Loading...Candidates must apply for and take the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Examination in order to seek the nursing assistant certification of South Carolina.
The Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina works in association with Pearson VUE to create score and prepared the result of the NNAAP Examination for the Nurse Aide Registry of South Carolina. The same group that is Pearson VUE helps the NACES (Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Service) in scheduling and administering the exam.
Eligibility
Candidates who are eligible to appear for the NNAAP Examination are:
- Nursing Assistant candidates who have completed a training program approved by South Carolina within the time period of 2 years.
- Candidates who have completed Nurse Aide training program in South Carolina more than 2 years ago. These candidates also need to complete 40 hours long refresh course from a South Carolina state approved Nursing Assistant training course.
- Candidates who have completed 80 hours long state endorsed training program in a state other than SC in the past 2 years. The training course must cover clinical hours, and candidates need to submit along with the Examination Application a program letterhead, training completion diploma/certificate indicating the number of hours of the training.
- Nurse Aide candidates with Expired or Lapsed SC Nurse Aide certification. Such candidates need to be in good standing. They must attend 80 hours long South Carolina state approved CNA training program that includes clinical hours. If certificate of candidates is expired for over 2 years, they need to successfully finish SC state approved refresher course of 40 hours. Candidates are required to submit their Diploma or Certificate and a certificate stating completion of SC refresher course along with their examination.
- RN or LPN Graduate, Student Nurse or Military candidates. These candidates must dial to the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS ) to know their eligibility before submitting their examination application at: 803-315-1366.
Components of the Examination
Written Examination: The written examination consists of 70 multiple choice questions. Candidates get 2 hours to complete the written examination.
Oral (English or Spanish) Examination: Candidates with difficulty in reading English may give Oral Examination in place of Written Examination. The Oral Examination is conducted in Spanish as well as in English through a cassette tape. For oral testing, candidates must request for it while submitting the Examination Application. Earphones and a cassette tape are made available to candidates at the test site.
Oral testing is made up of two part– 60 multiple choice questions which are read aloud twice on a cassette tape, and 10 reading comprehensions read thrice on a cassette tape. If candidates pick oral testing in Spanish then reading comprehension questions are asked in English. It is to test whether aspiring nurse aides are familiar with English words commonly used in the long-term care facilities. Candidates get complete 2 hours to finish the oral exam.
Skills Evaluation: Candidates are asked to perform 5 nurse aide skills. “Hand-washing” is one skill that is always in those 5 skills which needs to be performed. A measurement skill is also asked and to record measurement data, a Recording Sheetis given. Candidates have to perform 5 skills in 30 minutes.
Application & Scheduling
Application: Candidates need to fill the Examination Application to apply for the NNAAP Examination and submit it with appropriate examination fee in an envelope to the address:
NACES Plus Foundation, Inc.
South Carolina NNAAP
8501 North Mopac Expressway, Suite 400
Austin, TX 78759
Applicants may avail Examination Application:
- By downloading it from the website of Pearson VUE, or
- From their nursing facility employer, or
- By contacting NACES, or
- From Nurse Aide Training program.
Scheduling: NACES schedules the examination after receiving required documents, completed applications and fees. NACES mail candidates a yellow confirmation card called, “Authorization to Test Notice” at the address they mention in their examination application within 48 working days. Candidates must call NACES if they don’t receive their confirmation card within 10 business days. Contact NACES at: 800-273-3517.
Testing Locations: Candidates may dial 800-475-8290 or visit Pearson VUE website (www.pearsonvue.com ) to know the schedule of Regional test site which is most suitable to them.
Special Exams Requests and Services: Pearson VUE provides special test accommodation to disable candidates, like-
- Extra testing time
- A separate testing room
- A recorder or Reader for candidates with vision or mobility impairment, and are unable to read/write on their own.
Examination Fees
Examination fee includes administrative cost of testing and registration, hence the fee is non-transferrable and non-refundable once received by the NACES.
| Examination |
| Fee |
| Written Examination & Skills Evaluation | Both | $ 101 |
| Spanish Oral Examination & Skills Evaluation | Both | $ 101 |
| English Oral Examination & Skills Evaluation | Both | $ 101 |
| Written Examination ONLY | Retest | $ 30 |
| Spanish Oral Examination ONLY | Retest | $ 30 |
| English Oral Examination ONLY | Retest | $ 30 |
| Skills Evaluation ONLY | Retest | $ 71 |
- When candidates appear for the NNAAP Examination for the first time, they must pay fee for both parts of the examination as they are scheduled for both the parts.
