lost mine or did not receive them by mail?
Answer: The result letter you receive from the Nurse Aide Testing
Project is NOT an official document and serves no purpose other than to
communicate to the individual his/her exam result. The Illinois Department of
Public Health Nurse Aide Registry provides employers with immediate access to
information regarding nurse aides' status. Illinois state law requires employers of nurse aides to verify a
nurse aide’s status through the Registry
and they are NOT to accept a result letter as proof of eligibility. If an individual
wants a duplicate letter for his/her records, he/she may send a $7 money order
along with a written request including his/her name, social security number,
approximate month and year of testing and current address to the Nurse Aide
Testing Project and a duplicate letter will be sent.
Question:
English isn’t my primary speaking
language. Is an exam version available in my native language?
Answer: English as a second language is not considered by the
Illinois Department of Public Health to be a disability under which special
accommodations may be made for testing. However, if an applicant is working for
a facility that can verify their resident population is 50% of a particular
language, a translated exam may be made available.
Question:
What is the score I must receive in
order to pass the exam?
Answer: The Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Exam is a pass/fail
exam. The cut-off score for the pass/fail result is information that cannot be
released according to the agreement between the Illinois Department of Public
Health and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Question:
I need my results letter so I can
apply for a job. What should I do?
Answer: The results letter you receive by mail from Southern
Illinois University is NOT an official document and serves only to communicate
your testing result. An employer is required by state law to contact the
Illinois Department of Public Health Nurse Aide Registry in order to verify a nurse aide’s
status on the Registry.
Question:
It has been more than 2 years since I
have worked as a nurse aide. Do I have to take the training program over again?
Answer: If a nurse aide is in good standing with no findings of
abuse, neglect or t heft and has not worked for pa y in the nursing-related
services for 24 consecutive months or more, he/she may be able to re-certify by
either retraining and testing or testing only. Contact the Illinois Department
of Public Health at 217-785-5133 for re-certification information.
Question:
I am a nursing student and want to
work as a CNA while I go to school. Can I just take the exam?
Answer: Nursing students who wish to take the Nurse Aide Examination
must first be approved on the Illinois Nurse Aide Registry. Contact the Illinois Department of Public Health
at 217-785-5133 to obtain the form to submit for approval.
Question:
I missed my scheduled exam.
Can I
reschedule?
Answer: Individuals who “No Show” for a scheduled exam will receive
a letter and application form in the mail approximately two to three weeks after
the scheduled examination. You must submit the application with a copy of the
letter and a $15 money order by the postmark deadline to be eligible for the
next available testing.
Question: I have a conviction on my record.
Will
I be able to take the test and be listed as a certified CNA?
Answer: Southern Illinois University facilitates the criminal background
check process, however, the project does not make decision regarding an
individuals ability to be placed on the registry. Any questions regarding your
criminal background should be made to the Legal Services Office, Illinois
Department of Public Health at 217-782-2043.
Question:
How many times can I fail the test
before I have to re-train?
Answer: A nurse aide may take and fail the examination three times
before he/she is required to retrain.
Question:
I received special accommodations for
testing due to a disability. Are special testing accommodations available to me
for the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: A written request for specific special accommodations from
your nurse aide instructor or program coordinator along with documentation of a
learning disability are needed in order to provide special accommodations for
testing. This information should be provided to the Nurse Aide Testing Project
at least 30 days prior to the desired testing date.
Question:
How do I reach the Illinois Department
of Public Health?
Answer: The Illinois Department of Public Health, Nurse Aide Registry's
24-hour verification number is (217)
782-3070. Their web address is
http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/home.htm. Verification must ONLY be done by
an aide's social security number.
Question:
When will I receive my nurse aide
license or certificate? Where do I find my license number?
Answer: Certified Nursing Assistants are NOT issued a license,
certificate, card or credential of any kind by the Illinois Department of Public
Health or Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The nurse aide
certification/registry number is the aide's social security number.
Approximately three weeks after testing test result information is available
when you call the Illinois Department of Public Health Nurse Aide Registry at
217-782-3070 and enter your social security number. The individual's
information is provided by computer system followed by a confirmation number.
This is the number that verifies your Illinois Nurse Aide Registry status.
Question:
Why do employers want a copy of my
result letter if they are required to check the registry for my employment
eligibility?
Answer: Employers may wish to have a copy of the letter for your
records, however the document is unofficial and cannot be used to verify your
status on the Illinois Nurse Aiade Registry. If an audit is conducted, a copy of your registry
information from the Internet must be on file or a record of your confirmation
number as listed by the telephone registry.
Question:
Can I work as a nurse-aide without
taking the exam?
Answer: A nurse aide may work in a long-term care facility up to 120
days after successfully completing an approved Illinois nurse aide training
program while waiting to take and pass the Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation. If
the exam has not been passed within 120 days of employment as a nursing
assistant, the employer is required to
remove the aide from a direct care position until the exam has been
passed.
Question:
What are the most common reasons for
having your application returned?
Answer: Applications are frequently returned either because they are
incomplete, appropriate fees are not enclosed, there is no verification of
program completion, or a criminal background check is not enclosed or on
record.
Question:
When will I receive notification that
my application has been processed and I have been scheduled to test?
