CNA Classes in Missouri (Top Schools)

The regulations for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA) fall under the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ (DHSS) jurisdiction.

You can only become a CNA and enter into the CNA Registry when you complete the following:

• State-approved nurse assistant training program (NATP)
• Pass the Missouri Nurse Assistant Competency Exam (MO-NACE)

Taking on a CNA Training Program in Missouri

There are plenty of state-approved NATPs offered by training facilities in Missouri, some of which are listed below.

In the NATP, you will be prepared for the responsibilities that a nurse assistant does in long-term care facilities.

You will complete a minimum of 175 hours of training, comprising of:

• 75 hours of classroom instruction
• 100 hours of supervised clinical training

Waiving of CNA Training

There are CNA candidates who don’t have to enroll in NATP and go straight to MO-NACE.

They are called “challengers” who meet certain criteria and have state approval.

• Nursing graduates and students who completed a Fundamentals of Nursing course with clinical rotation within the last five years
• Nursing graduates who failed the state licensure exam
• Foreign-trained nurses awaiting licensure in the U.S.
• Individuals who completed the Unlicensed Assistive Personnel training
• CNAs with inactive status in the Missouri CNA Registry
• Individuals with backgrounds in the gerontology and health occupations that have equivalent components to the NATP curriculum

If this applies to you, then send a written request along with other documentation to cnaregistry@health.mo.gov.

Evaluating a CNA Candidate

Completing NATP means you’re now ready to take the competency evaluation exam.

MO-NACE will be administered by the testing vendor, D&SDT-Headmaster.

There will be two parts to MO-NACE:

• Knowledge test, usually in written format
• Manual skills test

For the knowledge test:

• You have 60 minutes to answer 75 questions.
• An oral test is available upon request.
• If oral, 67 questions will be read orally while the rest won’t be to assess your reading comprehension.
• You can’t use a bilingual dictionary in the exam room.
• Passing rate is 76%.

For the manual skills test:

• You’ll be evaluated by performing three to four random nurse assistant tasks.
• You must complete all tasks within 30 minutes.
• Passing rate for non-key tasks is 80% and for key tasks 100%.

Do make sure to take MO-NACE within 12 months from the date you started NATP.

Exam Fees

To be able to take the tests, you will have to pay the following fees:

• Knowledge test – written – $30
• Knowledge test – oral – $40
• Manual skills test – $90

Note that fees are the same for initial exam takers and exam retakers.

Exam Results

Your official results will be posted online via D&SDT-Headmaster’s TestMaster Universe.

It will be available after 7 PM the day after your exam.

Should you pass, then your information will be added to the CNA Registry.

If not, then you have two other attempts to pass the test/s you failed.

If you still fail on the third attempt, you’ll have to retrain to be able to retake MO-NACE.

Out-of-State CNA under Reciprocity

You can transfer your CNA status to Missouri without having to take the exam if you:

• Currently hold a CNA certification
• Have an active status and in good standing at another state’s CNA Registry

You only have to submit to DHSS the following for review and approval:

• Duly accomplished out-of-state reciprocity form
• Proof of your current CNA certificate

You may email these to DHSS at cnaregistry@health.mo.gov or fax them to 573-526-7656.

Potential Salary

After all the hard work on training and certification, it is natural to expect a good salary.

In Missouri, you can receive an average salary of $30,198 annually.

Take a closer look at the salary information in major cities across the state.

Regional Salary

CNA Schools by City

• Kansas City2 Schools
• Springfield2 Schools
• St. Louis2 Schools