- Under Federal and State laws of South Carolina, it is the employer who pays the examination fee if applicants are employed in nursing homes (that take part in Medicare/Medicaid programs) as a nursing aide.
- Examination fee is acceptable in the form of money order, Pearson VUE voucher, company check or certified check payable to “NACES”. Cash or personal check is unacceptable. Candidates may pick any mode of fee payment but it must display their name (even if it is payable by their employer) whether it is company check, certified check or money order.
Cancellation & Rescheduling
Candidates who are unable to attend the examination on the scheduled date must notify NACES at least 5 business days before the exam date to cancel the exam and reschedule it. In this case, no penalty is charged and their examination fee is transferred to a new exam-date.
Excusing an exam is acceptable to NACES in the following unexpected situations:
- Death in the family.
- Illness of a student or of his immediate family member.
- Jury duty or court appearance
- Disabling traffic accident.
- Weather emergency.
- Military duty.
Students must provide the reason of excusing the absence in written within 10 working days after the scheduled exam.
What to Bring on the Exam Day
Candidates must report at the test site at least 30 minutes before the scheduled examination time with:
- Social Security card
- Non-skid footwear
- Two forms of non-expired (current) proper identification forms. Forms must carry official signature. Out of the two, one must be a photo bearing identification form.
A list of proper identification includes:
- Credit card
- Clinic Card
- Passport
- Library Card
- Alien registration card
- Identification card issued by the state
- Signature bearing Social Security card
- Driver’s License
Without proper identifications, applicants are not permitted to sit for the NNAAP Examination.
NOTE: The name on the identification form of a candidate must be same as his/her name on the examination application. If it does not, then candidates must bring a proof of name-change, such as marriage certificate to the test site.
Score Reporting
- Results are never declared over the telephone. The Official Score Report is mailed at candidates’ address. The Score Report tells whether candidate has passed or failed the examination. There is different score reports for written/oral examination and skills evaluation. The Score Report of Skills Evaluation list down all five performed skills. The Passed skill is marked with a score “Satisfactory” and the failed skill with “Unsatisfactory”. Students must “Satisfactory” score for all five skills in order to pass the Skills Evaluation.
- Candidates may call Pearson VUE for every kind of query related to the content of the exam or Score Report at: 800-475-8290.
- Evaluated answer sheet of Written/Oral Examination and Skills Evaluation is given to students on the same day, the day of testing. Due to some technical glitch, the score report is held-up for 5-7 working days. If candidates do not receive Score Reports even in 5-7 days then they dial up Pearson VUE at: 800-475-8290.
Failing:
- The failing score reports of Oral/Written Examination and Skills Evaluation provide information regarding how failed part or parts of the NNAAP Examination can be re-taken.
- Candidates have to pay appropriate examination-retake fee and also need to fill a new Examination Application, else they may submit their failed official Score Report (in place of a new application) in order to retake the failed part/parts of the examination.
- Candidates get three attempts to pass both parts of the NNAAP Examination and within 2 years after the completion of their state-approved CNA training program. If they are unable to succeed then they need to retake the training and pass both parts of the examination again to appear on the Nurse Aide Registry of the state.
- Failed score report of the Skills Evaluation highlights the reason of failing the skill. Students may use it as an aid while retaking the exam.
Passing:
- After successfully passing both parts of the NNAAP Examination- Written/Oral (Spanish or English) Examination and Skills Evaluation, candidates are placed on the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry.
- Pearson VUE mails Wallet Identification Card and Nurse Aide Certificate within 10 working days after passing both sections of the NNAAP Examination. If these two official documents get delayed for 30 days, candidates must contact Pearson VUE at: 800-475-8290.
- The Nurse Aide Certificate remains valid for 2 years from the date of issuing.
- Candidates may view their name on the state’s nurse aide registry by visiting Pearson VUE website- www.pearsonvue.com .
Duplicate Score Report
If students lose their original Score Report, they may fill the form called- the “Request for Duplicate Score Report or Handscored Answer Sheet” to acquire a Duplicate Score Report. The form for duplicate score report needs to be mailed to Pearson VUE.