CNA Requirements in Virginia: Complete 2025 Guide

To become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in Virginia, you must complete a state-approved training program, pass a two-part competency evaluation administered by Pearson VUE, and register with the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry — a process that typically takes two to four months from start to finish.

This guide walks you through every step of the licensing pathway: required training hours, what’s on the exam, how the registry works, and what CNAs earn in Virginia. If you’re also weighing other hands-on healthcare-adjacent careers — like Massage Therapy or esthetics — you’ll find a straightforward comparison at the end.

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What Is a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in Virginia?

A Certified Nurse Aide in Virginia is a licensed healthcare paraprofessional who provides direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN). CNAs assist patients with daily living activities — bathing, dressing, mobility, vital sign monitoring, and emotional support — in settings that include nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and home health agencies.

In Virginia, the CNA credential is governed by the Virginia Board of Nursing, which operates under the Virginia Department of Health Professions (VDHP). The Board sets training standards, approves nurse aide programs, and oversees the competency evaluation process. The Virginia Nurse Aide Registry — also maintained through VDHP — is the official database of all individuals certified to work as CNAs in the Commonwealth.

A CNA is not the same as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Medical Assistant [Coming Soon]. CNAs typically complete shorter training programs and work in more direct, hands-on patient care capacities, whereas LPNs require longer licensure programs and carry greater clinical responsibility.

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Virginia CNA Training Requirements: Hours, Curriculum, and Approved Programs

Virginia requires a minimum of 120 total training hours to qualify for CNA licensure — and every one of those hours must be completed through a state-approved nurse aide training program.

The federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) sets a national floor of 75 classroom and lab hours plus 40 hours of supervised clinical practice — 115 hours total. Virginia builds on that federal baseline with additional state-specific requirements, bringing the total to a minimum of 120 hours. Individual approved programs may exceed this minimum.

What the CNA Curriculum Covers

State-approved programs are required to cover specific competency areas that directly map to the competency evaluation. You can expect your training to include:

• Basic nursing skills — taking vital signs, measuring fluid intake and output, positioning and transfer techniques
• Personal care skills — bathing, oral hygiene, dressing, grooming, and feeding assistance
• Restorative and rehabilitative care — range-of-motion exercises and mobility support
• Mental health and social service needs — communication with cognitively impaired residents, behavior management basics
• Care of cognitively impaired residents — dementia and Alzheimer’s-specific techniques
• Basic restorative services — including safe use of assistive devices
• Rights and legal issues — patient rights, abuse and neglect prevention, mandatory reporting
• Safety and infection control — standard precautions, hand hygiene, PPE protocols

Clinical hours take place in a supervised long-term care setting, where you practice skills directly with residents under the guidance of a qualified instructor.

How to Find a State-Approved CNA Program in Virginia

The Virginia Board of Nursing maintains a directory of all state-approved nurse aide training programs. Programs are offered through community colleges, technical schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and some private training providers. You can search the approved program list directly on the Virginia Department of Health Professions website.

When comparing programs, look at total hours offered (some exceed the minimum), schedule flexibility (evening and weekend cohorts do exist), and any costs associated with the clinical component. Some long-term care facilities offer tuition reimbursement or employer-sponsored training for staff pursuing CNA certification — worth asking about if you’re already working in a care setting.

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The Virginia CNA Competency Evaluation: Written and Skills Exam Breakdown

To earn your CNA certification in Virginia, you must pass a two-part competency evaluation — a written (or oral) knowledge test and a hands-on clinical skills demonstration — administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Virginia Department of Health Professions.

Part 1: Written (or Oral) Knowledge Test

The written exam consists of multiple-choice questions that test your understanding of nursing assistant competencies — patient rights, infection control, safety procedures, basic anatomy, and nursing skills. Candidates who have reading or language barriers may request an oral version of the knowledge test, which is read aloud by a test administrator.

