Washington CNA Skills Test: All Skills You Could Be Asked to Perform

Washington's nursing assistant skills test draws from a state list of more than twenty skills. Hand hygiene is tested every time; the rest of your set is assigned on test day, so you need to be able to perform any skill on the list to the checklist standard. The test is given in person by your training program (or scheduled through the Washington State Board of Nursing's online system if your program does not test) for a $100 fee, and a recorded pass is required before you can register for the $55 Credentia knowledge test. Below is the full list by category, the steps evaluators score as critical, and a practice method that works.

How skills are assigned on test day

You do not choose your skills and you are not told them in advance. The evaluator assigns a set that always includes hand hygiene plus several other skills from the list, performed in a simulated care setting on a volunteer, a classmate, or a mannequin. Each skill has a printed checklist. The evaluator marks each step as performed or not performed, and certain steps are flagged as critical because they protect safety, infection control, or resident dignity. Missing a critical step fails that skill, and failing any skill in your set fails the attempt.

Two more rules shape preparation. The test is timed, so aim for a steady pace that never skips a safety step. And WAC 246-841A-430 requires approved programs to give students at least four attempts at the skills competency exam, so one bad day is not the end of the road.

The complete Washington skills list by category

Infection control skills

Hand hygiene opens every test and is also scored inside every other skill. The checklist expects wet hands, soap, friction for the required duration covering all surfaces including between fingers and under nails, rinsing with fingertips down, drying with a clean towel, and turning off the faucet without recontaminating your hands. For gown and gloves, the order matters: gown first, then gloves over the cuffs; on removal, gloves come off first, then the gown is peeled away from the body without touching the outside, and you finish with hand hygiene.

Measurement skills

Blood pressure, pulse, and respirations are scored on technique and accuracy: your recorded value must fall within the evaluator's tolerance against their own reading, and you must write it down correctly. Candidates most often underestimate respirations by stopping early; count for the full period. Weight requires checking the scale first. Urinary output requires measuring at eye level on a flat surface and recording the amount in the correct units.

Personal care skills

Every personal care skill shares a spine: explain the procedure, provide privacy, check water temperature where water is used, drape for dignity, work from clean areas to dirty areas, change the water or washcloth when the checklist says to, and leave the call light in reach. The weak-arm dressing skill has its own rule: dress the weak side first and undress the weak side last. Catheter care is scored heavily on keeping the tubing secure and cleaning away from the insertion site. Elastic stockings must be applied smoothly, with no wrinkles and the heel in the correct position.

Mobility and positioning skills

The transfer and ambulation skills carry the most critical steps because a mistake can injure a real person. Before any transfer, the bed must be at a safe height, the wheelchair positioned and locked, the footrests moved out of the way, and the resident wearing non-skid footwear. The transfer belt goes over clothing and is gripped with an upward hold. You never lift under the arms. Positioning on the side requires proper support with pillows at the back, between the knees, and under the upper arm, with the resident's body aligned. Passive range of motion is scored on supporting the joint above and below the one being moved, moving slowly, and stopping at any sign of pain.

Feeding and elimination skills

The feeding skill tests communication as much as technique: confirm identity, describe the food, offer small amounts at the resident's pace, alternate solids and liquids, and wipe the mouth as needed. For the bedpan, the checklist covers gloves, correct placement, raising the head of the bed, privacy and the call light, safe removal, hygiene, and recording output if required.

Critical steps that appear across many skills

Evaluators can only credit what they observe, so each of these must be visible or spoken aloud:

• Hand hygiene at the start of the skill, after glove removal, and at the end.
• Identifying the resident and explaining what you are about to do.
• Providing privacy with the curtain or door and by draping.
• Checking water temperature by touch and, where required, asking the resident to check it.
• Locking bed and wheelchair brakes before any move.
• Using the transfer belt and keeping the resident's feet flat on the floor.
• Leaving the bed in its lowest position, side rails as instructed, and the call light within reach.
• Recording measurements immediately and accurately.

Errors instructors see most often

Instructors who run testing at Huduma CNA Programs see the same patterns repeatedly: skipping the explanation to the resident, performing a safety step silently so it cannot be credited, recording a blood pressure that differs from what was heard, and walking away without lowering the bed or placing the call light. None of these reflect poor caregiving; they reflect practice that did not match how the test is scored.

How to practice the list

1. Get the current Washington checklist for each skill from your program and practice in the printed order of steps, not in whatever order feels natural.
2. Say each safety step out loud as you do it, every time, until narration is automatic.
3. Rotate through the entire list on a schedule so the skills you dislike get as much time as the ones you enjoy.
4. Practice on a person for the communication-heavy skills such as feeding, dressing, and ambulation.
5. Time yourself only after your steps are accurate; speed comes from repetition, not from hurrying.
6. Take at least one full mock test with an evaluator who is not your everyday instructor. Huduma's HCA–CNA Bridge builds four mock-testing hours into its 40-hour schedule for exactly this reason, and the CNA Traditional program tests on site, so students practice in the same environment where the real exam happens.

For a closer look at why rehearsal under test conditions matters, read why Washington programs build in mock skills testing.

Where the skills test fits in the exam sequence

The skills test is Part 1 of Washington's two-part exam. Once your passing result is recorded, you register with Credentia for the knowledge test; the steps are laid out in how to register for the Washington CNA exam. The knowledge test itself is covered in the Credentia knowledge test for Washington CNAs. If an attempt does not go well, what happens if you fail the skills test explains attempts, fees, and next steps.

Frequently asked questions

How many skills do I perform on the Washington CNA skills test? A set assigned on test day that always includes hand hygiene plus several other skills from the state list. Your program will tell you the current number of skills in a set before your test date.

Can I pick which skills I am tested on? No. Skills are assigned by the evaluator. Preparing every skill on the list is the only reliable strategy.

Is one missed step an automatic fail? A missed critical step fails that skill, which fails the attempt. A missed non-critical step counts against you but may not fail the skill on its own, depending on the checklist.

Do I perform skills on a real person or a mannequin? Both are used. Skills such as catheter care and perineal care are performed on a mannequin; feeding, ambulation, and transfers are usually performed on a volunteer or classmate.

Are the skills the same for bridge and traditional students? Yes. Home Care Aide bridge graduates and traditional program graduates take the same skills test from the same list.

For the full picture of both exam parts, fees, and retakes, see the Washington NAC exam guide, then check upcoming class dates if you are ready to start training.