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

Who can apply

• You must complete a DHS-approved nurse aide training program, or a basic nursing course for RNs or LPNs.
• You must pass the state competency exam (knowledge test and skills test) within one year of finishing your training program.
• Under DHS 129.09, you qualify for the registry if you finish an approved training and competency evaluation program within 120 days of starting work as a nurse aide, finish approved programs in another state that Wisconsin accepts, or finish a basic nursing course and a competency evaluation.

Step by step

1. Complete a DHS-approved nurse aide training program (at least 75 hours). DHS publishes a map of programs.
2. Your training program enters your registration in Headmaster's TestMaster Universe (TMU) system. Log in at wi.tmutest.com and complete your profile.
3. Pay the testing fee ($144.70 for the knowledge and skills tests) and schedule a test date in TMU.
4. Pass the knowledge test and the skills test within one year of finishing training.
5. DHS places your name on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry when you pass both parts.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Wis. Admin. Code DHS 129.07 requires at least 75 training hours, the federal minimum under 42 CFR 483.152(a). At least 16 of those hours must be clinical experience in a clinical setting. The first 16 hours must be classroom training, covering communication, infection control, safety, independence and residents' rights, before you have any direct contact with clients. The competency evaluation and provider orientation do not count toward the 75 hours. DHS approves programs.

Exam: D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) gives Wisconsin's exam and runs the registry. The knowledge test has 75 multiple-choice questions and you need 71% to pass. An audio version is available. The skills test has three or four tasks (one mandatory first task plus two or three chosen at random) in no more than 30 minutes, and you must pass every one. Fees effective June 7, 2026: knowledge and skills $144.70; audio knowledge and skills $150.15; knowledge only $37.49; audio knowledge only $42.94; skills only $107.21. If you fail a part, you retake only that part, as many times as needed, within one year of finishing training. After one year you must complete another DHS-approved program.

What it costs in Wisconsin

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

Headmaster says official test results are posted in your TMU account after 7:00 PM Central Time on the day the tests are scored, and your name is placed on the registry when you pass both parts.

What other sites get wrong about Wisconsin

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Your federal work eligibility on the registry lasts 24 months. To renew it, you must have worked at least 8 hours for pay as a nurse aide in a health care setting under RN or LPN supervision during the previous 24 months (Wis. Stat. § 146.40(1)(d); Headmaster handbook). Self-employment and private-duty work do not count. Starting 90 days before expiration, add your employer in TMU. Your employer approves the request and DHS extends your eligibility 24 months. If your employer is not in TMU, use form F-03211. If you have not worked in the past 24 months, you must retest (skills and written). Wisconsin does not require retraining. DHS does not list a renewal fee.

Online options: Headmaster offers a remotely proctored knowledge exam. The skills test is in person. DHS 129.07 requires at least 16 hours of clinical experience in a clinical setting.

Good to know in Wisconsin

Transferring from another state: Request out-of-state reciprocity and complete the application on the Wisconsin Headmaster (TMU) site. Under the candidate handbook, if you finished a 75-hour out-of-state program but never tested and more than one year has passed, you must complete a Wisconsin DHS-approved program and exam.

Nursing students and graduates: Students in an approved RN or LPN program, and graduates who have not passed the NCLEX, can file a Nursing Student Training Requirement Waiver (1101) application in TMU with a transcript showing a passing grade in fundamentals of nursing.

Working while in training: A health care provider can employ a student as a nurse aide after the first 16 classroom hours. You must finish training and testing within 120 days of starting work.

Free career training: DHS's WisCaregiver Careers program offers free training for people interested in caregiving careers.

Sources

• Wisconsin DHS - Nurse Aide Program: Training and Registry
• Wisconsin DHS - Becoming a CNA in Wisconsin
• Wisconsin DHS - Maintaining Registry Status
• Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 129 (Register February 2026)
• Headmaster - Wisconsin Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook (fees effective June 7, 2026)
• Wisconsin Stat. § 146.40(1)(d)
• 42 CFR 483.152 - Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (Cornell LII)