- Why the Five Domains Matter
- Domain 1: Role of the Nurse Aide (18%)
- Domain 2: Promotion of Safety (18%)
- Domain 3: Promotion of Function and Health (24%)
- Domain 4: Basic Nursing Care (26%)
- Domain 5: Specialized Care for Changes in Health (14%)
- Question Format: Scored vs. Pretest Items
- Weighting Your Study Schedule to the Outline
- Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
- FAQ
- Basic Nursing Care (26%) and Promotion of Function and Health (24%) together make up half the written exam.
- Only 50 of the 60 written questions are scored; 10 are unscored pretest items you can't identify.
- You have 90 minutes to complete all 60 multiple-choice items in a closed-book, computer-delivered format.
- Connecticut allows unlimited retake attempts within 24 months of finishing your training program.
Why the Five Domains Matter
The Connecticut Candidate Information Bulletin, developed and maintained by Prometric under contract with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, breaks the written knowledge exam into five content areas with fixed weights. These weights aren't arbitrary - they tell you exactly how much of your study time should go where. If you're building a plan without knowing the outline, you're studying blind. This guide walks through each domain in the order Prometric weights them, from smallest to largest, so you can prioritize correctly before test day.
If you haven't yet reviewed the full PROMETRIC-NA requirements for Route 1 eligibility, do that first. This article assumes you've completed or are enrolled in a DPH-approved 100-hour training program and are preparing specifically for the 60-question written component.
Domain 1: Role of the Nurse Aide (18%)
This domain covers the legal, ethical, and communication boundaries of the nurse aide role in a Connecticut long-term care or healthcare setting. Questions here test whether you understand what a nurse aide is authorized to do, what must be reported to licensed nursing staff, and how to interact respectfully and professionally with residents, families, and the care team.
Role of the Nurse Aide
Expect scenario-based items describing a resident interaction, then asking you to identify the correct scope-of-practice response.
- Reporting and documentation responsibilities
- Communication techniques with residents and families
- Ethical behavior, confidentiality, and resident rights
- Legal boundaries of nurse aide duties versus licensed nurse duties
Domain 2: Promotion of Safety (18%)
Safety questions focus on preventing accidents and injuries in a facility setting - fall prevention, proper body mechanics, infection control, and emergency response. This domain tests practical judgment: given a situation, what is the safest immediate action?
Promotion of Safety
Candidates must recognize hazards before they become incidents and know the correct sequence of action when something goes wrong.
- Fall prevention and safe transfer techniques
- Infection control and standard precautions
- Proper use of restraints and least-restrictive alternatives
- Emergency and fire safety procedures
Key Takeaway
Domains 1 and 2 combine for 36% of the exam - nearly as much weight as Basic Nursing Care alone. Don't skip these to focus only on hands-on skills topics.
Domain 3: Promotion of Function and Health of Residents (24%)
This is the second-largest domain, and it centers on helping residents maintain independence and dignity. Questions address positioning, mobility assistance, psychosocial needs, and supporting residents' physical and emotional well-being through daily activities.
Promotion of Function and Health
The exam wants you to demonstrate understanding of restorative care principles - helping residents do as much for themselves as safely possible rather than doing everything for them.
- Range-of-motion exercises and positioning
- Assisting with mobility devices and ambulation
- Supporting psychosocial and emotional needs
- Encouraging independence in activities of daily living
Because this domain carries nearly a quarter of the exam's weight, it deserves dedicated review time rather than a quick pass. Many candidates underestimate how many questions test the "why" behind restorative care, not just the "how."
Domain 4: Basic Nursing Care Provided by the Nurse Aide (26%)
Basic Nursing Care is the largest single domain on the Connecticut written exam, and it's the backbone of daily nurse aide duties: personal hygiene, nutrition and hydration, elimination, comfort measures, and vital signs. If you only have time to deeply master one domain, this is it.
Basic Nursing Care
Expect the highest concentration of scored questions here, spanning routine physical care tasks performed multiple times per shift.
- Bathing, grooming, and personal hygiene procedures
- Nutrition, hydration, and feeding assistance
- Elimination needs, including toileting and catheter care basics
- Measuring and recording vital signs accurately
- Comfort and rest measures, including positioning for sleep
Domain 5: Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health (14%)
The smallest domain by weight, but not one to ignore. This section covers recognizing and responding to changes in a resident's condition - cognitive changes, end-of-life care, and conditions requiring specialized attention like dementia or rehabilitation needs.
Specialized Care for Changes in Health
Questions test your ability to notice subtle shifts in a resident's status and respond within the nurse aide scope of practice.
