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

Checked against Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Idaho Nurse Aide Program / CNA Registry · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: None. DHW says there are no fees to process any forms or certifications with the Idaho CNA Registry, except a $15 fee for a duplicate certificate or change request.
Certified by: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Idaho Nurse Aide Program / CNA Registry

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Who can apply

You must complete a NATCEP-approved Idaho nurse aide course (120 hours).
You must pass the state manual skills exam within six months of finishing the course, and the written exam within 12 months of finishing it.
Only nursing students who finished at least one semester of nursing courses (for example Nursing 101) can challenge the exam without the course. Paramedics, EMTs, military medics and medical assistants cannot.

Step by step

Complete a 120-hour NATCEP-approved course (80 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours).
Pass the manual skills exam, which is scheduled through your training program, within six months of finishing the course.
Complete the Idaho Nurse Aide Testing Application and bring proof that you passed the skills exam.
Take the Prometric written (or oral) exam at the NATCEP test site within 12 months of finishing the course.
If you pass, Prometric mails your certificate and adds you to the Idaho CNA Registry.

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Training and exam

Training: Idaho's NATCEP-approved CNA course is 120 hours: 80 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of hands-on clinical instruction (DHW). This is 45 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum, which requires at least 16 supervised practical hours.

Exam: Idaho has two separate exams. The manual skills exam is given through your training program and must be passed within six months of finishing training. Prometric gives the written (knowledge) exam: 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, or an oral version, taken on a computer at the testing site. Prometric's bulletin lists $34 for the written or oral exam plus testing-site fees, but Prometric's testing application still lists $29 written / $39 oral; confirm the current fee with your test site. You must pass the written exam within one year of finishing training. You have three attempts at each exam; after that you must repeat an approved training program.

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What it costs in Idaho

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)$
Manual skills exam (fee set by the test site)$
Prometric written or oral exam ($34 per the candidate bulletin; $29 written / $39 oral per the testing application), plus testing-site fees$

Estimated total in Idaho$0Plus 3 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Prometric written or oral exam: $34 plus testing-site fees per Prometric's candidate bulletin; Prometric's testing application still lists $29 written / $39 oral, so confirm with your test site.
Manual skills exam: fee set by the training program or test site; DHW does not state an amount.
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)).
Duplicate certificate or change request: $15.

Help while you start out in Idaho

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

How long it takes

DHW says certificates mailed by its contractor Prometric can take up to 14 business days to arrive.

What other sites get wrong about Idaho

Myth: Idaho CNA renewal costs $40.

Fact: DHW says there are currently no fees to process any forms or certifications with the Idaho CNA Registry, including renewals. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renew during the month your certificate expires by sending DHW's renewal form, signed by your employer, to the Idaho Nurse Aide Program by email, mail or fax. You must have worked at least 8 hours as a paid CNA or in nursing-related services before your certificate lapsed. Your new expiration date is 24 months after your last day worked, not two years after the old date. Renewal is free. If you cannot prove 8 paid hours, you must retake both the skills and written exams (request an Approval to Test letter).

Good to know in Idaho

Transferring from another state: Send DHW's reciprocity (out-of-state verification) form. Aides with current status on another state's registry are added without testing, but reciprocity is only granted if you live in Idaho or have a job offer in Idaho. Incomplete forms are denied.

Nurses and physicians: People licensed as a nurse or physician in another state or country may be added to the registry without training or testing (waiver route), unless there is negative action on the license.

Trained in another state but never listed: If you finished another state's training but never tested there, contact DHW; you may test in Idaho within Idaho's timeframes (skills within six months, written within one year of training).

Missed the one-year testing window: Email the Idaho Nurse Aide Program (IDNAP@dhw.idaho.gov) with your reasons and your course completion date.

Expired on another state's registry: Prometric's Idaho bulletin (Route 3, Challenger) lists verification of expired status on another state's nurse aide registry as a qualification to challenge the exam without retraining; DHW's FAQ mentions only nursing students, so ask the Idaho Nurse Aide Program for an Approval to Test letter. You must then pass both the manual skills and written exams.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), Idaho Nurse Aide Program / CNA Registry before you apply.