CNA Skills Test: Indirect-Care Critical Steps — Certified Nursing Assistant Practice Test

This Certified Nursing Assistant CNA Skills Test: Indirect-Care Critical Steps practice set has 48 practice questions based on the official exam materials, each with an instant explanation.

Sample questions

Three questions from the CNA Skills Test: Indirect-Care Critical Steps bank with the correct answer and an explanation. The practice quiz above draws 30 questions at random from the same bank.

1. When should a nurse aide perform hand hygiene in relation to resident contact during a skill?

   • Both at the start before resident contact and at the end after care — Correct answer
   • Only once, at the very end of the skill
   • Only if the resident appears to have an infection
   • Only after removing gloves, never before

   Explanation: Hand hygiene is performed at the START (before touching the resident or beginning care) and again at the END (after care). This bracketing of every skill is one of the most consistently scored universal steps. This is step knowledge, not proof you can perform the skill or pass the live test. (Source: NNAAP indirect-care/general skill checklist; NCBI Bookshelf NBK593195, Open RN)

   Handbook: Skills: Indirect-Care Critical Steps — Hand hygiene timing

2. Does wearing gloves replace the need to wash or sanitize the hands?

   • No — hands must still be cleaned before gloving and after glove removal — Correct answer
   • Yes — clean gloves make handwashing unnecessary
   • Yes — as long as the gloves are changed between residents
   • Only handwashing after removal is needed, not before

   Explanation: No. Gloves are used when contact with body fluids, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin is expected, but they do NOT replace hand hygiene. Hands must still be cleaned before gloving and after glove removal. Knowing this rule does not mean you can perform the skill or pass the live test. (Source: NNAAP indirect-care/general skill checklist; NCBI Bookshelf NBK593195, Open RN)

   Handbook: Skills: Indirect-Care Critical Steps — Hand hygiene timing

3. A nurse aide forgets to perform hand hygiene before beginning a skill. What is the consequence under NNAAP scoring?

   • It is a critical-step failure and automatically fails the skill — Correct answer
   • Points are deducted but the skill can still pass
   • No consequence if hands are washed at the end
   • Only a verbal warning from the evaluator

   Explanation: Omitting hand hygiene is a critical-step failure that results in automatic failure of the skill, because it is a core infection-control requirement scored on every skill. This is study knowledge about scoring, not a measure of hands-on competence. (Source: NNAAP indirect-care/general skill checklist; NCBI Bookshelf NBK593195, cnaclasses.com)

   Handbook: Skills: Indirect-Care Critical Steps — Hand hygiene timing