Can I take the exam in Massachusetts if I am a nurse from the Philippines?

Question

I am a registered nurse from the Philippines but unfortunately I failed to pass the California NCLEX-RN exam. Will I be eligible to take the CNA exam in Massachusetts or do I still need to take up classes before I can take the exam?

Answer 1

In general, graduates of U.S. registered nursing programs meet the training requirements to challenge the CNA state exam without having to complete a nursing assistant class. The training you received in nursing school makes you eligible to take the nurse aide examination without further training even if you did not pass the NCLEX-RN exam, however, because you completed the nursing program in the Philippines, you might want to make sure that this applies in your case.

To see if you are eligible to take the test without further training, I encourage you to call the Massachusetts CNA Registry at (617) 753-8144. To obtain information regarding the nurse aide state exam, request an application, and schedule the examination you may call the Massachusetts Nurse Aide Testing Office at (781) 979-4010 or (800) 962-4337 (outside of MA).

Answer 2

I don't know if Massachusetts does this but some states allow you to skip training and only take the CNA exam if you are a foreign trained nurse. For example, in Colorado you must provide documentation that you have completed at least five semester credit hours of nursing fundamentals on an official transcript, which must be sent directly to the Board of Nursing from the nursing education facility for review. If you have completed this and received approval from Board staff, you are eligible to take the CNA exam in Colorado without taking the course first.