How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Mississippi
Checked against Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Nurse Aide Registry ·
- Exam
- Required
- Training
- Required
- Term
- 2 years
- State fee
- See state office
- Certified by
- Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Nurse Aide Registry
Who can apply
- You must complete an MSDH-approved nurse aide training program (NATP).
- You must pass both parts of the Mississippi nurse aide competency exam.
- Nurse aides with misconduct findings on the Registry cannot renew.
Step by step
- Enroll in and complete an MSDH-approved nurse aide training program.
- Your instructor enters your training record in Headmaster's TMU system. You get an email and text when you can schedule.
- Pay the testing fees in TMU and schedule your exam at ms.tmutest.com.
- Pass the knowledge exam and the skills test within 24 months of finishing training (three attempts).
- Headmaster places you on the Mississippi Nurse Aide Registry. Check your listing at ms.tmutest.com.
Training and exam
Training: MSDH approves nurse aide training programs and publishes a list of them, but its pages do not state a Mississippi-specific hour minimum. The federal rule requires at least 75 hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training (42 CFR 483.152).
Exam: MSDH has approved D&S Diversified Technologies-Headmaster for testing and scoring. (The MSDH web page, last reviewed August 14, 2024, still calls the test the NNAAP exam.) The knowledge exam has 70 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, and you need 73% to pass. On the skills test you must do every key step and at least 80% of the other steps on each task, with 30 minutes for the tasks. You get three attempts within 24 months of finishing training. If you were trained by a long-term care facility, you get three attempts within 120 days of your hire date. After three failures you must complete a new approved training program.
What it costs in Mississippi
Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.
- $
- $135
- $10
Cost details from the state
- Headmaster exam fees (January 2026 handbook): knowledge exam $35, audio knowledge exam $45, skills test $100, so $135 for both parts. Retakes cost the same per part.
- Background check: Mississippi licensing rules require facilities to get fingerprint-based criminal history checks on employees. MSDH may charge the facility up to $50. The rule does not say the employee pays.
- Training tuition varies by program. Federal rule: if a nursing facility 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 facility 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)).
Pay in Mississippi
Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in Mississippi after taxes.
Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Mississippi by household size.
What other sites get wrong about Mississippi
Myth: The registration fee for Mississippi CNA reciprocity applicants is $26.
Fact: Headmaster's January 2026 Mississippi handbook lists a $25 processing administrative fee for reciprocity applications. source
Staying on the registry
Renewal: Renew online in TMU every 24 months. You must have worked for pay as a nurse aide doing nursing or nursing-related services for at least eight consecutive hours in the previous 24 months. You list your employer and it verifies by email. Reminders are sent by email and text 60 days before expiration. You have 30 days after expiration to renew. After that you must pass the competency exam again, and you get only one attempt before you must retrain.
Online options: Headmaster offers a remotely proctored knowledge exam you can take from home or elsewhere; the skills test is in person. MSDH does not say whether training can be taken online.
Good to know in Mississippi
Transferring from another state: Submit the CNA Reciprocity Form in TMU (ms.tmutest.com/apply). You must be listed as active and in good standing on another state's registry under the federal training and testing rules. Headmaster charges a $25 processing fee.
Lapsed out-of-state certificate: If your out-of-state certification has lapsed, or is expiring within 60 days and you lack the work history to renew it, you can apply for Reactivation by Exam. You get one attempt; if you fail either part, you must complete a Mississippi-approved training program.
Removing a neglect finding: A nurse aide may petition to have a single finding of neglect removed from the Registry at least one year after the date of the finding.
Sources
- MSDH - CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training
- MSDH - Nurse Aide (CNA) Training Programs in Mississippi
- D&SDT-Headmaster - Mississippi Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook (January 2026, v3.0)
- D&SDT-Headmaster - Mississippi CNA testing home
- MSDH - Chapter 45 Minimum Standards for Institutions for the Aged or Infirm (Rule 45.16.3 criminal history record checks)
- 42 CFR 483.152 - Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (Cornell LII)
Other states
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General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Nurse Aide Registry before you apply.