What the CNA exam costs, and why the answer is your state's handbook
There is no national CNA exam fee. Each state sets its own, published in that state's candidate handbook, and the fee structure differs by which parts you take and which you retake. Colorado's published schedule is shown here as a worked example of the shape these fees take, not as a figure that applies anywhere else.
No national fee exists
Nurse aide testing is administered per state. The fee is set in your state candidate handbook, and there is no federal figure to quote. Any site giving you "the CNA exam cost" as a single number is quoting one state, usually without saying which.
A worked example: Colorado
From the Colorado NNAAP candidate handbook:
| Examination | Fee |
|---|---|
| Nurse Aide Exam — Written and Skills | $145 |
| Nurse Aide Exam — Oral and Skills | $145 |
| Nurse Aide Written Only (retake) | $50 |
| Nurse Aide Oral Only (retake) | $50 |
| Nurse Aide Skills Only (retake) | $95 |
| Medication Aide Exam (initial and retake) | $80 |
| Duplicate Score Report | $0 |
Two things in that table generalise even though the numbers do not.
The oral exam costs the same as the written one. Choosing the oral examination is a right under federal rule 483.154(b)(1)(i), and in Colorado at least it carries no premium. If reading English is a barrier, this is not a concession you pay for.
Retaking the skills costs roughly twice a written retake. Skills retakes need an evaluator, a room and equipment. That is the practical argument for drilling skills under a timer rather than reading about them.
Colorado also requires both parts to be passed within 24 months of the application being received, and its fees are non-refundable and non-transferable once paid.
You may not be charged at all
Federal rule 483.154(c)(2): a nurse aide who is employed by, or who has received an offer of employment from, a facility may not be charged for any portion of the competency evaluation programme.
And 483.154(c)(3): if you paid, and a facility employs you or offers you employment within 12 months of completing the programme, the state must provide for pro rata reimbursement.
Before paying anything, check whether either applies to you. This is a federal entitlement, not a facility courtesy.
What we do not state
Fees for any state other than Colorado, and any national figure. Get yours from your own state's candidate handbook — the fee, the retake rules and the window are all set there.
Enter your exam date and weekly hours; we allocate time by blueprint weight × your weak spots.
Primary references
- Colorado Nurse Aide Written (or Oral) Examination and Skills Evaluation Candidate Handbook — Credentia Services LLC, in partnership with the Colorado Board of Nursing · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
- 42 CFR Part 483 Subpart D — Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies, Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation — Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · government · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22