Answer: Confirmation letters are mailed to the address coded on the
individual’s application form approximately 10 days prior to the scheduled test
date. If you have not received your confirmation letter 5 days prior to the
date you requested to test, check the Registration portion of this web-site to
obtain your testing information. You are not required to have your confirmation
letter to gain entrance to the examination. You should arrive at least 15
minutes before the stated testing time and bring along a picture identification,
which contains a current photo and your signature (i.e. Illinois driver’s
license or Illinois state ID or a Student ID) and two number 2 lead pencils.
Question: Who may take the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: Any nursing assistant on the Illinois Nurse Aide Registry, who
was added based on completion of an Illinois approved nurse aide program or by
equivalency, since January 1, 1990, is eligible to take the written competency
test, as long as they meet other Registry requirements. Those individuals placed
on the Registry based on reciprocity from another state are not required to take
the Illinois written competency test. Also, aides approved on the ILLINOIS
NURSE AIDE Registry PRIOR TO January 1, 1990, are NOT required or permitted to
take this test.
Question: Why must I take a competency exam?
Answer: The number of elderly people has rapidly increased and so has
America's concern for quality care of the elderly people residing in long-term
care facilities across the United States. The passage of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) mandated that all states establish nurse aide
training and competency evaluation programs by January 1, 1990. The Act
established a registry of nurse aides who have passed both a certified training
program and a competency exam, deeming them competent and able to work as nurse
aides in long-term care facilities.
This Act requires anyone desiring to work as a nurse aide in a long-term care
facility to pass a state certified nurse aide training program and a state
competency evaluation exam. Nurse aides must have their names entered on that
state's nurse aide registry to be employed in that state as a nurse aide. The
primary purpose of the competency exam is to ensure that individuals have the
basic knowledge and skills needed to perform the skills required of a nurse
aide.
Question: What content is covered on the Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Exam?
Answer: The skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to perform the job
of a nurse aide are the areas covered by the competency evaluation exam. The
nurse aide job consists of various tasks. Each task has been analyzed and
evaluated by nurse aides and their supervisors. Tasks which nurse aides perform
on the job were validated in the state of Illinois in January 2000. The
validated 229 tasks were grouped in six broad duty areas. The duty areas
include:
Duty A: Communicating Information - 38 tasks
Duty B: Performing Basic Nursing Skills - 65 tasks
Duty C: Performing Personal Care Skills - 47 tasks
Duty D: Performing Basic Restorative Skills - 54 tasks
Duty E: Providing Mental Health and Social Service Needs - 11 tasks
Duty F: Providing Residents' Rights - 14 tasks
The competency exam is based on the tasks performed on the job. Knowledge and
skills needed to perform each task determines the content of the competency
exam.
Question: How is a passing score on the Nurse Aide Competency Exam determined?
Answer: The Nurse Aide Competency Exam is overseen by a state agency.
That agency establishes and governs the rules, regulations and procedures based
on federal and state mandates. An advisory committee made up of nurse
aides, home health care aides, supervisors, instructors, and state health care
personnel establish passing scores.
Question: When and where may I take the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: The Nurse Aide Competency Exam is scheduled at various testing
sites, usually community colleges, across the state on designated dates.
Depending on registration levels, most sites test at least once a month.
The test fees, registration deadline dates and test dates are established in a
published schedule. Click on the
Test Sites link to locate a test site in your
area. If you have already submitted your application for testing, click on the
Exam Schedule Status link to see if you are
registered for the current testing cycle.
Question: What materials may I bring when I take the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: The examinee must bring at least two No. 2 lead pencils with
erasers and a photo ID that contains a current picture of the individual and
their signature, such as a drivers license, state ID or student ID. State
ID's can be obtained from a local driver's examination station. Applicants
MAY NOT bring notes, paper, books or other instructional aids to the
exam. Test answer sheets are scored by an optical scanner, therefore, the test
form must be completed using No. 2 lead pencils.
Question: Should I guess on the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: Yes! Typically, a competency exam requires the test taker to
answer all of the questions on the exam. The exam score is based on the number
of questions answered correctly. Blank answers are automatically counted as
being wrong and will lower the test taker’s score. In Illinois, there is no
penalty for guessing on the Nurse Aide Competency Exam. It is an advantage to
fill in an answer for each question. Try to eliminate choices you know are
incorrect to help increase your odds to guess correctly.
Question: How can I prepare for the Nurse Aide Competency Exam?
Answer: The most effective way to prepare for your competency
exam is to:
- identify the tasks (jobs) that nurse aides perform on the job.
- review important facts and information associated with skills required to
perform those tasks.
- practice doing the task.
(Repetition increases your skill and what you remember about the task.)
- study in small groups.
(Another person may be able to share information you did not know, explain a
concept or procedure that is unclear, and reinforce information you already
know.)
- take a timed practice exam.
(A timed practice exam can help examinees learn how to pace themselves so they
can use time efficiently to complete the exam. A practice exam also familiarizes
the examinee with the types of questions expected on an exam.)
- review explanations of correct answers. (May provide new facts and help
understand new information, aid in applying information already known, reinforce
current knowledge, increase confidence and reduce anxiety about taking the
exam.)
For information about a study guide available for purchase which contains a
complete practice exam click this link to the Study
Guide.
Question: Where can I find out more about Illinois' CNA requirements?
Answer: Please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health website at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/cnafacts.htm.
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