The exam is computer-based and taken at a Pearson VUE testing center. You’ll receive your results on the day of testing in most cases. You must achieve the minimum passing score set by the Virginia Department of Health Professions to proceed to — or receive credit for — the skills portion.

Part 2: Clinical Skills Demonstration

The skills test evaluates your ability to perform hands-on nursing assistant tasks in a simulated clinical environment. During the exam, you are asked to demonstrate a set number of randomly selected skills — typically five skills drawn from the competency areas covered in your training program.

One of the five skills will always be hand washing, which must be demonstrated correctly. The remaining four are selected at random from the full competency skill set. Each skill is evaluated by a trained Pearson VUE examiner using a standardized checklist. You must perform each critical step correctly to pass that skill — partial credit is not awarded on critical elements.

Scheduling, Fees, and Retake Policy

You schedule both portions of the competency evaluation directly through Pearson VUE. Exams can be scheduled online or by phone, and testing is available at multiple locations throughout Virginia — including sites in Northern Virginia convenient to the DMV area.

You have three attempts to pass each portion of the exam. If you fail either portion three times, you must repeat the full state-approved training program before you can test again. This makes thorough preparation — and quality initial training — critical to your timeline and budget.

Exam fees are paid directly to Pearson VUE. Verify current fee schedules on the Pearson VUE Virginia Nurse Aide testing page, as fees are subject to change.

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How to Register on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry

Once you pass both portions of the competency evaluation, your results are automatically submitted to the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry — you don’t need to file a separate application to be listed.

The Virginia Nurse Aide Registry is the official state database administered through the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Employers — including nursing homes, hospitals, and home health agencies — are required by federal law to verify that any CNA they hire is currently listed on the registry with no findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation.

Background Check Requirements

Virginia requires a criminal background check as part of the CNA certification process. Certain criminal convictions may affect your eligibility to work in healthcare settings regulated by the state. If you have prior convictions, review the Virginia Board of Nursing’s eligibility guidelines before investing in training.

Maintaining Active Registry Status

Your Virginia CNA certification does not expire on a calendar date the way many other professional licenses do. Instead, your status on the registry is tied to documented work activity. You must work as a paid nurse aide for a minimum number of hours within a 24-month period to maintain an active registry listing.

If you allow your registry status to lapse — by not working in a qualifying CNA role for more than two years — you will need to re-demonstrate your competency before being re-listed as active. This means either retesting or completing an approved retraining program.

CNA Reciprocity: Transferring Your Certification to Virginia

If you’re already a certified nurse aide in another state and you’re relocating to Virginia — a common scenario in the DMV area — you may be able to transfer your certification through reciprocity rather than starting over. The Virginia Nurse Aide Registry allows out-of-state CNAs to apply for reciprocal listing if their original certification is active, in good standing, and was obtained through a state-approved program and competency evaluation. Contact the Virginia Department of Health Professions directly for current reciprocity application procedures.

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CNA Salary in Virginia — and Other Healthcare-Adjacent Career Paths to Consider

CNAs in Virginia earn a median hourly wage of approximately $17–$19 per hour, with total annual earnings typically ranging from $35,000 to $40,000 depending on setting, employer, shift differential, and region. Northern Virginia — including Fairfax County, Arlington, and the broader DMV area — tends to pay on the higher end of that range due to the cost of living and demand for healthcare workers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for nursing assistants is projected to grow steadily through 2033, driven by an aging population and ongoing demand in long-term care settings. You can review current wage data at BLS.gov — Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131).

Mini-Story: A Career-Changer at a Crossroads

Take Mariana, a 34-year-old administrative professional in Tysons Corner who spent months researching CNA programs. She was drawn to healthcare because she genuinely loved caring for people — she’d been a caregiver for a family member for two years and wanted to formalize that passion into a career. What she didn’t anticipate was how physically demanding overnight nursing home shifts would be for her schedule, or that her background check process would delay her start date.