Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not renew your certificate by midnight of the expiration date, your certificate becomes delinquent and you cannot work as a CNA until the certificate is renewed. In order to renew your license after the expiration date, you will need to meet the work and in-service training requirements, pay the original renewal fee and pay a delinquency fee. If the certificate is not renewed by expiration date,  two years later, your certificate will become null and void and you will have to take the CNA examination again to be certified in Florida.

The expiration date of CNA certificates now shows on the Department of Health License Verification site at: https://mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/HealthCareProviders

If you complete a state approved training program and meet specified requirements, you might be eligible to receive reimbursement for some of your expenses. You should ask your employer (nursing homes are the only employers which do reimburse) or the district Medicaid office in your area for details.

CNA applicants may “challenge” the exam. Completion of a state approved CNA training program is not required unless the applicant has failed part of the exam three times.

You must pass both the written and the performance exam offered by the testing vendor, Prometric, to be certified as a nursing assistant in the state of Florida. The only exception to this is for approved Endorsement candidates.

Examination results are valid for two years. So, if you pass one part of the exam, you must pass the second part within two years or you will have to repeat both parts of the exam to be certified.

Yes, you must pass both parts of the examination within two years to be certified in Florida.

You must complete a Board approved CNA training program (full 120 hour program) and retake both parts of the exam. You can find a list of approved training programs at https://floridasnursing.gov/education-and-training-programs/.

No, the exams are not the same from state to state.

Florida does not require the testing for those candidates who have been verified as being actively certified and in good standing in another state. Otherwise, you will be required to take the written and performance exams in order to be placed on Florida’s Registry.

Each certified nursing assistant must complete a minimum of 24 hours of in-service training each biennium. For candidates certified during the biennium period, the training shall be prorated to 1.0 hours of in-service training per month from the month of initial certification to the end of the biennium.

It is the CNA’s responsibility to keep documentation of all in-services received. If the employer does not provide the in-service it is the CNA’s responsibility to obtain the in-services.