CNA Classes & Training Programs in Delaware
To become a CNA in Delaware, you complete a DHCQ-approved program of at least 91 clock hours (75 hours of classroom instruction, including lab time, and 16 hours of clinical skills training in a Delaware licensed facility), pass Prometric’s written (or oral) and clinical skills tests, and get listed on the Delaware State Nurse Aide Registry. You have three attempts to pass both tests within 24 months of finishing training. Every two years you renew with 24 hours of approved continuing education, at least 64 paid work hours and a $25 fee.
Delaware CNA requirements at a glance
- Training: At least 91 clock hours: 75 hours of classroom instruction including lab time, plus 16 hours of clinical skills training in a Department-approved Delaware licensed facility. The Department of Health and Social Services sets the hours by written order of its Secretary.
- Who approves programs: The Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ), which must approve every program before it starts training. See DHCQ’s list of approved CNA training programs, grouped by county.
- Competency exam: Prometric: a 60-question written test in 90 minutes, which you can take in oral form, and a clinical skills test scored on five skills. Three attempts within 24 months of training.
- Nurse aide registry: DHCQ’s registry; search it online. Renew every two years with 24 hours of approved continuing education, 64 paid work hours and a $25 fee.
- Moving from another state: Route 6 (reciprocity), no exam: an active certificate in good standing plus 420 hours of paid CNA work in the last 24 months, or training at least equal to Delaware’s.
Free CNA training in Delaware
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 Delaware
- 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.
Delaware programs need two approvals: a certificate of approval as a private business and trade school from the Delaware Department of Education, and DHCQ approval before they begin training. The training minimum in effect now comes from a DHSS order effective February 18, 2022.
The Delaware CNA exam
Prometric gives Delaware’s CNA exam. Its candidate information bulletin, last revised in July 2018, describes a written test of 60 multiple-choice questions with 90 minutes to finish. You can take the written test in oral form: you hear the questions read to you while you read and answer them on the computer.
On the clinical skills test you’re scored on five skills: three assigned skills, plus handwashing and indirect care, which are scored while you perform the other three. You get 31 to 40 minutes, depending on the skills you’re asked to perform, and you must pass all five.
You have three attempts to pass both the written and clinical skills tests within 24 months of finishing your training program. If you fail after testing three times, you must repeat the CNA training program before you can test again.
The Delaware nurse aide registry and renewal
The Delaware Division of Health Care Quality keeps the Delaware CNA Registry, and Prometric hosts its online search. Delaware requires every employer to search the registry before hiring a nurse aide, and you can view and print your active certification there.
Your certification runs for 24 months, and during each certification period, before it expires, you must complete at least 24 hours of approved continuing education (RELIAS CEUs), including 6 hours of dementia training and 2 hours on preventing resident abuse, neglect or mistreatment, and work at least 64 hours for pay under the supervision of a nurse or physician. Pay the $25 renewal fee online through RELIAS with a credit or debit card. You can still renew up to 30 days after your expiration date by paying a $25 penalty fee and showing proof of your continuing education; after that, your certification lapses and you must retest through Prometric.
Moving to Delaware with a CNA from another state
If you hold an active CNA certificate in good standing in another state, Delaware’s Route 6 (reciprocity) puts you directly on the registry without an exam (Maryland applicants need a current GNA certificate). Within the last 24 months, you must have completed 3 months of full-time experience, equal to 420 clock hours, as a CNA performing nursing-related services for pay under a nurse’s or physician’s supervision, or have completed a training and competency evaluation program with at least as many hours as Delaware requires. Submit the reciprocity fee with your application to DHCQ. If you don’t have the work hours, you can take the Delaware exam without Delaware training (Route 4).
Colleges in Delaware that reported CNA completions
These 2 institutions reported 66 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Career Institute LLC | Newark | Private for-profit | 45 |
| Polytech Adult Education | Woodside | Public | 21 |
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 Assistance (CNA) Registry (Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Health Care Quality; undated)
- Delaware Code Title 16, Chapter 30A, Subchapter I (including § 3005A and § 3006A) (Delaware General Assembly; undated)
- 26 DE Reg. 107, Final Regulation 3220: Training and Qualifications for Certified Nursing Assistants (Delaware Register of Regulations; effective Aug. 11, 2022)
- Candidate Information Bulletin, State of Delaware Certified Nurse Aide Examination (Prometric; revised July 18, 2018)
- Delaware State Nurse Aide Registry (public search) (Prometric for the Delaware Division of Health Care Quality; 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.