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

Checked against Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and Nurse Aide Registry · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: No renewal; stay active with verified paid work every 24 months
State fee: See state office
Certified by: Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and Nurse Aide Registry

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Who can apply

To be listed on the Nurse Aide Registry (called a CNA in Ohio), you must pass the state-approved competency evaluation.
To sit for the evaluation, you must complete an ODH-licensed NATCEP, or qualify as a nursing student who has completed basic nursing skills courses, or show at least 1,600 hours as a hospital nurse aide in the last five years (Ohio Administrative Code 3701-18-23).

Step by step

Complete an ODH-licensed nurse aide training program (at least 75 hours, including 16 hours of clinical experience in a skilled nursing facility).
Your program enters you in D&SDT-Headmaster's TMU system; sign in at oh.tmutest.com and complete your account.
Pay the testing fees (some programs prepay) and schedule a test date within two years of finishing training.
Pass the knowledge test and the skills test.
You are placed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry, which employers check online.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: ODH requires training programs of no less than 75 hours, including classroom instruction (some online instruction may be used), skills lab instruction and 16 hours of clinical experience in a skilled nursing facility. Missed class or clinical time must be made up within 60 calendar days. This equals the federal 75-hour minimum. ODH's Bureau of Survey and Certification licenses programs.

Exam: D&SDT-Headmaster gives the Ohio exam. The knowledge test has 79 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes and needs 70% to pass; an audio version costs $10 more. The skills test has 3 or 4 randomly chosen tasks in 35 minutes. Fees (Headmaster candidate handbook Version 27, December 2025): knowledge $30 (audio $40), skills $90. You have 3 attempts to pass each part within 2 years of finishing training; after that you must complete a new ODH-approved program.

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

What it costs in Ohio

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

Headmaster knowledge exam (audio version $40)$30–$40
Headmaster skills exam$90
NATCEP training tuition$

Estimated total in Ohio$120–$130Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Headmaster testing fees (handbook Version 27, effective December 1, 2025): knowledge $30 (audio $40), skills $90; $120 for both. Retakes cost the same per part.
Replacement registry card: $25 (D&S Diversified Technologies).
Training tuition varies; ODH tells you to ask programs about cost and refund policy. 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, books or the competency evaluation, and you may be reimbursed if hired within 12 months.

Pay in Ohio

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in Ohio after taxes.

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

What other sites get wrong about Ohio

Myth: Ohio's skills test requires candidates to demonstrate five nurse aide skills within a 35-minute window.

Fact: Headmaster's Ohio handbook (Version 27) gives you 3 or 4 randomly selected tasks to complete in 35 minutes. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: To stay eligible to work, you must do at least 7.5 consecutive hours (or 8 hours within 48 hours) of paid nursing or nursing-related services in each 24-month period after you were listed or last verified. Your employer reports the work to the registry; W-2 forms are not accepted as proof. If more than 24 months pass without verified work, you must retrain and retest. ODH does not list a renewal fee.

Online options: ODH says some online instruction may be used for the classroom portion; the 16 clinical hours are in a skilled nursing facility. Headmaster offers a remotely proctored option only for knowledge exam retakes; first attempts and the skills test are in person.

Good to know in Ohio

Transferring from another state: Submit the Nurse Aide Registry Request for Reciprocity form, signed by your current state's registry, with clear pictures of your ID and Social Security card to NAR@odh.ohio.gov, by fax or by mail.

Four-month grace period: A long-term care facility may use you as a nurse aide for up to four months total (across all facilities) while you train and test. Failing the state test three times does not reset the grace period.

Veterans: D&S Diversified Technologies is a VA-approved testing vendor for Ohio, so test fees may be reimbursable under the GI Bill.

New grace period after a 24-month break: If you were on the Registry but have not done paid nursing or nursing-related work for 24 consecutive months, OAC 3701-17-07.1(D) gives you one additional four-month grace period to work in a long-term care facility while you complete training and pass the state test again.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and Nurse Aide Registry before you apply.