- Recognizing signs of cognitive or behavioral change
- Basic end-of-life and comfort care principles
- Caring for residents with dementia-related conditions
- Supporting residents through rehabilitation and recovery
| Domain | Weight | Study Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Nursing Care | 26% | Highest - anchor domain |
| Promotion of Function and Health | 24% | High - restorative care focus |
| Role of the Nurse Aide | 18% | Moderate - scope and ethics |
| Promotion of Safety | 18% | Moderate - hazard prevention |
| Specialized Care for Changes in Health | 14% | Lower, but not optional |
Question Format: Scored vs. Pretest Items
The written exam contains 60 multiple-choice questions total, but only 50 are scored. The remaining 10 are unscored pretest questions Prometric uses to evaluate future exam content. You will not know which items are scored and which are pretest, so every question deserves your full attention. You have 90 minutes to complete all 60 items, delivered on a computer at an approved proctored testing site, closed-book, in English.
Prometric uses a state-adopted equated passing standard, meaning the exact number of correct answers required to pass can differ slightly between test forms. For a full breakdown of how this scoring approach works, see our PROMETRIC-NA passing score guide. If you're weighing how demanding the exam actually feels once you're in the seat, the PROMETRIC-NA difficulty guide covers that in more detail.
Key Takeaway
Because you can't tell scored items from pretest items, treat every one of the 60 questions as if it counts. Pace yourself across the full 90 minutes rather than rushing.
Weighting Your Study Schedule to the Outline
A generic study calendar ignores the fact that not all five domains deserve equal time. Since Basic Nursing Care and Promotion of Function and Health together make up half the exam, your schedule should reflect that imbalance rather than splitting time evenly across five topics.
Basic Nursing Care + Role of the Nurse Aide
- Drill hygiene, nutrition, and vital signs procedures
- Review scope-of-practice and reporting scenarios
Promotion of Function and Health + Safety
- Study restorative care and mobility assistance
- Review fall prevention and infection control
Specialized Care + Full Review
- Cover cognitive change and end-of-life topics
- Take timed 60-question practice sets across all domains
For a more detailed week-by-week breakdown with spaced repetition built in, see the full PROMETRIC-NA study guide. And if you want a condensed reference for the final 48 hours before your appointment, the PROMETRIC-NA cheat sheet summarizes the highest-yield facts from all five domains on one page.
Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
Effective August 1, 2026, written plus clinical skills testing costs $125, oral plus clinical skills also costs $125, written-only or oral-only testing costs $48, and clinical-skills-only testing costs $77. Keep in mind that $48 covers only the knowledge component - initial certification requires passing both the written (or oral) exam and the clinical skills exam, so budget for the full cost rather than assuming $48 is the complete price. Our PROMETRIC-NA certification cost breakdown walks through every fee combination in detail.
If English isn't your strongest testing language, an oral option is available and must be requested during application. Translation dictionaries and translators are not permitted under any circumstance. Approved disability accommodations can also be requested at the application stage. Bring two matching-name identification documents, including a government-issued photo ID, to your testing appointment.
Both the written/oral and clinical skills components must be passed within 24 months of finishing your training program. The good news: Connecticut places no cap on the number of attempts within that 24-month eligibility window. If your first attempt doesn't go as planned, review the retest process in our guide on PROMETRIC-NA exam dates and scheduling before booking again.
After the Exam: Registry and Career Path
Passing both the written and clinical skills exams gets you listed on the Connecticut Nurse Aide Registry, which is what employers check before hiring. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies across Connecticut rely on this registry status to confirm you're eligible to work as a certified nurse aide. If you're curious how the credential translates into job opportunities, browse our overview of PROMETRIC-NA jobs, or step back and evaluate the bigger picture with our PROMETRIC-NA ROI analysis.
For candidates still deciding whether to enroll in a training program, our PROMETRIC-NA training overview explains the 100-hour combined classroom and clinical requirement in more depth. And once you're ready to test your domain knowledge under real time pressure, head over to our practice test platform to run through full-length simulations that mirror the 60-question, 90-minute format.
FAQ
Start with Basic Nursing Care since it carries the most weight at 26%, then move to Promotion of Function and Health at 24%. Together these two domains cover half the exam.
The exam has 60 multiple-choice questions total: 50 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest items. You won't know which is which, so answer every question carefully.
You have 90 minutes to complete all 60 questions in the computer-delivered, closed-book format at an approved proctored site.
Connecticut allows unlimited retake attempts as long as you pass both the written/oral and clinical skills components within 24 months of completing your training program.
Written testing is administered in English only. An oral testing option is available and must be requested during your application; translation dictionaries and translators are not allowed.