Introduction

This handbook is designed for candidates seeking nurse assistant certification in California. It describes the process of applying for and taking the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP®) Examination. 

The Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges System (COCCC) has contracted with Credentia, a nationally recognized leading provider of assessment services to regulatory agencies and national associations. Credentia will develop, score, and report the results of the NNAAP® Examination for the California Nursing Assistant Registry. The COCCC has also designated selected colleges within the Community College System to serve as Regional Test Coordination Centers (Regional Centers) to manage the administration of the examination. The Regional Centers are responsible for managing the candidate application process as well as for contracting with evaluators to administer the examination. Moreover, the Regional Centers are responsible for scheduling testing dates, managing test sites, and coordinating the activities of nurse assistant candidates, Credentia, and the state of California.

The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP)

The Nursing Home Reform Act, adopted by Congress as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA ’87), was designed to improve the quality of care in long-term health care facilities and to define training and evaluation standards for nurse assistants who work in such facilities. Each state is responsible for following the terms of this federal law.

The National Nurse Assistant Assessment Program (NNAAP®) is an examination program designed to determine minimal competency to become a certified nurse assistant in your state. The NNAAP was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc., (NCSBN) to meet the nurse assistant evaluation requirement of federal and state laws and regulations. Credentia is the authorized administrator of the NNAAP in your state.

The NNAAP Examination is an evaluation of nurse assistant-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. The NNAAP Examination is made up of both a Written (or Oral) Examination and a Skills Evaluation. The purpose of the NNAAP Examination is to test that you understand and can safely perform the job of an entry-level nurse assistant.