CNA Training Classes in NJ
To become a CNA in New Jersey, you complete a 90-hour nurse aide training program (50 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours) approved by the Department of Health, pass a skills exam given by D&SDT-Headmaster and a written (or oral) exam given by PSI, and get listed on the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, which PSI maintains for the Department of Health. Every program must teach the Department’s approved New Jersey curriculum. You renew every two years, with at least seven hours of paid nursing work in the 24 months before your certificate expires.
New Jersey CNA requirements at a glance
- Training: 90 hours: 50 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours, using the Department-approved New Jersey curriculum.
- Who approves programs: The New Jersey Department of Health. See its list of approved programs (revised 08/31/2026); programs at licensed nursing homes and assisted living facilities are on a separate list.
- Competency exam: A clinical skills exam and a written/oral exam. D&SDT-Headmaster handles the skills test and PSI the written test.
- Nurse aide registry: PSI maintains the registry for the Department of Health. Search by name, birth date or certification number in the online public registry. Renew every two years with at least seven hours of paid nursing work in the prior 24 months.
- Moving from another state: Two routes: 24 hours of approved continuing education in the prior 24 months, or 24 months of full-time nursing home work plus New Jersey’s exams. Call 1-877-774-4243 to apply.
Free CNA training in New Jersey
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 Jersey
- 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.
An approved course can be run by a licensed long-term care facility, a county vocational school, a county community college or a private school. The Department’s main list leaves out programs at licensed nursing homes and assisted living facilities, which the Department lists separately, so if you’re considering a nursing-home program, ask the Department of Health whether it’s approved.
The New Jersey CNA exam
New Jersey’s competency evaluation has two parts, run by two vendors: a clinical skills exam and a written/oral exam. D&SDT-Headmaster handles skills test scheduling, payments and results, and PSI handles the same for the written test, so contact each one about its own part. Under federal rules, you can take an oral version instead of the written test, and you get at least three tries to pass.
The New Jersey nurse aide registry and renewal
The New Jersey Department of Health certifies nurse aides, and PSI maintains the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry and the New Jersey Nurse Aide Abuse Registry. Employers and you can search the online public registry by last name, first name, birth date or certification number.
You must renew and update your registry listing every two years. To be recertified, you need a current, valid certificate and at least seven hours of paid employment doing nursing or nursing-related services in a licensed health care facility or agency within the 24 months before your certificate’s expiration date.
Moving to New Jersey with a CNA from another state
New Jersey offers certification through reciprocity by two routes. Route 1: complete 24 hours of approved continuing education within the prior 24 months, including 12 hours on caring for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related disorders. Route 2: show 24 months of full-time work in the other state or territory (at least 35 hours a week) as a CNA doing nursing-related service, supervised by a licensed nurse in a nursing home, and pass New Jersey’s clinical skills and written/oral exams. Only Route 2 requires the exams. Call 1-877-774-4243 to apply.
Colleges in New Jersey that reported CNA completions
These 7 institutions reported 255 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Moorestown | Moorestown | Private for-profit | 108 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Paramus | Paramus | Private for-profit | 69 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Iselin | Iselin | Private for-profit | 32 |
| American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education | Piscataway | Private for-profit | 20 |
| Healthcare Training Institute | Union | Private for-profit | 18 |
| Eastwick College-Nutley | Nutley | Private for-profit | 5 |
| Berkeley College-Woodland Park | Woodland Park | Private for-profit | 3 |
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
- Apply for a Certification – Nurse Aides/Personal Care Assistants (New Jersey Department of Health; undated)
- Navigating the NATCEP (New Jersey Department of Health; undated)
- Approved Nurse Aide Training Competency and Evaluation Programs (NATCEP) (New Jersey Department of Health; revised 08/31/2026)
- New Jersey CNA (D&S Diversified Technologies (D&SDT)-Headmaster; undated)
- Renew or Replace a Certificate (New Jersey Department of Health; undated)
- Online Public Registry – Search Licensee Database (PSI Services LLC for the New Jersey Department of Health; 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.