Visit our Class Schedule page and select a program format that suits you — Weekday AM, Weekday PM, or Weekend. Once you’ve completed enrollment, you’ll receive detailed next-step instructions by email. You can also check our Onboarding Instructions page for a full step-by-step guide covering Live Scan, documents, and your state exam.

You must be at least 16 years old to enroll in our CNA training program.

We publish the class schedule and open enrollment approximately three months in advance. Check our Class Schedule page for the latest upcoming dates.

Yes. If the class you want is full, you can join the waitlist at no cost. If a spot becomes available or a student drops out, we contact people on the waitlist in the order they signed up.

Yes, we run CNA classes throughout the year, including the summer months. Enrollment typically opens about three months in advance, so we recommend registering early to secure your spot — summer sessions tend to fill up quickly.

Yes, as long as a seat is available in the class you want. Transfers are free more than 2 weeks before your program starts; within 2 weeks of the start date a $500 transfer fee applies, and once the program has started you would need to re-enroll in a new class. Email info@bayareacna.com to request a transfer — see our Refund & Transfer Policy for full details.

Visit our Physical Exam page for full details on how to complete this required step before training begins.

Four documents, all uploaded to the Student Portal:

Our Onboarding Instructions page walks through each step in order.

Visit any Live Scan facility with the completed request form to have your fingerprints taken. Complete it before your first day of class and upload the signed “Request for Live Scan Service” form to our Student Portal — you do not need to wait for the results, which go directly to the state.

Visit our Live Scan Requirement page to download the request form you’ll need to bring with you to the facility, and keep your signed copy — you’ll upload it again with your CDPH application.

Yes — California requires a new Live Scan specifically for CNA training. Live Scan results are released only to the agency that requested them and cannot be transferred between employers, schools, or licensing agencies, so a scan you completed for another organization can’t be reused no matter how recently it was done. See our Live Scan Requirement page for the form and instructions.

Your TB report must be dated within the last 12 months, so a recent test from a prior job, school, or medical visit may still qualify. A skin test (PPD), a blood test (QuantiFERON or T-SPOT), or a chest X-ray where medically indicated are all accepted.

Submit it no later than 5 business days after your first day for Weekday AM/PM, or 2 weeks after your first day for the Weekend program. See our TB Screening page for accepted tests, providers, and costs.

To enroll and to complete your CDPH application, we ask for a government-issued photo ID — a driver’s license, a state ID card, or a passport. A Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) or a passport issued by another country is fine for this step.

Your state exam is different. Credentia requires two forms of current, unexpired, signature-bearing ID on exam day, and a Green Card is not on their accepted list — see what ID you need at the state exam before you register, so there are no surprises at check-in.

Log in to our Student Portal to check the status of any document you’ve submitted — Live Scan, TB report, Physical Exam report, or ID. Be sure to use the same email address you used when enrolling in your CNA program.

If something is unclear, incomplete, or out of date — an unreadable scan, a missing signature, a report older than the accepted window — the office marks it as needing an update and emails you what to fix. Sign in to the Student Portal to see the note and upload a corrected copy. Nothing else is affected; only that one document needs replacing.

From the school, what’s required is your TB clearance and a completed physical exam. Individual skilled nursing facilities may ask for additional health screening before you start your rotation, and those requirements change from time to time — we’ll tell you what your assigned clinical site needs well before clinical training begins.

We offer three program formats:

• Weekday AM — Monday–Friday, 7 AM–3 PM. A 4-week program (21 training days).
• Weekday PM — Monday–Friday, 3–9 PM (clinical hours run 3–8 PM). A 6-week program.
• Weekend — Saturday & Sunday, 7 AM–3 PM. Completes in roughly 2.5 months.

Every program includes both classroom (theory) learning and hands-on clinical training. See our Class Schedule for upcoming dates.

California requires 160 hours — 60 hours of classroom theory and 100 hours of supervised clinical instruction. Every one of our three formats delivers the same 160 hours; they differ only in how those hours are spread across the week, which is why the Weekday AM program finishes in about a month and the Weekend program takes roughly 2.5 months. See the state requirements for details.

All classes — both theory and clinical — are held fully in person.

Class size is generally between 10 and 15 students, which keeps instruction hands-on and personalized.

All-day classes include a 45-minute lunch break, while evening classes include a 30-minute dinner break. Every class also includes an additional 15-minute break.

Yes — we run all three programs (Weekday AM, Weekday PM, and Weekend) throughout the year, with new dates published about three months in advance. Check our Class Schedule for upcoming sessions.

Yes — alongside our two weekday formats, we run a Weekend program on Saturdays and Sundays.

Yes — our summer schedule is typically posted by late March or mid-April. Note that summer sessions run on a different fee and make-up policy; see our Summer Attendance & Makeup Policy for details.

We partner with several skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities across the Tri-Valley area, including sites in Pleasanton, Livermore, Danville, and Castro Valley. See the full list and map of our clinical partner sites on our homepage.

