You can become a certified nursing assistant (CNA) while still in high school, and many students do. Most states allow you to sit for the certification exam at 16 or 17, and a growing number of high schools offer CNA training programs built right into the school day. The process involves completing a state-approved training program, passing a two-part certification exam, and getting listed on your state’s nurse aide registry.
How High School CNA Programs Work
Many high schools offer CNA training through career and technical education (CTE) pathways, often in partnership with a local community college or healthcare facility. These programs typically run during your junior or senior year and count toward your graduation credits. Some are offered as after-school or summer programs instead.
The federal minimum for CNA training is 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised hands-on practice with real patients or in a clinical simulation lab. But most states require significantly more. California, for example, requires 160 hours. New York requires 100. Your state’s board of nursing sets the exact number, and your high school program will be designed to meet it. When a high school offers the program directly, tuition is usually free. You will still have out-of-pocket costs for things like a uniform, CPR certification, a background check, liability insurance, and the state exam fee. These expenses typically add up to somewhere between $300 and $750, depending on your state and whether your school covers any of them. Some districts and CTE programs offer financial assistance or cover certain fees, so it’s worth asking your school counselor.
What You Learn in Training
CNA training covers both classroom instruction and clinical skills. In the classroom, you’ll study anatomy basics, infection control, patient rights, communication with healthcare teams, and how to recognize and report changes in a patient’s condition. The clinical portion teaches you the physical skills you’ll use every day on the job: taking vital signs, helping patients bathe and dress, assisting with mobility, feeding, positioning patients in bed, and documenting care.
Washington State’s skills exam, for example, tests 22 specific clinical skills. Your training program will cover all of these and more, since the exam only tests a subset of everything you’re expected to know. During the clinical hours, you’ll practice these tasks on actual patients or residents under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.
Passing the Certification Exam
After completing your training program, you’ll take a two-part state certification exam. The first part is a written (or oral) knowledge test covering the concepts from your coursework. The second part is a skills evaluation where you physically demonstrate clinical tasks in front of an examiner. You might be asked to measure blood pressure, perform proper hand hygiene, make an occupied bed, or help a patient transfer from a bed to a wheelchair.
Most states use a standardized exam developed through the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program. The written portion is typically multiple choice. For the skills portion, you’ll be tested on a randomly selected set of skills from the full list you learned in training, and you need to perform each one correctly and in order. If you fail one part, most states let you retake that section without repeating the other. You generally get three attempts before you’d need to retake your training.
The exam fee runs around $100 to $120 in most states.
Getting on Your State’s Registry
Passing the exam doesn’t automatically make you a working CNA. You also need to be listed on your state’s nurse aide registry. The process varies by state, but it generally involves submitting an application, clearing a criminal background check, and having your exam results forwarded to the state health department. In California, for instance, certification is issued once the state receives your application, your background clearance from the Department of Justice, and your successful exam results from the testing vendor.
This process can take a few weeks to a couple of months. Some states issue a temporary permit that lets you work while your full certification is being processed, which is helpful if you’re trying to start a summer job right after graduation.
Age Requirements and Work Restrictions
Most states set the minimum age for CNA certification at 16 or 17, though a few require you to be 18. Check with your state’s board of nursing for the exact cutoff. Even in states that certify minors, you’ll face some workplace restrictions under federal child labor laws.
The most significant restriction involves patient lifts. Federal law prohibits workers under 18 from operating or assisting with power-driven hoists, including the mechanical lifts used to move patients between beds and wheelchairs. There is a limited exception that allows properly trained 16- and 17-year-old nursing assistants to assist a trained adult in operating certain patient lifts, but the rules around this are specific and not every employer will permit it. In practice, this means your duties as a minor CNA may be slightly narrower than those of an adult coworker. These restrictions lift when you turn 18.
Where to Find a Program
Start with your high school counselor or CTE coordinator. If your school doesn’t offer a CNA program, check with nearby community colleges. Many run short-term CNA courses that high school students can enroll in concurrently, sometimes at reduced or no tuition. Some community colleges offer noncredit CNA programs where the coursework itself is free and you only pay for materials and fees.
You can also contact your state’s board of nursing directly. They maintain a list of approved training programs, and you can filter by location to find what’s available near you. Programs affiliated with nursing homes or hospitals are another option, and some of these will train you for free in exchange for a commitment to work at their facility for a set period after certification.
What Comes After Certification
A CNA certification earned in high school gives you immediate access to entry-level healthcare jobs in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and home health agencies. Starting pay varies by region but typically falls between $14 and $20 per hour. For a high school student or recent graduate, that’s a solid income, and the demand for CNAs is consistently high across the country.
Beyond the paycheck, many students use CNA work as a stepping stone. Working as a CNA gives you direct patient care experience that strengthens applications to nursing school, pre-med programs, or other healthcare degrees. Some employers offer tuition reimbursement for CNAs who want to pursue further education. If you’re considering a career in healthcare but aren’t sure yet, spending a year or two as a CNA is one of the best ways to find out whether bedside care is right for you before committing to a longer degree program.