How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in South Carolina

Who can apply

• You must complete a 100-hour South Carolina state-approved nurse aide training program (with 40 clinical hours) within the last 24 months.
• You must pass the written (or oral) exam and the skills evaluation within two years of finishing training and within three attempts.
• If you work as a nurse aide, or have a written job offer, at a Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing home, that nursing home must sponsor you.

Step by step

1. Complete a 100-hour state-approved nurse aide training program, including 40 clinical hours.
2. Create a Credentia account and submit the online Application for Registration by Competency Examination (choose South Carolina).
3. Pay and schedule your written (or oral) exam and your skills evaluation.
4. Pass both parts within two years of training and within three attempts.
5. Credentia adds you to the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry about ten business days after you pass both parts.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: South Carolina requires a 100-hour state-approved training program that includes 40 clinical hours. This is 25 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum. SCDHHS keeps the list of state-approved programs.

Exam: Credentia gives the South Carolina NNAAP exam for SCDHHS: a written exam of 70 multiple-choice questions (or an oral exam) plus a skills evaluation, where you must get a Satisfactory result on all five skills. An online proctored written/oral exam is offered as well as facility test sites. Fees (effective July 1, 2020): written or oral $45, clinical skills $95; retakes cost the same. You must pass both parts within two years of finishing training or within three attempts, whichever comes first; otherwise you must retake a 100-hour program and both parts.

What it costs in South Carolina

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

How long it takes

Credentia says your name is added to the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry about ten business days after you pass both parts.

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Your certificate is valid 24 months from the date issued. Credentia emails renewal directions about 90 days before it expires. To renew you must have worked at least 8 hours (one documented day of eight consecutive hours) for pay doing nursing or nursing-related services, supervised by an RN or LPN, in the 24 months before expiration. Volunteer hours do not count. Renewal fee: $35, paid online to Credentia. If you lapsed 24 months or less and completed a 100-hour program, you retest; if lapsed more than two years, you retrain and retest.

Online options: The written or oral exam can be taken as an online proctored exam; the skills evaluation is given in person at a facility test site. SCDHHS and Credentia do not state how much training may be done online.

Good to know in South Carolina

Transferring from another state: If you are active and in good standing on another state's registry and completed at least a 100-hour state-approved course, submit a reciprocity application through Credentia. Your expiration date carries over from your original state. No reciprocity fee is listed.

Out-of-state training: If you trained in another state in the last 24 months, you can test under route E2 if the program was 100 hours with clinical hours, and your certificate shows both classroom and clinical hours.

Nursing students, nurses and military: Student nurses, LPN or RN graduates and military candidates must email SCDHHS at scnar@scdhhs.gov to confirm eligibility before applying.

Working while in training: SCDHHS says a non-certified aide may work up to four months in a Medicaid-certified nursing facility if enrolled in or finished with a state-approved training program.

Light duty and exam language: If you are on light duty or restricted activity for medical reasons, you cannot take the skills evaluation until you bring medical documentation of return to full, unrestricted duty (you may still take the written or oral exam). The written exam is in English; if you want the oral exam instead, request it on your application.

Sources

• SCDHHS - Nurse Aide
• Credentia (SC) - Introduction
• Credentia (SC) - Eligibility Criteria
• Credentia (SC) - Exam Fees
• Credentia (SC) - Exam Overview
• Credentia (SC) - Exam Results
• Credentia (SC) - The Registry
• Credentia - South Carolina test takers