CNA Exam 2027: What's Confirmed for the Written Test, the Skills Test, and Your State

What is confirmed for 2027, checked October 26, 2026

The national picture for a 2027 test date is stable. Here is what current official pages show:

If your state uses the NNAAP, the content you study now is the content you'll see in 2027. Practice CNA written-exam questions across all ten care topics → and you won't need to relearn anything for the new year.

The changes that land before 2027: Tennessee's skills

The clearest dated change is in Tennessee, where Credentia now runs full-service written and skills NNAAP testing. Its skills page, updated October 6, 2026, says:

• Updated steps in existing skills began being tested on November 1, 2026. The skills with updated steps include hand hygiene, assisting to walk with a transfer belt, counting pulse and respirations, dressing a resident with a weak arm, the modified bed bath, positioning on the right side, and manual blood pressure.
• Two skills begin being tested on December 1, 2026: applying one knee-high elastic stocking and providing foot care on one foot.
• Tennessee still doesn't test electronic blood pressure or weighing an ambulatory resident.

So a Tennessee candidate testing in 2027 should study from the current Tennessee checklist, not from a handbook printed before October 2026. Candidates in other states shouldn't assume Tennessee's changes apply to them. The NNAAP skills guide explains what each skill is designed to protect.

What your state controls in 2027

Federal rules leave most practical details to each state, and that's where 2027 differences come from:

• The vendor and exam. Credentia's home page lists its nurse aide states and announces new ones, including Tennessee and Iowa. Other states use different vendors or their own exams. The state guide shows how to confirm yours.
• Fees. Set per state and can change; check your state's current fee page before paying.
• Attempts and deadlines. At least three attempts are guaranteed federally, but windows vary, from 12 months in Rhode Island and Virginia to two years in Pennsylvania and Alabama. The retake guide has the details.
• Which skills are tested. States can leave some NNAAP skills out, as Pennsylvania does with the bedpan and electronic blood pressure skills.
• Online written testing. Some states offer the written or oral exam online; the skills test stays in person.

Studying for a 2027 test date

Because the written outline is unchanged, a 2027 plan looks like any well-built plan: study by content area, weighted by the outline, and practice the skills with your training program's checklist. On the 2024 outline, Basic Nursing Skills is the largest area at 35% of the scored questions, followed by Activities of Daily Living at 22%. The content outline guide lists every area and weight.

Before you book a 2027 date, check three things on your state's current pages: the handbook's revision date, the skills list, and the fee schedule. If any of them changed since you started training, ask your instructor how it affects you. When the written side is your concern, find which CNA care topics you miss most before your test date →.