South Dakota CNA Certification

South Dakota CNA License Requirements

All professionals are governed by a state regulatory body and nursing assistants are no exception. To become a CNA, an individual must complete the required prerequisite training courses and then pass the CNA certification exam to earn their license.

The state of South Dakota has a mandatory minimum number of training hours that must be completed in order to take the CNA exam. These credit hours must be completed at a state-approved CNA training facility prior to enrolling for the CNA certification exam.

Individuals pursuing their CNA license in South Dakota will also have to submit a finger print for background verification purposes. This is common practice for many licensed health care providers and care takers. Applicants will be checked for criminal records and any previous legal infractions. If negative records are uncovered these will most likely bar the individual from being able to receive a CNA license.

CNA Certification Exam in South Dakota

The South Dakota CNA test consists of two parts: written multiple choice questions and a hands-on practical skills evaluation. Both portions must be completed successfully to achieve a passing score on the exam.

The hands-on skills test will require the student to perform 5 different tasks chosen randomly from a list of 25 basic duties of a CNA. Therefore the student must be prepared to perform any of the 25 skills on the list, since they do not know in advance which skills will be required at the time of the examination. All 5 tasks must be performed satisfactorily or else the student will receive a failing score on the entire exam.

The written portion of the test usually contains around 70 questions, and the minimum passing score varies by state. Each state establishes its own professional standards for nursing assistants to become certified and licensed to practice in that state.

Taking the CNA Test in South Dakota

If a student fails one section of the exam (written or practical) they will usually be allowed to re-take that particular section at a later date. If they pass the second time around they can earn their CNA certification. If an individual fails the South Dakota CNA test three times within a two-year period they will be required to re-do their training before attempting the test again.

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