Become a CNA in New Mexico
To become a CNA in New Mexico, you complete a state-approved training program of at least 75 clocked hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised clinical training in a nursing facility, pass the state competency exam given by Headmaster, and get listed on the New Mexico Nurse Aide Registry. The New Mexico Health Care Authority took over the registry from the Department of Health on July 1, 2024, and moved it from Prometric to Headmaster at the same time. Most New Mexico programs run 75 to 185 hours.
New Mexico CNA requirements at a glance
- Training: At least 75 clocked hours of theory, skills lab and clinical rotation, with at least 16 hours of supervised clinical training in a nursing facility. Programs usually run 75 to 185 hours.
- Who approves programs: The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA). Check the HCA’s list of CNA training programs, which shows when each program’s approval expires.
- Competency exam: Headmaster: a 60-question multiple-choice knowledge test, written or oral, in English or Spanish, plus a skills test of three or four tasks in 30 minutes.
- Nurse aide registry: Kept by the HCA on Headmaster’s TMU system. Search the New Mexico registry. Renew every 24 months after at least 8 consecutive hours of paid nurse aide work; the renewal fee is $25.
- Moving from another state: If you’re current and in good standing on another state’s registry, apply online for reciprocity in New Mexico’s TMU system. There is no fee.
Free CNA training in New Mexico
Federal rules protect nurse aides who train for jobs in nursing homes that take Medicare or Medicaid. If one of those facilities employs you, or has offered you a job, on the day your approved program starts, it can’t charge you for any part of it, including textbooks and required materials. If you pay for a program yourself and a facility hires you, or offers you a job, within 12 months of finishing, the state must reimburse your costs on a pro-rata basis for the time you work there as a nurse aide (42 CFR 483.152(c)). Ask nursing homes near you whether they sponsor students.
What to check before you pay for a CNA program in New Mexico
- It’s on the state’s approved list. Only an approved program makes you eligible for the competency exam.
- Its hours meet the state minimum, including the supervised clinical hours, and it tells you where the clinical training happens.
- The price is complete: tuition, textbooks, uniform, background check and the exam fee.
- It explains how you register for the exam and when you can test after you finish.
- It doesn’t promise 100% online certification. Supervised hands-on training is required, so a course with none can’t lead to certification.
The HCA approves and oversees CNA training programs across New Mexico, and training must be completed at an HCA-approved program. Its program list includes each program’s approval expiration date, so confirm the approval is current before you enroll.
The New Mexico CNA exam
New Mexico’s competency evaluation is administered through Headmaster LLP and has two parts: a knowledge test and a clinical skills test. The knowledge test has 60 multiple-choice questions, you get 60 minutes, and you need a score of 74% or better to pass. You take it on a computer, and you can choose a written or an oral version, in English or Spanish. The audio (oral) version costs $5 more ($45 total), and you must request it before you pay your testing fee.
On the skills test, you get 30 minutes to complete three or four randomly selected tasks. To pass, you must perform every critical step (shown in bold) and 80% of the other steps on each task.
You have three attempts within 24 months of finishing training to pass both parts. If you fail either part three times, you must complete a new HCA-approved training program before you can test again.
The New Mexico nurse aide registry and renewal
The New Mexico Health Care Authority keeps the Nurse Aide Registry. On July 1, 2024, the registry unit moved from the Department of Health to the newly formed HCA, and its vendor changed from Prometric to Headmaster, whose TMU system now hosts the registry. Employers and aides can check a listing with the New Mexico Registry Search.
You renew every 24 months. To qualify, you must have worked for pay as a nurse aide, doing nursing or nursing-related services, for at least 8 consecutive hours during the previous 24 months. You file the renewal yourself: sign in to your TMU account and list your work hours and where you worked, and your employer verifies the work. You can submit from 30 days before your expiration date up to 30 days after it, and the fee is $25 (plus New Mexico gross receipts tax). If you miss that 30-day grace period, you have to retake the state competency exam to renew.
Moving to New Mexico with a CNA from another state
If you’re current and in good standing on another state’s nurse aide registry, complete the Out-of-State Reciprocity Application online in New Mexico’s TMU system; the HCA doesn’t accept applications by mail, fax or email. You’ll need a government-issued photo ID or driver’s license, your Social Security card and your current out-of-state nurse aide certification. Reciprocity is free, and if you’re current and in good standing you don’t retake the exam. The HCA decides whether you’re eligible.
Colleges in New Mexico that reported CNA completions
These 10 institutions reported 416 nursing assistant completions (CIP 51.3902) to the federal IPEDS survey for July 2024 to June 2025. Many approved CNA programs, such as those run by nursing homes, private training schools and the Red Cross, don’t report to IPEDS, so check the state’s approved-program list too.
| Institution | City | Type | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central New Mexico Community College | Albuquerque | Public | 138 |
| San Juan College | Farmington | Public | 54 |
| Clovis Community College | Clovis | Public | 53 |
| Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College | Ruidoso | Public | 36 |
| University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus | Los Lunas | Public | 28 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus | Roswell | Public | 25 |
| Santa Fe Community College | Santa Fe | Public | 25 |
| University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus | Gallup | Public | 21 |
| University of New Mexico-Taos Campus | Ranchos de Taos | Public | 20 |
| New Mexico State University-Grants | Grants | Public | 16 |
Source: IPEDS 2024–25 Completions and Institutional Characteristics, National Center for Education Statistics (provisional release); awards to first majors at all award levels.
More CNA guides
Sources
- Certified Nurse Aide Registry (New Mexico Health Care Authority; undated (page metadata: modified March 9, 2026; published July 11, 2024))
- List of CNA Training Programs (New Mexico Health Care Authority; undated)
- New Mexico Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook (D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster); October 1, 2026, Version 6.1)
- New Mexico Registry Search (Headmaster TMU system for the New Mexico Health Care Authority; undated)
- 42 CFR 483.152: Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (eCFR, current text)
- 42 CFR 483.154: Nurse aide competency evaluation (eCFR, current text)
- 42 CFR 483.156: Registry of nurse aides (eCFR, current text)
- IPEDS 2024–25 Completions (C2025_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2025) (National Center for Education Statistics, provisional release)
Last reviewed November 2026.