How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Illinois
Checked against Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Health Care Worker Registry ·
- Exam
- Required
- Training
- Required
- Term
- Doesn't expire while you keep working
- State fee
- See state office
- Certified by
- Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Health Care Worker Registry
Who can apply
- Long-term care facilities require nursing assistants to be at least 16 years old.
- You must pass a criminal history records check under the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Disqualifying convictions bar direct-care work unless IDPH grants a waiver.
Step by step
- Complete an IDPH-approved Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program (at least 120 hours), including the required manual skills.
- Register and pay for the written competency exam (INACE) with Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
- Pass the written exam within 12 months of finishing your program.
- After you pass and clear the background check, you are listed on the Health Care Worker Registry as a CNA. Illinois does not issue a paper certificate; employers check the registry.
Training and exam
Training: Illinois requires at least 120 hours: 62 hours of theory, 18 hours of skills lab, and 40 hours of clinical instruction (with at least 12 theory hours on Alzheimer's and dementia and 4 on CPR). That is 45 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum.
Exam: Your training program checks your manual skills, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale gives the written competency exam (INACE), pass/fail. You get three tries within 12 months of finishing your program; after three failures you must complete another approved program.
What it costs in Illinois
Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.
- $
- $
- $85
Cost details from the state
- Written exam (SIU): initial exam fee $85; failed exam retake $85.
- Out-of-state CNA application (SIU): $25 by money order (no personal checks or cash), mailed with the application.
- Background check fee: not stated by IDPH.
- 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. If a nursing home hires you within 12 months after you finish, the state must arrange for you to be paid back for training costs (42 CFR 483.152(c)).
Help while you start out in Illinois
Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Illinois by household size.
How long it takes
Southern Illinois University, which gives the exam for IDPH, says results appear on the Health Care Worker Registry about two to three weeks after testing.
What other sites get wrong about Illinois
Myth: An Illinois CNA certification must be renewed every two years.
Fact: Illinois CNA certification does not expire; you lose active status only if you go 24 consecutive months without paid nursing or nursing-related work, and then you must pass the written test again. source
Myth: The Illinois CNA exam fee is $75.
Fact: The initial written exam fee has been $85 since July 1, 2023, and a retake after a failed attempt is also $85. source
Staying on the registry
Renewal: Illinois CNA certification does not expire, but you lose active status if you go 24 consecutive months without paid nursing or nursing-related work. To recertify after a lapse, pass the written competency test again.
Good to know in Illinois
Transferring from another state: You need proof that you are currently listed on another state's registry with training that met federal rules, and no findings of abuse, neglect or theft. Submit IDPH's out-of-state nurse aide application.
Working while training: In a licensed long-term care facility, a new hire who is not yet a CNA must be in an approved program within 45 days and on the registry within 120 days of hire.
Other routes: IDPH also accepts nursing students who completed fundamentals of nursing plus at least 40 hours of supervised clinical experience, U.S. military-trained applicants, and foreign-trained LPNs/RNs; each must still pass the written competency test. Illinois RNs and LPNs with a current, valid license in good standing can work as CNAs without being on the registry.
Sources
- IDPH - CNA Facts
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 395.150 - Minimum Hours of Instruction
- SIU Carbondale Nurse Aide Testing (linked from IDPH)
- SIU Nurse Aide Testing - Fee Schedule
- SIU Nurse Aide Testing - FAQ
- 42 CFR 483.152 - Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (Cornell LII)
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General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Health Care Worker Registry before you apply.