Wisconsin Nurse Aide Competency Testing Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I work as a nurse aide before I take the competency test?
A nurse aide student enrolled in an approved nurse aide training
program may be permitted to provide direct nursing related duties for up
to 120 calendar days from the start of training, as long as the person:
- Is a full-time employee,
- Has been trained and found proficient by the instructor on the skill
being performed, and
- Is under the general supervision of a RN or LPN.
If you fail the competency test, you can not provide direct, hands-on
care until you successfully pass the retake test.
What is included on the nurse aide competency test?
There are two parts of the NNAAPTM Examination:
- A Written or Oral Examination
- A Skills Evaluation
The Written Examination has 70 multiple-choice questions. You
will be allowed two (2) hours to complete this exam.
Ten (10) questions are pre-test questions and are used to collect
statistical information for future examinations. Your answer to the
pre-test questions do not affect your score.
The Oral Examination consists of 60 questions and ten (10)
reading comprehension questions. You are also allowed two (2) hours to
complete the Oral Exam.
You will complete the Skills Evaluation in an area that is set
up to resemble an actual work setting.
All of the necessary equipment will be available for you to perform
your assigned skills.
The Nurse Aide Evaluator will show you the area, give you an
opportunity to see how the equipment works and answer your questions
before beginning the Skills Evaluation.
You will be asked to actually perform 5 randomly selected nurse
aide skills. See pages 23 - 38 of the Wisconsin Nurse Aide
Candidate Handbook ( exit DHFS; PDF, 255 KB)
for step-by-step instructions about each skill.
You cannot just describe how you would perform the skill -- you must actually
perform each skill. You will have 30 minutes to complete the five (5)
skills.
You must successfully perform all five (5) skills in order to pass the
Skills Evaluation.
The Nurse Aide Evaluator will rate your performance.
The Nurse Aide Evaluator will not answer any questions during the
Skills Evaluation and will not tell you if you performed the skill
correctly.
Will I be using a mannequin for the Skills Evaluation?
Nurse aide candidates will be asked to volunteer to act as a client for
another candidate when performing the Skills Evaluation.
As the client, you will be expected to play the role of a health-care
client for a skill scenario.
Therefore, plan to dress in loose, non-binding clothing:
- A tank top and exercise pants, to accommodate the various skill
scenarios (e.g., exposed arm and under arm for a partial bed bath or
leg for range of motion).
Volunteer candidates are used for all skills, except for perineal care
and shampooing. Mannequins are used for these two (2) scenarios.
What if I made a mistake during the Skills Evaluation?
If you know that you made a mistake, say so, and you will be
allowed to go back and begin where you feel you made an error.
You
will have one opportunity during each skill to correct a mistake.
How will I know if I passed the competency test?
You will receive your competency test results in writing, usually the
day of the test, but no later than ten (10) business days after the test.
If you successfully passed the test, you will receive a wall
certificate and a wallet card in the mail.
If you did not pass both the written test and the skills demonstration,
your notice will indicate the area(s) that need further review and
practice.
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Last Revised: June 30, 2008 |
