North Carolina does not accept reciprocity or listing transfers from any other state so you can’t transfer your CNA license from another state. You have to to retake the exam. You have two possible eligibility routes and you should contact the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Personnel Education and Credentialing Section at 919-855-3969 or NACES at 888-282-6904 to see which one is better for you. CNAs with lapsed status on the NC registry must train at a North Carolina state-approved training or refresher program in order to be allowed to test. Because you are also an out-of-state CNA you may qualify for a training waiver.
You should submit a training waiver request to NC DHHS so that you may be approved to register for the N.C. Nurse Aide Competency Exam without additional training. The approval will be for a one-time period of 45 days. The 45 days will be approved around your desired test date. You must pass both the written and skills sections of the exam in this 45-day period. Requests for extensions will not be accepted.
Out-of-state candidates who are current on another state registry must complete testing prior to their certification expiration date. You have to complete testing within the 45-day period on your training waiver, or prior to the expiration date on the registry, or within three attempts, whichever comes first. You must pass both portions of the examination in order to be placed on the North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry. Failure to do so will require training at a North Carolina state-approved training program and retesting of both portions of the examination.
If you let your current CNA certification lapse on another state registry, you must complete NC state-approved training before you can test and if you change eligibility routes, you must take both portions of the examination.