How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Rhode Island

Checked against Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), Nursing Assistant licensing · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: $35 RIDOH application fee (nonrefundable), payable to the RI General Treasurer.
Certified by: Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), Nursing Assistant licensing

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Who can apply

You must complete a RIDOH-licensed nursing assistant training program (120 hours since Jan. 1, 2019).
You must pass the written (or oral) exam and the skills exam within one year from the date you began training.
You must submit an original BCI (criminal background check) from the RI Attorney General's Office, dated within 4 months of your application.
You must submit the RIDOH application with a copy of your driver's license or state ID and the $35 fee.

Step by step

Complete a RIDOH-licensed nursing assistant training program (80 classroom + 40 clinical hours).
Get an original BCI with the stamp and seal of the RI Attorney General's Office.
Mail the RIDOH Application for License as a Nursing Assistant (By Examination) with the $35 check or money order to the RI General Treasurer, a copy of your ID, and the BCI. Applications must be mailed, not hand-delivered.
Separately, create a Credentia account, apply to test, pay, and schedule your written (or oral) exam and skills evaluation.
Pass both parts within one year from the date you began training.
RIDOH mails your license. You can verify your status at health.ri.gov.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Since Jan. 1, 2019, Rhode Island training programs must include 80 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours, a total of 120 hours. RIDOH licenses the programs. This is 45 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum.

Exam: Credentia gives the Rhode Island NNAAP exam: a written (or English or Spanish oral) exam plus a skills evaluation. The written or oral exam can be taken online; the skills evaluation is at a test site. Fees: written or oral $55, skills $110 ($165 for both). You get three attempts at each part; after three failures you must retrain and retake both parts. State law requires training and exams to be finished within one year from the date you began training, or you must repeat training and testing.

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

What it costs in Rhode Island

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

Nursing assistant training tuition$
BCI criminal background check (RI Attorney General)$
RIDOH application fee$35
Credentia exam (written or oral + skills)$165

Estimated total in Rhode Island$200Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Credentia exam fees: written $55, English or Spanish oral $55, skills $110. Each retake needs a new fee. Fees are not refundable.
BCI from the RI Attorney General's Office: RIDOH does not state the cost.
Training tuition varies by program. Medicare/Medicaid nursing facilities must pay for training and testing if they employ you or have offered you a job. If you work for a health care facility when you apply and stay six months after licensure, the facility must refund the $35 fee to you.

Pay in Rhode Island

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

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

How long it takes

Credentia says RIDOH mails your license after you pass both parts; if it has not arrived within 60 days of your exam date, call RIDOH at (401) 222-5888.

What other sites get wrong about Rhode Island

Myth: Rhode Island's nursing assistant application requires a passport-style photo and notarization.

Fact: RIDOH's current by-examination application (revised 04/09/2025) lists the application, the $35 fee, a copy of your driver's license or state ID, and an original BCI. It does not list a photo or notarization. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Licenses expire every two years on June 30 (so your first term can be shorter). Renewal notices go out 60 days before expiration and you can renew online; file your renewal application and fee before June 15. Renewal fee: $35. You must have worked as a nursing assistant at least 8 hours in the prior 24 months (at a RI-licensed health care facility, assisted living residence, adult day services program or licensed nursing service agency; private duty work does not count) and completed 12 hours of in-service training per year where you work, or have finished training and passed the exam in the past 24 months. A license lapsed less than two years can be reinstated; after more than 24 months you must retrain and retest.

Online options: Credentia offers the written or oral exam online; the skills evaluation is in person at a test site. Approved online training programs may deliver the 80 hours of classroom (didactic) training over the internet; the 40 hours of practical training must be done at the employing facility (216-RICR-40-05-22.7).

Good to know in Rhode Island

Transferring from another state: Apply by endorsement with the $35 fee, ID, a BCI dated within 4 months, an interstate verification from your current state, and either proof of a 100-hour training program (with at least 20 supervised clinical hours) or an employer statement of at least 3 months of full-time nursing assistant work in the last year.

Temporary permit: Applicants by examination who finished a RIDOH-licensed training program may get a 120-day temporary permit to work under direct supervision of a licensed nurse or physician until they pass the exams.

Nursing students: Nursing students who have completed two clinical nursing courses, one being Fundamentals of Nursing, can apply with the dean's signature and take only the written exam.

Military: Active-duty service members, reservists, honorably discharged veterans and military spouses can ask RIDOH to expedite the application with the Military Expedition Form.

Application deadlines: RIDOH applications are valid for one year; all items must be submitted within that time. If you apply by endorsement based on 3 months of full-time work, the employer verification must also show one hour of in-service training for each month you worked.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), Nursing Assistant licensing before you apply.