If you have been previously deemed competent as a CNA (Illinois approved nurse assistant training program graduate; grandfathered in; foreign LPN/RN; military trained; nursing student; or out of state CNA), and you have a period of 24 consecutive months that you have not provided nursing or nursing-related services for pay, the approved certification is lost. Recertification may be accomplished by doing the following:
- You must pass a manual skills performance test. Follow this link for a listing of approved evaluators which you may contact to schedule a manual skills performance test. Once you have completed the performance skills evaluation with an approved evaluator, the evaluator will electronically submit your required information to the INACE program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Nurse Aide Testing Project. You should receive an email that directs you to the website where you will verify your eligibility, create an account and purchase a seat for testing. There are approximately 50 test sites across the state of Illinois where you may test. You may select a paper-based test (PBT) or a computer-based test (CBT) based on availability in your area. If you want, you may take an Illinois approved CNA training program and take the written competency test.
- Once you have completed the 21 manual skills and purchased a seat for testing, you must pass a written competency test. Currently, the written competency test is a requirement for certification. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) administers the written portion of the competency exam at various sites throughout the state. SIUC transmits the test results to the Health Care Worker Registry electronically. If you fail the competency test three times, you must complete an Illinois approved CNA training program before taking the written test again. If you pass, the results will be posted the following month after taking the competency test here.
For additional help you may e-mail the registry at DPH.HCWR@Illinois.gov or call the registry’s help desk at 844-789-3676.