What is Certification?

Care to Be the Best

The first certification exam, offered in 1991, was in neuroscience nursing. Today, more than 13,000 nurses are CNA certified (see breakdown by specialty and province/territory).

Certified nurses are…

• Recognized nationally for their practice excellence and commitment to lifelong learning
• Valued by employers, because their certification demonstrates specialized knowledge and brings many benefits to organizations
• Viewed as having enhanced professional credibility

To become certified, you must pass a rigorous computer-based exam. There are two exam windows annually (important dates). Your exam preparation will be unique, depending on what you already know in your specialty. We offer many exam preparation resources, as do many nursing specialty associations.

If you become certified, your credential will be valid for a five-year term. At the end of five years, you can renew by submitting a record of continuous learning hours or rewriting the exam.

New requirements to make certification more accessible

We want certification to be more accessible to nurses while maintaining our established high quality and credibility. We’ve heard from you that the CNA Certification Program must evolve to match changes in nursing curriculums and practice. That’s why the eligibility specialty experience hours required for nurses to apply for certification will be reduced. There are two options:

1. 1,950 hours of experience in your nursing specialty within the last five years (formerly 3,900 hours).
2. 1,000 hours of experience in your nursing specialty within the last five years plus 300 hours of formal education, which can be a specialty post-basic course or program at a college/university (as opposed to the former 2,925 hours of specialty experience plus education).

For more details, see the application process.

Missed your renewal?

Please contact the certification team to discuss your options.

CNA members receive significant savings on their certification application fee. Visit our membership webpage for fees, benefits and instructions on how to join.