State terminology: Nurse aide certification. Kansas adult care home regulations ↗ · terminology checked November 5, 2026.
Kansas at a glance
| Agency and any testing or registry providers | Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Health Occupations Credentialing |
|---|---|
| Official state hub | Open the official state page ↗ |
| Training guidance | Some details need confirmation · checked November 6, 2026 |
| Transfer guidance | Agency confirmation needed · checked November 4, 2026 |
| Renewal guidance | See Kansas CNA renewal requirements |
Training sources checked November 6, 2026. Some details need confirmation.
How do you become a CNA in Kansas?
The standard Kansas nurse aide route requires an approved course of at least 90 hours under K.A.R. 26-50-20(a)(1).[4] Some training, testing or registry details remain unconfirmed. Check the questions below with the state before enrolling.
What else should you know about training?
- The Kansas state test is a written exam with 100 multiple-choice questions. You need a score of 75 percent or higher to pass (K.A.R. 26-50-24). Your hands-on skills are checked during your course, not on the state test. An RN watches you perform every skill on the part I task checklist, then dates and signs it (K.A.R. 26-50-20 and 26-50-22).[3] [4] [5]
- How many times you can take the test depends on how you qualified (K.A.R. 26-50-24). If you finished a Kansas-approved 90-hour course, you get three tries within 12 months of your course start date. If you don't pass in that time, you have to take the whole course again. If KDADS accepted your out-of-state or other health care training as equal to the Kansas course, you get one try. If you don't pass, you must finish an approved 90-hour course before you can test again. Some aides can skip the Kansas test. If you work as a nurse aide in another state and are eligible to work there, KDADS may accept your training or test instead (K.A.R. 26-50-26). Some nurses, mental health technicians and nursing students can also be approved to take the test. Once approved, they have four months to pass to keep giving direct care.[3] [6]
- Successful candidates are listed on the Kansas Nurse Aide Registry maintained through KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing.[2]
Where can you find training programs?
KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing program resources ↗[2] Before you enroll, confirm with the state that the exact program and training site are currently approved. Check the total hours, clinical placement and costs as well.
What are the steps?
Confirm the provider is KDADS-approved
Use KDADS program resources to confirm the provider before enrolling.[2]
Complete the 90-hour course
The standard course includes classroom, lab and clinical instruction.[1]
Pass the state competency exam
Before your course ends, you'll show an RN each skill on the part I checklist. Then you'll take the state test: 100 multiple-choice questions, with 75 percent needed to pass. Follow your testing provider's instructions for scheduling and test day.[3] [5]
What should you confirm with the state?
- Confirm the provider’s current KDADS approval.
- Confirm current test-site procedures and fees with the testing provider.
- We confirmed these exam rules in the official Kansas regulations on November 4, 2026. If you trained outside Kansas or in another health care field, ask KDADS how your training will be reviewed.
Where did this information come from?
- KDADS All Training Courses/Continuing Education ↗
Checked November 3, 2026 · Lists the CNA 90-hour course and CNA refresher
- KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing ↗
Checked November 3, 2026 · Program approval, registry and credentialing resources
- K.A.R. 26-50-24: Nurse aide; state test (Kansas Secretary of State) ↗
Checked November 4, 2026 · Official Kansas rule on the state test, in effect since October 25, 2013. Section (a) sets 100 multiple-choice questions and a 75 percent passing score. Section (b) sets how many tries you get for each route.
- K.A.R. 26-50-20: Nurse aide training program (KDADS regulations PDF) ↗
Checked November 6, 2026 · K.A.R. 26-50-20(a)(1) sets the 90-hour minimum for the standard approved course. Section (c)(1) requires completion of part I and its skills checklist.
- K.A.R. 26-50-22: Nurse aide training course; personnel and course sponsor (Kansas Secretary of State) ↗
Checked November 4, 2026 · Official Kansas rule on training courses, in effect since October 25, 2013. Section (f)(6) says you must show every part I checklist skill to a Kansas RN, who dates and signs the checklist.
- K.A.R. 26-50-26: Nurse aide; out-of-state and allied health training equivalency (Kansas Secretary of State) ↗
Checked November 4, 2026 · Official Kansas rule on out-of-state and other health care training, in effect since October 25, 2013. Sections (a)-(b) explain when an aide from another state can skip the Kansas test. Sections (c)-(d) explain which nurses and students can be approved to test, and the four-month deadline to pass.
See the partial CNA program list →
How do you transfer an out-of-state nurse aide credential to Kansas?
Agency and any providers named in the sources: Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Health Occupations Credentialing. Sources checked November 4, 2026. This summary does not decide individual eligibility.
Which pathway applies to you?
Interstate application and Kansas test — Active good-standing out-of-state CNA never previously certified in Kansas
Key requirement: Request one challenge of the Kansas nurse aide test; this route is not automatic registry placement.
Restore inactive Kansas status — Existing Kansas aide unable to document qualifying employment
Key requirement: Agency FAQ offers an RN-administered skills checklist in a long-term-care facility/hospital or a 10-hour refresher through a postsecondary school.
What are the first steps for Interstate application and Kansas test?
Complete the Interstate Application
Mail or email it with required information and payment to KDADS; use the current form for delivery details.
What should you confirm?
- Confirm the current interstate form, mailing address and processing time with KDADS.
- Processing time is not guaranteed.
What will the Kansas planner ask?
- Which pathway applies to you? (Interstate application and Kansas test, Restore inactive Kansas status)
- Have you previously been certified as a nurse aide in Kansas? (Yes, No, I’m not sure)
How do you renew or maintain your nurse aide credential in Kansas?
The state sets the renewal cycle and any requirements for work hours and continuing education. This section summarizes the sources we reviewed. Follow the official instructions if they differ.
| Renewal cycle | Every two years. |
|---|---|
| Paid work requirement | At least 8 hours of work performing activities of daily living in a two-year period, reported by your employer. Hours in a doctor's office or clinic don't count. |
| CE or in-service | KDADS's renewal FAQ lists work hours, not continuing education. |
| Renewal window | You fill out the top half of the Employment Verification form, and your employer completes the bottom half. Send it to KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing by mail, email or fax. |
| If the credential lapses | If your certification goes inactive, you can't work until it's active again. You have two options: an RN at a long-term care facility, hospital or school lab gives you an 18-skill checklist, or you take a 10-hour CNA refresher course at a post-secondary school. |
Kansas CNA certification renews every two years. You need at least 8 hours of work performing activities of daily living in a two-year period, reported by your employer on the Employment Verification form; doctor's office and clinic hours don't count. KDADS's FAQ lists work hours, not continuing education. If your certification goes inactive, you can reactivate it with an RN-administered skills checklist or a 10-hour refresher course.
Source: Kansas Nurse Aide and Medication Aide FAQs ↗
Open the official Kansas registry or agency page ↗ · Compare CNA renewal requirements by state