- What Is PROMETRIC-NA Certification?
- Who Governs and Administers the Exam
- Exam Format and Question Style
- The Five Exam Domains
- Registration and Fee Structure
- Training, Eligibility, and Retake Rules
- Registry, Recertification, and Renewal
- Who Hires PROMETRIC-NA Certified Aides
- Preparing for the Written Exam
- Frequently Asked Questions
- PROMETRIC-NA is the Connecticut written knowledge exam for CNA certification, developed and administered by Prometric.
- The written test has 60 multiple-choice questions (50 scored, 10 unscored pretest) with a 90-minute limit.
- Basic Nursing Care (26%) and Promotion of Function and Health (24%) are the two heaviest-weighted domains.
- Written-only or oral-only testing costs $48; the combined written plus clinical skills fee is $125 effective August 1, 2026.
What Is PROMETRIC-NA Certification?
PROMETRIC-NA refers to the Prometric Connecticut Nurse Aide Written (Knowledge) Examination - the written half of Connecticut's Nurse Aide Competency Exam. It is not a standalone credential sold under that acronym elsewhere; in this context, PROMETRIC-NA specifically means the multiple-choice knowledge test that Connecticut candidates must pass, alongside a separate clinical skills demonstration, to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in Connecticut and appear on the state's nurse aide registry.
Passing the written component alone does not grant certification. Connecticut requires candidates to pass both the knowledge exam and the clinical skills exam. Understanding this distinction matters when you see fee tables or program descriptions, since the two components are priced, scheduled, and sometimes scored separately.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) sets the requirements and standards for nurse aide certification in the state. Prometric is the contracted developer, administrator, and registry vendor responsible for building the exam content, delivering it at approved testing sites, scoring results, and maintaining candidate records tied to the state registry.
This division of labor explains why the Candidate Information Bulletin - the official rulebook for the exam - is published by Prometric but reflects DPH's regulatory decisions. The current bulletin carries an August 21, 2019 cover revision and is the authoritative source for the five domain weights discussed below.
Exam Format and Question Style
The written exam is delivered by computer at an approved, proctored testing site. It is closed-book and administered in English. Candidates who need to test in a language other than English, or who require testing accommodations for a disability, must request the oral option or accommodation during the application process - translation dictionaries and personal translators are not permitted during testing.
- Total questions: 60 multiple-choice items
- Scored questions: 50
- Unscored pretest questions: 10 (used to evaluate future exam items, indistinguishable from scored items during the test)
- Time limit: 90 minutes
- Format: Computer-delivered, closed-book, English by default with an oral option available on request
Because the 10 unscored pretest items look identical to the 50 scored items, candidates should treat every question on screen as if it counts. There is no way to identify which items are pretest questions during the exam, so pacing across all 60 questions within the 90-minute window matters more than trying to "spot" unscored content.
Key Takeaway
Budget roughly 90 seconds per question on average, but leave buffer time for longer scenario-based items in Basic Nursing Care and Promotion of Function domains, which tend to include more detailed patient scenarios.
Prometric uses a state-adopted, equated passing standard rather than a fixed percentage. This means the number of correct answers needed to pass can vary slightly between different test forms, since equating adjusts for difficulty differences form to form. For a deeper explanation of how this scoring approach works in practice, see PROMETRIC-NA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
The Five Exam Domains
The written exam's content is organized into five official domains, each carrying a different weight based on the Candidate Information Bulletin. Knowing these weights helps you allocate study time proportionally instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that don't appear evenly on the test.
Domain 1: Role of the Nurse Aide (18%)
Covers the aide's scope of practice, communication with residents and care teams, legal and ethical responsibilities, and residents' rights.
- Understanding what tasks fall inside versus outside the nurse aide role
- Recognizing and reporting resident rights violations
Domain 2: Promotion of Safety (18%)
Focuses on infection control, body mechanics, fall prevention, and emergency response procedures within a long-term care or residential setting.
- Standard precautions and proper hand hygiene sequencing
- Safe transfer and positioning techniques to prevent injury
Domain 3: Promotion of Function and Health of Residents (24%)
The second-largest domain, addressing activities of daily living support, mobility assistance, and maintaining resident independence and psychosocial well-being.
- Assisting with ADLs while promoting maximum independence
- Recognizing signs of depression, anxiety, or social isolation
Domain 4: Basic Nursing Care Provided by the Nurse Aide (26%)
The single largest domain on the exam, covering vital signs, personal hygiene care, nutrition and hydration assistance, and documentation of routine nursing care tasks.
- Accurate measurement and recording of vital signs
- Safe feeding, hydration, and skin care practices
Domain 5: Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health (14%)
The smallest domain by weight, but still tests knowledge of recognizing and responding to changes in a resident's physical or mental condition.
