Georgia CNA guide

How to become a CNA in Georgia

Becoming a certified nurse aide in Georgia takes three things: a state-approved training program, a passing result on both parts of the exam, and a listing on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry. Here is what each step involves, with links to the official pages so you can check the details yourself.

1. Finish a state-approved training program

You need to complete a Georgia state-approved nurse aide training program before you can register for the exam. The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) is one public option. Its CNA handout lists these colleges:

Albany
Atlanta
Augusta
Central Georgia
Chattahoochee
Coastal Pines
Columbus
Georgia Northwestern
Georgia Piedmont
Gwinnett
Lanier
North Georgia
Oconee Fall Line
Ogeechee
Savannah
South Georgia
Southeastern
Southern Crescent
Southern Regional
West Georgia
Wiregrass Georgia

Programs, schedules and costs change, so ask the college directly about start dates, cost and financial aid. LexyRead is not affiliated with these colleges, and this list is not a ranking or a recommendation.

2. Know the two parts of the exam

Georgia uses the NNAAP exam, run by Credentia. It has two parts, and you must pass both to be listed on the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry.

The written exam has 70 multiple-choice questions in English. If you have difficulty reading English, you can ask for the oral exam instead when you register: 60 multiple-choice questions read aloud, plus 10 reading comprehension and word recognition questions. Credentia's fee page also lists a Spanish exam option; ask Credentia or your program what it includes before you register.

In the skills evaluation, you perform five nurse aide skills chosen at random, and a Nurse Evaluator rates them.

3. What the exam costs, and who may pay

Credentia lists these fees for Georgia: $35 for the written exam only (or the oral exam only), $95 for the skills evaluation only, and $130 for both parts together.

Federal and Georgia rules require nursing homes to pay the exam fees for the nurse aides they employ, including aides who need to retest. Read that rule as carefully as an exam question: it is about who employs you.

Read the source

Nursing homes must pay the exam fees for the nurse aides they employ, including aides who need to retest.

Maria is finishing a college CNA program and does not work at a nursing home yet. Which statement follows from the rule?

Any nursing home must pay Maria's exam fee.
The rule covers exam fees for nurse aides a nursing home employs.
Retest fees are never covered.

See the answer and why it works

The second choice follows the rule.

The words 'they employ' limit who the rule covers. If a nursing home hires Maria before she tests, ask the employer about the fee. The words 'including aides who need to retest' rule out the third choice.

4. Your deadline: one year and three attempts

If you trained in a Georgia state-approved program, Credentia's eligibility rules give you one year from the end of your training and three attempts at each part of the exam. If you run out of time or attempts, you need to retrain in a state-approved program.

Other routes exist, for example for nurses, for aides trained in another state, and for lapsed certificates. Each has its own rules on Credentia's eligibility page.

5. Practice the reading part before exam day

Many written-exam questions have more than one reasonable care action, and one word decides which answer the question wants: FIRST, NOT, EXCEPT, BEST. Students who know the care can still miss those questions, and a practice score alone will not show it.

LexyRead's free 10-question check asks you, for each answer, why you chose it and how sure you are, then shows what your score does not show. The questions are original practice questions written by LexyRead, not official exam questions, and the check does not predict your result. The questions stay in English; you can turn on help in another language:

Official sources

This guide is based on these official pages, checked on October 30, 2026. Fees and rules can change; check them before you register.

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