CNA Training in Alaska | Programs and Classes
To become a CNA in Alaska, you complete a Board of Nursing-approved program of at least 140 hours, with at least 60 hours of classroom instruction and 80 hours of supervised skills and clinical training, pass Credentia’s written (or oral) exam and skills test, and get certified through the Alaska Nurse Aide Registry. That’s well above the federal minimum of 75 hours. Certificates renew every two years in even-numbered years, and the current period runs April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028.
Alaska CNA requirements at a glance
- Training: At least 140 hours: 60 hours of classroom instruction and 80 hours of supervised skills and clinical training. Of the 80, 48 hours must be in a long-term care facility, an acute care facility or an assisted living home with a nurse on staff 24 hours a day.
- Who approves programs: The Alaska Board of Nursing, which keeps a current list of approved programs. See the Approved Nurse Aide Training Programs list (form 08-4943), grouped by region.
- Competency exam: Credentia gives the exam: 70 multiple-choice questions in English, or an oral version, plus 5 skills in 30 minutes. You get three attempts.
- Nurse aide registry: The Board of Nursing’s Alaska Nurse Aide Registry. Check a certificate with the state’s Search Professional License feature. To renew every two years, you need 160 paid hours of CNA work and 24 contact hours of continuing education in the period.
- Moving from another state: Apply for certification by endorsement on form 08-4070. You don’t retest, but you need a current, unencumbered certification, verification from your registries, fingerprints and $275 in fees.
Free CNA training in Alaska
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 Alaska
- 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 board’s approved-program list (form 08-4943, revised February 13, 2026) gives each program’s address, phone number and contact person. During a public health emergency declared by the governor or the health commissioner, or when the board finds an urgent situation, programs may run at least 75 hours, including at least 59 hours of clinical training, instead of the usual 140.
The Alaska CNA exam
Credentia runs Alaska’s nurse aide exam in partnership with the Alaska Board of Nursing. You apply on the Certified Nurse Aide by Examination Application (form 08-4069), with proof that you finished an approved program of at least 140 hours no more than two years before you apply.
The written exam has 70 multiple-choice questions in English. If you have difficulty reading English, you can take the oral exam instead: 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 reading comprehension and word recognition questions; Alaska’s rule requires the exam to offer that choice. In the skills evaluation, you demonstrate 5 skills in 30 minutes and must complete all 5 successfully to pass.
You’re allowed three attempts. If you don’t pass after three attempts, you must complete a remedial training course required by the board. Credentia also sets a deadline that depends on your eligibility route: 12 months from your application approval date, or 24 or 60 months from your course completion date.
The Alaska nurse aide registry and renewal
The Alaska Board of Nursing certifies nurse aides through the Alaska Nurse Aide Registry. To check a certificate’s status, use the state’s Search Professional License feature; if you have a MyAlaska/MY LICENSE account, you can view your own certificate there.
All certificates renew every two years in even-numbered years, no matter when yours was issued. The current period runs April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028. To renew, you must have worked at least 160 hours for pay performing CNA duties during the period, in a U.S. state or territory or a Canadian province or territory (or pass a new competency evaluation), and you need 24 contact hours of continuing education (12 if it’s your first renewal after at least one year certified). Renew on paper or online through your MyAlaska/MY LICENSE account; the paper form is form 08-4188. There is no grace period, and it’s illegal to work once your certification lapses.
Moving to Alaska with a CNA from another state
If you’re certified in another state, apply for certification by endorsement on form 08-4070; no new Alaska exam is required. You qualify if you finished a training program that meets the federal minimum in 42 CFR 483.152, hold a current, unencumbered certification or registration, and passed a competency evaluation. Send the Verification of Nurse Aide Certification form (08-4070c) to the registry in both your first state and your current state, have your training verified on form 08-4070b, and submit fingerprints for a background check. Fees total $275: a $100 application fee, a $100 certification fee and a $75 fingerprint processing fee. The board may issue a temporary certification while you wait for your background check results.
Colleges in Alaska that reported CNA completions
These 2 institutions reported 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Southeast | Juneau | Public | 18 |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks | Public | 2 |
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
- 12 AAC 44.835. Training program standards (Alaska Legislature (Alaska Administrative Code); undated)
- Approved Nurse Aide Training Programs (form 08-4943) (Alaska Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; revised Feb. 13, 2026)
- Certified Nurse Aide by Examination Application (form 08-4069) (Alaska Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; revised Nov. 5, 2025)
- 12 AAC 44.850. Nurse aide competency evaluation (Alaska Legislature (Alaska Administrative Code); undated)
- 12 AAC 44.800-44.830 (certification, endorsement, renewal and continuing education) (Alaska Legislature (Alaska Administrative Code); undated)
- Nurse Aide Certification Renewal Application (form 08-4188) (Alaska Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; revised Dec. 30, 2025)
- Certified Nurse Aide by Endorsement Application (form 08-4070) (Alaska Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; revised June 18, 2025)
- Introduction (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; undated)
- Exam Overview (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; 2024 NNAAP edition)
- The Skill Evaluation (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; undated)
- Exam Results (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; undated)
- The CNA Registry (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; undated)
- Quick Reference (Alaska Candidate Handbook) (Credentia; 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.