CNA Classes in Texas (Top Schools)

In Texas, the Texas Health and Human Services (THHS) regulates the training and certification of Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs).

Per this department, you can become a CNA by meeting these requirements:

• Complete a state-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP)
• Pass the Texas Nurse Aide Competency Exam (TX NACE)

Note: When applying for employment, THHS requires that you undergo a criminal background check.

Taking on a CNA Training Program in Texas

To receive certification, the first step is to complete a state-approved NATCEP.

Doing so ensures you’ll receive an education that meets the state’s CNA regulations and standards.

In the program, you’ll undergo a minimum total of 100 training hours, consisting of:

• 60 hours of classroom instruction
• 40 hours of supervised clinical training in a nursing facility

The THHS has made it easy for you to search for NATCEP training facilities near your locality.

Simply visit this website: https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/providers/nf/credentialing/NATCEP/credtraining.cfm.

You can also find some of them in the table below.

Evaluating a CNA Candidate

After receiving nurse aide training, you can now sit in for the state’s competency exam.

Do note that you only have 24 months after training completion to take and pass TX NACE.

Let’s take a look at what you need to know about this exam.

CNA Candidate Eligible to Take the TX NACE

Update: As of September 2020, Prometric replaces Pearson VUE in administering TX NACE.

Prometric, in compliance with THHS, only accepts the following candidates to sit for the exam.

Route New Nurse Aide

A newly-trained Texas nurse aide can have an eligibility to test if you have completed the NATCEP in the last 24 months.

You can send your exam application and schedule your exam online at www.prometric.com/nurseaide/tx.

Route 5528 Nurse Aides with Expired Status

You have an expired status if you, in the last 24 months since receiving your certification or renewal, haven’t:

• Worked as a CNA with pay
• Completed the 24-hour in-service education

To apply, you must receive authorization to test (ATT) from Texas Nurse Aide Registry (NAR).

Here are the ATT requirements that you’ll submit via email to nurseaideregistry@hhs.texas.gov:

• Duly accomplished Request to Retest for Nurse Aides in Expired Status (Form 5528)
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety
• Copy of your state-issued current photo ID

Route 5511 Nurse Aides with Equivalent Military Training

You can take the exam if you have completed an equivalent of 100 hours of civilian nurse aide training.

To apply, you have to submit the following via email to NAR for the ATT:

• Duly accomplished Request for Waiver of NATCEP (Form 5507)
• An official or notarized copy of your certificate of completion or transcript
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety
• If you’ve worked as a nurse aide, a duly accomplished Employment Verification (Form 5506)

Route 5512 (RN/LVN Graduate)

If you’re a nursing graduate, you can take the exam if you’ve completed a state-accredited nursing school in any state in the past 24 months.

To apply, you have to submit the following via email to NAR for the ATT:

• Duly accomplished Request for Waiver of NATCEP (Form 5507)
• An official or notarized copy of your certificate of completion or transcript
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety
• If you’ve worked as a nurse aide, a duly accomplished Employment Verification (Form 5506)

Route 5513 (RN/LVN Student)

If you’re a nursing student, you can take the exam if you’ve completed the basic nursing training in the past 24 months.

To apply, you have to submit the following via email to NAR for the ATT:

• Duly accomplished Request for Waiver of NATCEP (Form 5507)
• An official or notarized copy of your certificate of completion or transcript
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety

Route 5510 (Out-of-State Training)

For out-of-state nurse aides, you can take TX NACE if you’ve completed NATCEP in another state in the past 24 months.

To apply, you have to submit the following via email to NAR for the ATT:

• Duly accomplished Request for Waiver of NATCEP (Form 5507)
• An official or notarized copy of your certificate of completion or transcript
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety

Note: You can download the applicable forms at THHS’s NAR web page.

Once you’ve secured the ATT from NAR, you can apply and schedule your exam online via www.prometric.com/nurseaide/tx.

The Texas NACE

The TX NACE assesses your nurse aide competencies in both knowledge and skills.

As such, the exam will be taken in two parts: a written/oral test and a clinical skills test.

Written/Oral Test

• The test can be taken on a computer at the test site or via remote proctoring.
• It consists of 60 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 90 minutes.
• Questions are taken from the THHS-approved content outline:
  • Role of the nurse aide
  • Promotion of safety
  • Promotion of function and health of residents
  • Basic nursing care
  • Providing specialized care for residents with changes in health
• You can opt to take an oral test in English or Spanish upon request.
• In the oral test, you’ll also answer 15 reading comprehension questions on top of the knowledge questions.
• The reading comprehension will assess if you have the reading skills needed to work in a nursing facility.
• Bringing a translation dictionary is prohibited.

Clinical Skills Test

• The test will simulate an actual nursing situation.
• You’ll perform five skills to be completed within a given time limit.
• Of the five skills, two are mandatory skills:
  • Handwashing
  • Indirect care
• Each skill has a list of checkpoints that you must complete in order to pass.

For complete information about TX NACE, read the Candidate Information Bulletin at https://www.prometric.com/nurseaide/tx.

Exam Fees

You’ll pay the following fees to Prometric:

• Written and clinical skills tests – $125
• English/Spanish oral and skills tests – $135
• Retake exam fees:
  • Written test – $35
  • Oral test – $45
  • Clinical skills test – $90

Exam Results

Generally, you’ll receive your test results via email shortly after completing the tests.

You can also log on to Promtric’s Texas Nurse Aide Portal to view the results.

On the score report, it will only say “Pass” or “Fail” for both written (oral) and clinical skills tests.

If you pass, Prometric will send your information to THHS to be listed to NAR.

But if you don’t, you’ll have to retake the test/s you failed.

Do note that you only have three attempts within the eligibility period for each test to pass them.

If you still don’t pass on the third attempt, you need to re-enroll in NATCEP to retake TX NACE.

Certification by Reciprocity

Out-of-state CNAs who are active and in good standing in another state’s NAR can be granted reciprocity.

To be considered, you have to submit the following to Texas NAR via email, nurseaideregistry@hhs.texas.gov:

• Duly accomplished:
  • Request for Entry on the Texas NAR through Reciprocity (Form 5505)
  • Employment Verification (Form 5506)
• Copy of your state-issued current photo ID
• Copy of your Social Security card
• Criminal background check report from the Texas Department of Public Safety

It takes at least 20 business days for Texas NAR to process your request.

Potential Salary

A CNA’s salary depends on many factors, such as:

• Education
• Skill level
• Experience
• Workplace location

Currently, you can expect to receive an average salary of $31,116 a year.

Below, you’ll find how much a CNA earns across Texas.

CNA Schools by City

• Arlington3 Schools
• Austin3 Schools
• Corpus Christi2 Schools
• Dallas3 Schools
• El Paso4 Schools
• Fort Worth2 Schools
• Houston5 Schools
• Plano2 Schools
• San Antonio3 Schools