- Identifying signs of acute change requiring nurse notification
- Basic understanding of end-of-life and comfort care support
Because Basic Nursing Care and Promotion of Function and Health together make up half the exam's scored content, a study plan weighted evenly across all five domains will under-prepare you for the two areas most likely to determine your outcome. A full breakdown of subtopics within each domain is available in PROMETRIC-NA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight | Relative Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Nursing Care Provided by the Nurse Aide | 26% | Highest |
| Promotion of Function and Health of Residents | 24% | High |
| Role of the Nurse Aide | 18% | Moderate |
| Promotion of Safety | 18% | Moderate |
| Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health | 14% | Lowest |
Registration and Fee Structure
Effective August 1, 2026, Connecticut's nurse aide exam fee structure includes several distinct pricing tiers depending on which components you're testing and whether you choose the written or oral format:
- Written plus clinical skills: $125
- Oral plus clinical skills: $125
- Written-only or oral-only testing: $48
- Clinical-skills-only testing: $77
It's important not to mistake the $48 written-only fee for the full cost of initial certification. Since Connecticut requires both the knowledge exam and clinical skills exam to be passed for initial certification, most first-time candidates will pay the combined $125 rate, not the $48 knowledge-only rate. The $48 and $77 fees typically apply to candidates retesting a single component after failing or rescheduling. For a complete pricing breakdown across scenarios, see PROMETRIC-NA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Training, Eligibility, and Retake Rules
Most candidates pursue what Connecticut calls Route 1: completing a DPH-approved nurse aide training program with at least 100 combined classroom and clinical hours before sitting for either exam component. This training requirement is separate from the exam itself but is a prerequisite for scheduling it. Details on qualifying programs and alternative eligibility paths are covered in PROMETRIC-NA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Once training is complete, candidates have 24 months to pass both the written and clinical skills components. Within that 24-month eligibility window, Connecticut permits unlimited attempts - there is no cap on how many times you can retake a failed component, as long as you stay within the eligibility period. This is a notably candidate-friendly policy compared to states that cap attempts at three or four tries.
Key Takeaway
Unlimited attempts within 24 months means a failed written exam is not disqualifying - but each retake still costs money and delays employment, so treat every sitting as if it's your only chance.
If you're weighing how demanding the exam actually is relative to this generous retake policy, How Hard Is the PROMETRIC-NA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through what makes certain domains and question formats more challenging than others. You can also check current data trends in PROMETRIC-NA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Registry, Recertification, and Renewal
Once certified, your name is placed on Connecticut's nurse aide registry. Registry renewal itself is free, but it is conditioned on employment verification: you must have an employer confirm at least one eight-hour paid shift providing nursing or nursing-related services before your certification expires.
Recertification runs for two years from your last verified date of employment, not from your original certification date. This distinction matters for aides who take extended breaks from direct care work - a long gap without a documented eight-hour paid shift can put lapsed registrants back into requalification territory. Full renewal mechanics, including how to document that required shift, are detailed in PROMETRIC-NA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Who Hires PROMETRIC-NA Certified Aides
Connecticut CNAs certified through this exam pathway typically find work in skilled nursing facilities, long-term care and rehabilitation centers, assisted living communities, and home health agencies operating within the state. Because certification and registry status are tied specifically to Connecticut's DPH requirements, employers verify credentials directly against the state registry rather than a national database - meaning certification earned in another state generally isn't automatically recognized in Connecticut without going through the appropriate reciprocity or endorsement process.
If you're evaluating whether pursuing this certification makes financial sense for your situation, PROMETRIC-NA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the PROMETRIC-NA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 both dig into the return-on-investment question in more depth than a general overview can.
Preparing for the Written Exam
Because the written exam and clinical skills exam test different things - recall and application of nursing knowledge versus hands-on task performance - your preparation should treat them as two separate study tracks rather than one combined effort. Trying to cram both simultaneously in the final week before testing often means neither gets adequate attention.
A practical approach is to sequence your written-exam review around domain weight. Spend early study weeks building foundational vocabulary and procedures across all five domains, then shift later weeks toward heavier repetition of Basic Nursing Care and Promotion of Function and Health scenarios, since these two domains alone account for half of the scored questions.
Foundations Across All Domains
- Review Role of the Nurse Aide scope-of-practice rules and resident rights basics
- Skim Promotion of Safety infection control and body mechanics content
Heaviest-Weighted Domains
- Drill Basic Nursing Care topics: vital signs, hygiene care, nutrition assistance
- Work through Promotion of Function and Health ADL and mobility scenarios
Specialized Care and Timed Practice
- Cover Providing Specialized Care for Residents with Changes in Health signs and reporting steps
- Take full 60-question timed practice runs to build 90-minute pacing habits
Running full-length, 60-question practice simulations - mixing scored-style and pretest-style items - is one of the most useful things you can do in your final week, since it's the only way to rehearse the actual pacing constraint of finishing 60 questions in 90 minutes. You can start practicing with realistic questions on the main practice test site right now, and pair that with a structured review plan from PROMETRIC-NA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
PROMETRIC-NA refers specifically to the written knowledge component of Connecticut's Nurse Aide Competency Exam. Full CNA certification also requires passing the separate clinical skills exam.
The written exam has 60 multiple-choice questions - 50 scored and 10 unscored pretest items - with a 90-minute time limit.
Effective August 1, 2026, written-only or oral-only testing costs $48, while the combined written plus clinical skills fee is $125. Most first-time candidates pay the combined rate since both components are required for initial certification.
Connecticut allows unlimited attempts as long as you pass both the written and clinical skills components within 24 months of completing your training program.
The standard exam is administered in English, but an oral option is available and should be requested during the application process. Translation dictionaries and personal translators are not permitted.