Nurse Aide Competency Skills Test Candidate Directions

• The Nurse Aide must register with NIACC:
• a) If the candidate is employed by a nursing home at the time of testing, the student can call 641-422-4358 or 1-888-466-4222, ext. 4358 to arrange a skills test. The test will be billed to the facility.
• b) If the candidate is not employed in a nursing home, i.e., still looking for a job, not working as a potential nurse aide in a facility, prepayment is required by NIACC before registration can be taken. Payment of $75.00 may be sent to Continuing Education, 500 College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401. You must include your name, address, phone number, and course number of the session you plan to attend.
• Refund Policy: In the event of a class cancellation, 100% of the tuition will be refunded. No refund will be issued if a person does not show up for a class. Withdrawals more than 7 days prior to start of class will result in a 100% tuition refund.
• Upon arrival at the test site, check in with the test administrators.
• EVALUATORS WILL STAY A MINIMUM OF ONE HOUR IF NO STUDENTS ATTEND.
• BE SURE AND WEAR A WATCH WITH A SECOND HAND.
• BRING A PHOTO I.D. TO THE TESTING SITE.
• The Nurse Aide candidate cannot be evaluated by his/her course instructor or employer.
• The skills test is designed as a realistic nurse aide assignment. It will consist of 7 skills taken from a list of 32 skills included in the Nurse Aide course. Included in every skills test is “Hand Washing” and “Communication.” Prior to beginning the skills test the candidate will be given a test situation and oriented to the testing site.
• The nurse aide candidate must receive 70% on the skills test to pass. Re-testing is scheduled by contacting NIACC (1-888-466-4222, ext. 4358) to register for the next testing date. If a retest is needed, the candidate must wait a minimum of 1 week before retest. The candidate will have three opportunities to pass the skills test.
• The testing fee is $75.00.
• Test results are reported to the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry. Nurse aide candidates will need to go to the web site www.dia-hfd.state.ia.us to learn active (passed both written & skills test)/inactive status. An individual letter with test score is only sent when test is failed.

If you have questions prior to coming to the testing, please contact Linda Webner, Regional Health Education Center, at 641-422-7876 or 1-800-433-3883, ext. 7876.