You’re assigned to a single clinical site and complete all of your clinical hours there — no rotating between facilities. Sites are in Pleasanton, Livermore, Danville, and Castro Valley; see the full list and map on our homepage.

Yes — all clinical hours for the Weekend program are also on Saturdays and Sundays, between 7 AM and 3 PM.

You don’t need to bring any supplies — everything you need, including a set of scrubs, a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, and a gait belt, is provided during the program and is yours to keep. Scrubs are required during clinical training; there’s no dress code for the classroom portion.

Yes, you can still join the program. Vaccination and testing rules for clinical training are set by each skilled nursing facility and can change, so we’ll confirm exactly what your assigned clinical site requires before your clinical rotation begins.

No — a high school diploma is not required to enroll in our CNA training program.

Yes — Bay Area CNA School is a state-approved nurse assistant training program. CDPH approves training programs rather than accrediting them, and you can verify our listing directly on the CDPH website by searching Alameda County.

Not at this time. We regularly review our course offerings, so check back in the future as new programs become available.

We don’t currently offer a program providing CEU credits for existing CNAs.

Yes — please call us in advance to schedule a facility tour and learn more about the program.

Bay Area CNA School is located at 7567 Amador Valley Blvd, STE 108, Dublin, CA 94568 — right across from Habit Burger Grill. See our Contact Us page for a map and directions.

Wayground is the platform we use for module quizzes, so yes — every student needs it. You can use either the mobile app (preferred) or the website; you only need to set up one. Our Wayground Setup Instructions page has step-by-step guides for both, plus fixes for the most common problems, like an “invalid” join code (enter it under Classes → Join a class, not the “Join game” screen).

Because CDPH requires the full 160 hours, every missed class must be made up. Absence limits are strict:

Exceeding either limit results in immediate dismissal from the program. Full details are in our Attendance & Makeup Policy.

Make-ups are completed in another cohort running at the same time as yours — not as extra days added to your own cohort. A missed Weekday AM class may be made up in a PM or Weekend cohort, and vice versa.

Theory make-ups must be completed before you begin clinical training. Clinical make-up hours must be completed within 60 days of the original absence, scheduled wherever space is available. Once you submit a request, staff schedule the session for you.

$50 per theory make-up class and $75 per clinical make-up class. Submit your request on our Request for Make Up Classes page — you’ll see the dates that fit your program and the fee is paid securely online. Staff confirm the scheduled session with you by email.

Yes, on absences and fees — but not on make-up deadlines. Summer programs, those starting between mid-May and the end of August, allow only 1 clinical absence instead of 2. Clinical make-up hours must still be completed within 60 days of the original absence, the same as any other session. Summer tuition is also higher and the payment plan isn’t offered. See our Summer Attendance & Makeup Policy.

See our full CDPH Application Guide for how these numbers are used.

We recommend taking the exam as soon as possible after completing training. Most of our students sit for their exam within a week of finishing the CNA program.

98% of our students pass the state certification exam.

The written exam is administered by Credentia: 70 multiple-choice questions in English, with 2 hours to complete it. You can take it at a test center or online. An oral version is also offered — 60 questions read aloud plus 10 reading-comprehension questions, also in 2 hours.

If you test online, check that your computer meets Credentia’s requirements and find a quiet, well-lit space. Either way, bring two forms of ID to check in. Visit our Credentia Exam Guide for everything you need to schedule and prepare.

The skills portion is also managed by Credentia. You’ll be asked to perform five randomly selected nurse aide skills, with 30 minutes to complete all five, and you must perform every one of them correctly to pass.

Arrive 30 minutes early — though arrival time doesn’t determine your test order, since Credentia uses a pre-set list, meaning you could be tested first, last, or anywhere in between. Plan to be on-site for 1 to 5 hours total, and eat a light, energizing breakfast beforehand to stay focused.

Credentia requires two forms of current, unexpired, official, signature-bearing identification, at least one with your photo. Accepted documents are a driver’s license, a Social Security or ITIN card, a DMV identification card, a passport or passport card, and a US military card. Photocopies are not accepted — all documents must be original, legible, and unaltered.

Check this well before exam day. Turning up without two accepted IDs means you’re refused testing and your fee is not refunded.

Yes, and this catches people out. The first and last name (and any suffix such as Jr., II, III) on your government photo ID, Social Security card, CNA application, and CDPH approval letter must match the name on your exam registration. A mismatch means you can be denied testing with no refund, so if you’ve married, divorced, or changed your name, sort the documents out before you register.

You must pass both the skills exam and the written/oral exam within two years of completing your CNA training. You’re allowed up to three attempts within that two-year window.

CDPH authorizes more than one testing vendor. Bay Area students normally use one of these two:

1. Credentia Nurse Aide LLC
The vendor most of our students use. Visit our Credentia Exam Guide for step-by-step registration and scheduling through CNA365®.

