California CNA Practice Test
California Nurse Aide Competency Exam · D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) · 75 questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass
75 questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.
Or start with a free topic drillA resident rates her pain as 8 on a scale of 0 to 10. What should the nurse aide do?
California CNA written exam format
- Testing vendor
- D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster)
- Questions
- 75 multiple choice on the CDPH-approved California test plan
- Time
- 60 minutes
- Pass mark
- 75%
- Audio version
- Available for $5 more ($45 knowledge test), with wired headphones
- Fees
- $40 knowledge test + $100 skills test = $140
- Attempts
- 3 attempts within 2 years of finishing training
- CDPH lists three approved testing vendors: Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies), Credentia, and the Regional Testing Center in Huntington Beach. This page and its practice exam follow the Headmaster format; check which vendor your training program uses.
- Credentia’s California written exam has 70 questions, and the oral version has 60 questions plus 10 reading comprehension questions. Its handbook does not publish a time limit.
California test plan
| Subject area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Aging Process and Restorative Care | 4 |
| Basic Nursing Skills | 15 |
| Care Impaired | 5 |
| Communication | 5 |
| Data Collection | 4 |
| Disease Process | 4 |
| Infection Control | 6 |
| Mental Health | 6 |
| Personal Care | 4 |
| Resident Rights | 8 |
| Role and Responsibility | 6 |
| Safety | 8 |
Our California practice exam
75 questions in 60 minutes, scored against the 75% pass mark, with a score for each topic. Questions are drawn across the NNAAP topics in the same proportions as the real written exam, and every answer comes with an explanation.
Sit the full written exam under the real clock
75 questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.
Or start with a free topic drillCalifornia skills exam
- Three or four tasks chosen at random in 30 minutes. The first is a mandatory task with hand washing built in: bedpan with urine output, catheter care, PPE with drainage bag and output, or perineal care.
- To pass, you perform every critical step and at least 80% of the other steps on each task.
Practice each skill from the official checklist in the sources below until you can do every step in order.
Common questions
How many questions are on the California CNA written test?
With Headmaster, 75 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, and you need 75% to pass. Credentia’s California written exam has 70 questions.
Can I take the California CNA test in audio?
Yes. Headmaster offers an audio version of the knowledge test for $5 more, $45 in total.
How many times can I take the California CNA exam?
Three attempts within two years of completing your training program.
75 questions in 60 minutes, 75% to pass, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.
Or start with a free topic drillSources
- Headmaster: California Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook (October 2026, v9.0)
- CDPH: CNA testing vendors
- Credentia (California): Exam overview
Checked October 30, 2026. Vendors update their handbooks; confirm details with your testing vendor before you schedule.
Original independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Credentia, NCSBN, Headmaster (D&S Diversified Technologies), Prometric or any state agency. All states