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

Checked against Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health Professions (Nurse Aide Registry) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: Your first certification lasts 2 years. After that, you renew every year.
State fee: $0. DHP's fee table lists no application fee for a Certified Nurse Aide. The annual renewal is $30.
Certified by: Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health Professions (Nurse Aide Registry)

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Who can apply

You must complete a Board-approved nurse aide education program. You also qualify if you have finished an RN or LPN program, or if, within the past 12 months and while enrolled in one, you completed a clinical nursing course with at least 40 hours of direct client care (18VAC90-25-71).
You must pass the state exam (written or oral, plus skills) and pay the testing fee.
Credentia's Virginia handbook says you must be at least 16 to work as a nurse aide, must complete a criminal background check, and must not have convictions that would bar you from being a nurse aide.

Step by step

Complete a Board-approved nurse aide education program (at least 140 clock hours).
Create a Credentia account and submit the exam application for the Virginia Nurse Aide Competency Test. First-time CNA by examination applications go through Credentia, not DHP.
Pay Credentia for the written (or oral) exam and the skills evaluation. The first time, you must pay for both.
Pass both parts. You must pass within two years of finishing training and within three attempts.
Credentia sends your name to the Board of Nursing for the Nurse Aide Registry. You may not call yourself a CNA until your name appears on the registry.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Under 18VAC90-26-50, a Virginia nurse aide education program must be at least 140 clock hours (required since May 12, 2023). At least 20 hours must be skills lab practice and at least 40 hours must be direct client care in a clinical setting. Observation does not count toward the 40. Students need at least 24 hours of instruction before any contact with a client. This is 65 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum. The Board of Nursing approves programs.

Exam: Credentia gives the NNAAP exam in Virginia. The written test has 70 multiple-choice questions. The oral test has 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading comprehension (word recognition) questions. The skills evaluation has five randomly chosen skills, and you must perform all five satisfactorily. Fees: written or oral $45 and skills $95, so $140 the first time. 18VAC90-25-71 says that if you do not take both parts within two years of finishing training, or fail the exam three times, you must complete another approved training program. Credentia's handbook gives the same 24-month window and three attempts on its eligibility page, but its exam-results page says new aides must pass within 12 months of course completion. Credentia offers the written or oral exam online with a live remote proctor.

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

What it costs in Virginia

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

Nurse aide education program tuition$
Credentia written (or oral) exam$45
Credentia skills evaluation$95
Criminal background check$

Estimated total in Virginia$140Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Credentia exam fees: written $45, oral $45, skills $95. The first attempt (written or oral plus skills) costs $140. Federal and Virginia law require nursing homes to pay these fees for their nurse aide employees, including retests.
Criminal background check: Credentia's handbook says one is required to work as a nurse aide but does not state who charges for it or how much.
Training tuition varies by program. Under the federal rule (42 CFR 483.152(c)), a nursing home cannot charge you for training if it employs you, or has offered you a job, when training starts. If a nursing home hires you within 12 months after you finish, you are reimbursed for training costs.

Pay in Virginia

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

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

How long it takes

Credentia says skills exam results are usually available within a few hours after the day's testing ends, and online-proctored written exam scores are available right away.

What other sites get wrong about Virginia

Myth: Virginia requires a minimum of 120 training hours through a state-approved nurse aide program.

Fact: Since May 12, 2023, Virginia nurse aide programs must be at least 140 clock hours, including at least 20 skills-lab hours and at least 40 hours of direct client care (18VAC90-26-50). source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Your first certificate lasts two years. After that, you renew every year online with a $30 fee (18VAC90-25-16 and 18VAC90-25-80). Each renewal includes a statement that you did paid nursing-related work in the two years before your expiration date. If you did not, you must retake and pass the state exam before renewing. If your certificate has lapsed for more than 90 days, you must file a reinstatement application ($30) online.

Online options: Credentia lets you take the written or oral exam online from home or work with a live webcam proctor. The skills evaluation is in person. The regulations require at least 40 hours of clinical training in direct client care, which must be done in person.

Good to know in Virginia

Transferring from another state: Apply online for CNA by Endorsement with DHP. You must have graduated from a state-approved program that meets 42 CFR 483.152, passed a competency evaluation, and be currently registered in another state with no finding of abuse, neglect or misappropriation. Each state where you have been registered must send verification, unless it can be verified electronically.

Nursing students and graduates: RN or LPN students can test under Credentia's E2 route. They upload a letter from their program director showing at least one clinical course with 40 or more hours of direct client care. RN and LPN program graduates use the E3 route with a transcript. Both routes have 12 months from application approval to test.

Advanced Certified Nurse Aide: After at least three years as a Virginia CNA, you can apply for Advanced CNA certification. You need 120 hours of approved advanced training, a recommendation from a supervising nurse, and a clean record. The application fee is $25 and the annual renewal is $20.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health Professions (Nurse Aide Registry) before you apply.