What Percentage of Students Pass the Washington CNA Exam?

Washington does not publish a single statewide pass rate for the CNA exam. The Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) publishes NCLEX pass rates for nursing programs, but as of this review neither WABON's nursing assistant pages nor Credentia's Washington test-taker pages post pass rates for the Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) exam. Any specific percentage you see quoted online for "the Washington CNA pass rate" is therefore either a program's own figure, a national estimate, or a guess. What can be said accurately is how results are reported, why rates differ between programs, and which factors reliably predict a first-attempt pass.

Why there is no single Washington pass rate

The exam has two parts administered by different bodies, which complicates any single statistic. Since October 1, 2023:

• Part 1, the skills test, is administered in person by approved training programs, or at a site booked through WABON online scheduling for candidates whose program does not test. The $100 fee goes to the test site. Results are recorded by the test site and reported to the state.
• Part 2, the knowledge test, is administered by Credentia online or in an oral format for $55, and only after the skills pass is recorded. Candidates view their score report in their Credentia account after testing.

Because skills results come from many test sites and knowledge results come from one vendor, a combined "pass rate" would need to define whether it counts first attempts only, both parts, or candidates who eventually pass after retakes. Those definitions produce very different numbers, and no Washington agency currently publishes one.

How pass rates are usually defined

When a school or a national source does quote a rate, ask which of these it means:

A school that says "95 percent of our students pass" may mean eventual pass after retakes, first-attempt pass, or completion. Those are three different claims. The only comparable figure between schools is a first-attempt rate over a stated period with a stated number of candidates.

What affects the skills test pass rate

The skills test is where most first-attempt failures happen, and the reasons are consistent:

1. Critical steps. Each Washington skill checklist marks certain steps as critical; missing one fails the entire skill regardless of the rest. Safety steps such as locking brakes before a transfer are typical examples.
2. Silent performance. Communication with the resident is scored. Candidates who perform correctly without explaining lose points on skills they physically did right.
3. Closing steps. Placing the call light within reach, lowering the bed, and hand hygiene at the end are frequently forgotten after a well-executed skill.
4. Measurement accuracy. Vital signs must fall within a range of the evaluator's reading, so inconsistent technique on blood pressure or pulse fails the skill.

Programs that run timed mock tests against the state checklist before the real test reduce these errors, which is why mock testing is part of the final week at Huduma CNA Programs. The complete list of testable skills is in the Washington CNA skills test skills list, and what happens after a fail is in failing the Washington CNA skills test.

What affects the knowledge test pass rate

Credentia's knowledge test is multiple choice, drawn from the content areas in its Washington candidate handbook. Failures cluster around reading speed and test-taking rather than content depth. Candidates who read English slowly may run short on time; the oral format, in which questions are read aloud through headphones at the same $55 fee, exists for that case. Candidates who studied by rereading the textbook rather than answering practice questions also underperform, because the test asks for application rather than recall. Content areas and the delivery options are covered in the Credentia knowledge test for Washington.

Why program pass rates vary

Two approved programs teaching the same state curriculum can have very different first-attempt rates. The main reasons:

• Whether the program tests on site. Programs that administer the skills test themselves test in the lab where students trained, on equipment they know. Students sent to an outside site test in an unfamiliar room.
• Mock testing. Programs that run a scored, timed mock test catch checklist misses before they cost $100.
• Instructor-to-student ratio in lab. Fewer students per instructor means more corrected repetitions of each skill.
• Attendance enforcement. Programs that make students complete every hour produce candidates who have actually practiced every skill.
• Student population. A program serving many students learning English will see more knowledge-test retakes, which reflects the test's language load rather than teaching quality.

WABON's program approval process under WAC 246-841A includes announced and unannounced site visits and a renewal every two years, but approval is a minimum-standards judgment, not a ranking by pass rate. How approval works is explained in how Washington CNA programs are approved and audited.

Questions to ask a program about its pass rate

Before enrolling, ask these five questions and expect specific answers:

1. What is your first-attempt pass rate on the skills test, over what period, and for how many candidates?
2. Do you administer the skills test on site, or do students book through WABON online scheduling?
3. Do you run a scored mock skills test before the real one?
4. What is your first-attempt pass rate on the Credentia knowledge test?
5. What do you do for a student who fails a part, and what does a retake cost?

A program that cannot answer the first question with a number, a period, and a count is quoting a marketing figure. A program that answers all five is tracking its outcomes. The broader checklist is in choosing a DOH-approved CNA program in Washington.

What a retake costs

Retake rules shape how much a first-attempt failure matters. Programs must allow at least four attempts at the skills competency exam under WAC 246-841A-430(6)(k)(iii), each with the $100 fee to the test site. A knowledge retake is a new $55 Credentia registration. The exception is the E8 OBRA reactivation route, where WABON allows only one retest attempt and a candidate must pass both parts on the first try or retrain. For most candidates, then, a first failure costs money and time rather than eligibility.

Improving your own odds

The factors under a candidate's control are the ones that move first-attempt results most:

• Attend all 108 hours; missed lab hours are missed repetitions.
• Practice each skill aloud, in checklist order, at least three times.
• Take a timed mock test and fix the single step you missed.
• Register for the knowledge test soon after the skills pass while the material is fresh, and use practice questions rather than rereading.
• Choose the oral format if reading speed, not content, is the barrier.

How to prepare when nerves are the main problem is covered in CNA skills test anxiety.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CNA exam pass rate in Washington? No statewide rate is published by WABON or Credentia. Rates you see online are program-specific, national, or unsourced.

Which part of the Washington CNA exam do more people fail? The skills test, in most programs' experience, because a single missed critical step fails the whole skill.

How many times can I take the Washington CNA skills test? Programs must allow at least four attempts, each with the $100 test-site fee. E8 OBRA reactivation candidates get one retest.

Does a program's pass rate tell me it is a good school? Only if it is a first-attempt rate over a stated period with a candidate count. Ask which definition is being used.

Where do I see my Washington CNA exam results? Skills results come from the test site; knowledge test score reports appear in your Credentia account. Timelines are in the results guide.

For the mechanics of results and what happens next, read Washington CNA exam results, and for the full exam structure see the Washington NAC exam guide.