T-2 weeks
Right as we come back from Thanksgiving Break, I will be heading straight to the CTE Center to take my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Licensure test.
In Texas, to officially become and practice as a CNA, there are two parts to the test: a written multiple choice test and an in person skills test. The written exam is 60 questions long with questions ranging from how to complete certain daily activities of living (ADL’s) to giving different scenarios and asking what you would do as a CNA in that scenario. The second part of the test is a skills test where you must perform three out of the 22 testable ADL’s on either a mannequin or person with a state proctor grading your performance. To make things harder, you won’t know which ADL’s you are being tested on until you step into the room on test day.
Most people worry about the skills part of the exam, but this is the section I am actually the least worried about. I thought my teacher did a great job explaining and giving us time to practice each skill when we were at the CTE Center during the first quarter. When we completed the five weeks of rotations at the nursing home, even though the environment was completely different from the CTE lab, I made sure to follow as many of the same steps I would during the actual test so I don’t forget how to do certain skills. In addition, I have been practicing each skill at home from writing out each step to performing the skill on my sister (she’s not been happy with me). Because of all this, I feel pretty confident with the skills part of the exam.
The part I’m most worried about is the written multiple choice exam. While my teacher has given us a lot of material to review, I’m still scared that I may get a question I don’t know how to answer on the test. To prepare for the written exam, I’ve been constantly revising the materials I have and really focusing on understanding the reasoning behind each answer rather than just memorizing facts. I’ve also tried to take practical tests at different locations around my house and at the library to simulate the exam environment.
Even though studying for this exam has been a little bit nerve racking, I’m excited for the outcome and taking this first step toward a future in healthcare.
