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

Who can apply

• You must complete a nurse aide training program approved by the Hawaii Department of Human Services before you can take the exam.
• You must be at least 18 years old (the registry records verification of age 18; the exam application asks you to confirm it).
• You must pass the written (or oral) test with at least 70% and pass all five skills in the skills test.
• The application asks whether you have been convicted of a crime in the past 20 years or disciplined by another state's registry; a 'yes' requires a written explanation and may trigger DCCA review.

Step by step

1. Complete a DHS-approved nurse aide training program of at least 100 hours.
2. Fill out the Hawaii Nurse Aide Testing/Out of State/Reciprocity Application (Route 1) and attach your training completion document.
3. Give it to your program or employer if they schedule testing at their site, or mail it with fees to Prometric in Kailua for a regional test site.
4. Take the clinical skills test and the written (or oral) test. You do not have to pass one before taking the other.
5. After you pass both, Prometric mails your certificate and wallet card and adds you to the Hawaii Nurse Aide Registry.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Hawaii requires at least 100 hours of training. At least 30 hours are classroom (16 of them before any resident contact), and 70 hours are supervised practical training: 30 hours of basic nursing skills supervised by an RN, 30 hours of personal care skills supervised by an LPN under an RN, and 10 hours of restorative services taught by a licensed or certified therapist (HAR 17-1444-4). This is 25 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum, which requires at least 16 supervised practical hours.

Exam: Prometric gives the Hawaii exam for DCCA. The written test has 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes (an oral version is available). The clinical skills test scores five skills (three assigned plus handwashing and indirect care) in 31 to 40 minutes, and you must pass all five. The rules set a 70% passing score for the written test. Under Route 1 you have 3 attempts to pass both tests within two years of your first test date; otherwise you must retrain. Fees on Prometric's current application form: written or oral + skills $216, skills only $162, written or oral only $54, plus a one-time $25 application fee. Prometric's older bulletin (Rev. 2017) lists $200 / $210 / $150 / $50 / $60.

What it costs in Hawaii

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

How long it takes

Prometric mails your official score report within 10 business days of the test date, and Hawaii's rules require a successful certification to be entered on the registry within 30 days.

What other sites get wrong about Hawaii

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Certification lasts up to 24 months and must be renewed every two years by mail; your renewal application must reach the department at least one month (30 days) before expiration. Aides in Medicare/Medicaid nursing facilities need an annual performance review, in-service training, a supervisor-signed renewal form, and proof of at least one full day of paid nursing work in the prior 24 months (HAR 16-89A-4). Prometric's bulletin describes this as at least 8 hours of paid nurse aide work during the certification period and lists a $25 recertification fee. Aides in state-licensed or state-certified settings that require recertification also need 24 hours of continuing education in two years plus a signed competency evaluation (HAR 17-1445). If you do not meet the work requirement, you must complete training and testing again.

Good to know in Hawaii

Transferring from another state: Apply under Route 2 with a copy of your current, active out-of-state certificate (showing expiration date and state). Prometric checks every state registry; DCCA decides whether you are added directly or must take the exam. Reciprocity fee: $27 on the current application form ($25 in the older bulletin).

Lapsed Hawaii certificate: If your Hawaii certificate expired and your original program is still state-approved, you can retest (both parts) without retraining. If your program closed or is no longer approved, you must retrain at an approved program before testing.

Military members: DCCA restores licenses that expire while a member of the armed forces, National Guard or reserves is deployed on active duty during a crisis, if restoration requirements are met.

Sources

• DCCA PVL - Nurse Aide Program
• Prometric - Hawaii Nurse Aide Candidate Information Bulletin (Rev. 2017)
• Prometric - Hawaii Nurse Aide Testing/Out of State/Reciprocity Application Form
• HAR 16-89A-3 - Requirements for nurse aide certification (Cornell LII)
• HAR 16-89A-4 - Maintenance requirements for recertification (Cornell LII)
• HAR 16-89A-5 - Implementation and maintenance of registry (Cornell LII)
• Hawaii DHS - HAR 17-1444 Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs
• Hawaii DHS - HAR 17-1445 Recertification of Nurse Aides in State-Licensed or State-Certified Settings
• 42 CFR 483.152 (Cornell LII)