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

Checked against Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Georgia Nurse Aide Registry (run by Alliant Health Solutions) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: See state office
Certified by: Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Georgia Nurse Aide Registry (run by Alliant Health Solutions)

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Who can apply

You must complete a Georgia state-approved Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP).
You must pass both parts of the NNAAP exam (written or oral, plus skills) within one year of finishing training and within three attempts per part.
On test day you need two IDs: a signed, non-laminated U.S. Social Security card and a government-issued photo ID.
You cannot take the skills test while on light duty or limited activity for medical reasons.

Step by step

Complete a Georgia-approved nurse aide training program of at least 85 hours.
Create an account on the Credentia Georgia site (credentia.com/test-takers/ga) and submit the Application for Registration by Competency Examination.
Pay the exam fee in your Credentia account (or use a voucher from your program or employer).
Schedule and take the written (or oral) exam and the skills evaluation. Test-center bookings need at least 10 calendar days' notice.
Pass both parts. Credentia (or UGA's virtual skills program) sends your results to Alliant Health Solutions.
Alliant places you on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry once your name, date of birth and Social Security number match on both records.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Georgia requires at least 85 hours of training, including 24 hours of clinical rotation in a facility supervised by an approved RN or LPN (DCH Nurse Aide Training Program manual). Facility orientation does not count toward the 24 clinical hours. This is 10 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum, which requires at least 16 supervised practical hours.

Exam: Credentia gives the Georgia NNAAP exam. The written exam has 70 multiple-choice questions; the oral version has 60 multiple-choice plus 10 reading-comprehension questions. The skills evaluation has 5 randomly chosen skills rated by a Nurse Evaluator, and you must get a Satisfactory on all 5. Fees: written + skills $130, oral + skills $130, skills only $95, written or oral only $35. New aides (route E1) must pass both parts within 12 months of finishing training and get 3 attempts at each part. After 3 failures you must retrain and retake both parts.

Practice for the CNA written exam free — physical care skills, safety & infection control, and the nurse aide role →

What it costs in Georgia

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

Nurse aide training tuition (varies by program)$
Credentia NNAAP exam (written or oral + skills)$130

Estimated total in Georgia$130Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

NNAAP exam fees paid to Credentia: written or oral + skills $130; skills only $95; written, oral or Spanish only $35. Under federal and Georgia law, nursing homes must pay these fees for their nurse aide employees, including retests.
Training tuition varies by program. Federal rule: if a nursing home employs you, or has offered you a job, when you start training, you cannot be charged for the training or its books (42 CFR 483.152(c)).
Registry renewal and name or address changes are free.

Help while you start out in Georgia

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Georgia by household size.

How long it takes

Credentia says your official score report is available within a few hours after the testing day ends; Alliant then places you on the registry once both passing results match.

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Your registry listing expires 24 months after your last passed exam or last renewal. To renew, you must have worked for pay doing nursing-related services for at least 8 hours in each 24-month period under a nurse's supervision, and submit the online Georgia Nurse Aide Registry renewal form with proof of employment before the expiration date. There is no renewal fee. If you have not worked in a qualifying job in 24 consecutive months, you need new training and/or a new competency exam.

Online options: Credentia lets you take the written or oral exam online from home with a live remote proctor. Training programs partnered with UGA's DCH-funded Virtual Skills Evaluation program can hold the skills test over Zoom with an RN evaluator. The 24 clinical training hours are done in person in a facility; DCH does not say on these pages whether classroom hours can be online.

Good to know in Georgia

Transferring from another state: Out-of-state CNAs apply through Alliant Health Solutions (888-383-5662). If your other-state certification is active but you have not worked as a nurse aide in the past 24 months, Alliant can authorize you to test under route E6 with 3 attempts within one year.

Nurses and out-of-state graduates: Licensed LPNs/RNs (route E2) and people trained in another state but never listed on a registry (route E3) must get testing approval from Alliant Health Solutions first, then have 3 attempts within one year.

Lapsed Georgia listing: If your Georgia listing has been expired for one year or less, contact Alliant Health Solutions about testing under route E5 instead of retraining.

Training program closed: If you finished a Georgia-approved program that is no longer active (route E7), you must still pass both exam parts within one year of finishing training and within 3 attempts, or retrain.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Georgia Nurse Aide Registry (run by Alliant Health Solutions) before you apply.