A good study guide does more than list topics — it gives you a structure for reviewing each area and a way to check your understanding. Use the outline below to organize your study, and practice questions after each section to make the knowledge stick.
Infection control
Know standard precautions cold: proper handwashing, when and how to use gloves and other protective equipment, and how infection spreads. Infection control questions appear throughout the exam, so this is a high-value area to master early.
Safety and emergency procedures
Focus on body mechanics, safe transfers, fall response, and recognizing when to get help. The recurring theme is preventing harm — to the resident and to yourself — and knowing the limits of a CNA’s role.
Personal care and activities of daily living
Review bathing, grooming, dressing, feeding, and toileting, always with an eye toward dignity and promoting independence. Restorative care — helping residents keep and regain abilities — often shows up here.
Resident rights and communication
Understand privacy, dignity, choice, and respectful communication, including how to work with residents who have hearing, vision, or cognitive challenges. Many scenario questions hinge on protecting a resident’s rights.
Vital signs and basic measurement
Know normal ranges and the basics of measuring pulse, respirations, blood pressure, temperature, and weight — and when a reading should be reported to the nurse.
Mental health and social needs
Review approaches to anxiety, depression, and cognitive conditions like dementia, including calm, supportive strategies for agitation. Empathy and safety guide the right answers here.
How to use this guide
Work through one section at a time. Read, then immediately answer practice questions on that topic and study the rationales. Revisit any area where your accuracy is low. This read → practice → review loop is far more effective than rereading notes.
Ready to test yourself? Start with a free practice test and let the category breakdown point you to the topics worth another look.