How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Connecticut

Who can apply

• Route 1 (new CNA): complete a DPH-approved nurse aide training program of at least 100 hours and pass the Connecticut CNA exam.
• Other routes exist for licensed nurses or nursing students (Route 2), out-of-state training (Route 3), lapsed Connecticut CNAs (Route 4), community college training and exam (Route 5), and CNAs certified in another state (Route 7).

Step by step

1. Complete a DPH-approved nurse aide training program (at least 100 hours).
2. Apply online to Prometric with the Connecticut Nurse Aide Registry application and pay the exam fee.
3. Pass both the written and the practical (clinical skills) parts of the Connecticut CNA exam within 24 months of finishing training.
4. Prometric places you on the Connecticut Nurse Aide Registry; check your status on the Prometric registry lookup.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Connecticut requires at least 100 hours of classroom and clinical training: a standard curriculum of at least 75 hours plus 25 more hours of specialized training in physical, psychiatric, psychosocial and cognitive disorders. That is 25 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum.

Exam: Prometric gives the Connecticut exam: a written test and a practical clinical skills test. DPH says you have 24 months from finishing training to pass, with no limit on attempts within that time. Fees: DPH's Route 1 page says the exam fee is $118; Prometric's Connecticut page lists new fees effective August 1, 2026: written + clinical skills $125, oral + clinical skills $125, clinical skills only $77, written only $48.

What it costs in Connecticut

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renewal is free. Before your certificate expires, document at least one 8-hour shift of paid work as a nurse aide (or in a position providing nursing-related services) on DPH's Employment Verification Form, completed with your employer. Renewal runs two years from your last verified employment date. If you have not worked in such a role for more than 24 months, you must retake and pass both parts of the Prometric exam.

Good to know in Connecticut

Transferring from another state: Under Route 7, if you hold an active, good-standing CNA certificate in another U.S. state or territory, apply to Prometric online or by printable application to be placed on the Connecticut registry without testing.

Working before certification: Under the Public Health Code, a person may not work as a nurse's aide in a licensed nursing home for more than 120 days without completing an approved training and competency evaluation program and being entered on the registry.

Other Prometric fees: Prometric charges $55 for Route 7 (reciprocity) placement and $55 for Route 5. Rescheduling costs $25 if done at least five full working days before your test; rescheduling later than that, or being turned away for lack of valid ID, costs a full exam fee. The state does not pay rescheduling fees.

Sources

• CT DPH - Nurse Aide program pages
• CT DPH - New CNA (Route 1)
• CT DPH - Nurse Aide Registration Renewal Requirements
• CT DPH - Recertification
• CT DPH - Certified in Another U.S. State (Route 7)
• CT DPH - Training Programs
• CT Public Health Code 19-13-D8t(l) - Nurse's Aide Training and Employment (PDF)
• Prometric - Connecticut Nurse Aide (fees effective August 1, 2026)
• Prometric - Connecticut CNA Candidate Information Bulletin (PDF)