2. D&S Diversified Technologies – Headmaster, LLP
View test schedules at ca.tmutest.com — click “Test Dates” for the latest info. They have a testing center in Livermore, CA.
Phone: 800-393-8664 · Email: California@hdmaster.com

Regional Testing Centers also serve parts of the state, mainly Southern California. If you’re testing outside the Bay Area, confirm the current list of approved vendors with CDPH before you register.

CDPH (California Department of Public Health) handles certification for CNAs and HHAs. If you haven’t received your license or have another licensing question, reach them directly:

Phone: (916) 327-2445 · Email: cna@cdph.ca.gov

Your California CNA certificate is valid for working in California. To work as a CNA in another state you’ll need to apply to that state’s nurse aide registry through a process called reciprocity or endorsement — it isn’t automatic, and requirements vary, so check with the state you’re moving to before you apply.

Graduates typically work in nursing homes, hospitals, or home health care, assisting patients with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and mobility, and supporting nurses with basic care tasks. Others work in assisted living, rehab, or hospice settings. Many CNAs use the role as a stepping stone toward becoming an LPN or RN.

Near the end of your training — not before it starts. CDPH requires your training end date on the application, and if you miss a class and need make-up hours that date changes, which causes delays and corrections.

Submit it through the CDPH online portal (OASYS). You’ll upload your ID and your Live Scan request form and enter your program’s provider number. Our CDPH Application Guide has the step-by-step walkthrough and the provider numbers.

Allow at least 30 days for CDPH to receive your exam results from the testing vendor, then more time for processing before your certificate is issued. You can check whether your certificate has been issued on the CDPH certification verification list. If it’s been considerably longer than that, contact CDPH directly at (916) 327-2445.

You don’t have to start over. You retake only the portion you didn’t pass, within the same two-year window and three-attempt limit that applies to the exam as a whole. Credentia’s results notice tells you exactly what you need to repeat and how to reschedule. If you use all three attempts without passing both parts, you’ll need to complete an approved training program again before reapplying.

Search the CDPH certification verification list by your name. It shows your certificate number, status, and expiry date — this is also where an employer checks you, so it’s worth confirming your details are right once your certificate is issued.

CNA certificates are renewed every 2 years. Your initial certificate runs for two birthdays rather than two calendar years, so it expires on your birthday.

To renew you need 48 hours of in-service training / CEUs during the certification period, with at least 12 hours completed in each of the two years; up to 24 of the 48 may be done through a CDPH-approved online program. Submit the renewal application (CDPH 283C) with your in-service documentation (CDPH 283A) — details on the CDPH CNA page.

BLS/CPR training (about 4 hours) is conducted separately from the CNA program and is optional. If you enroll in this add-on, you’ll be scheduled into one of our monthly BLS sessions.

Both the American Red Cross and American Heart Association (AHA) BLS courses teach the same core life-saving techniques based on identical ILCOR science, so a current Red Cross card is often accepted. That said, AHA certification is generally preferred by hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

Our BLS/CPR program follows the AHA guidelines and is delivered in affiliation with Tri-Valley Health & Wellness LLC, an AHA-affiliated training site, which issues your card. If your employer specifically requires an AHA card, take our course.

A CPR or BLS certification is typically valid for 2 years from your completion date. After that, you’ll need a renewal or recertification class to stay current — see our BLS/CPR Training page for details.

You’ll receive your BLS certification directly from Tri-Valley Health & Wellness by email — be sure to check your spam or junk folder if it doesn’t arrive promptly.

Our course follows the current American Heart Association guidelines. The AHA published its latest CPR and ECC guidelines update in October 2025, and all AHA training sites were required to teach the updated material from 1 March 2026 — so the card you earn with us reflects the current science. See our BLS/CPR Training page for upcoming session dates.

Tuition covers your books, scrubs, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, gait belt, and other supplies, which are yours to keep. It does not cover your Live Scan background check or the state exam fee.

See the Tuition section of our Becoming a CNA in California page for the current amounts for each program. Fees for summer programs may differ and will be posted on the Enrollment page where applicable.

Yes — a payment plan is available on all our classes except summer sessions. After your $400 deposit, the balance is split into 3 equal installments, and a $100 payment-plan fee is added to the program cost. Visit our Payment Plan page for the schedule and due dates.

We accept cash, check, credit card, and debit card. Card payments carry a 2% convenience fee — pay in office by cash or check to avoid it, and if you pay your full fee in cash you receive a $50 discount. Checks are payable to “Bay Area CNA School.”

You can manage payments anytime through our Payment Portal.

Visit our Payment Portal page for login access and full details on viewing your balance and making payments.

Visit our Financial Aid page for more information.

Submit the financial aid form and our team will reach out if we have any offers available.

Please email info@bayareacna.com — cancellations can only be processed by email. What you get back depends on timing: a full refund more than 4 weeks before your start date, a refund minus the $400 registration fee from 4 weeks up to 2 weeks before, and no refund within 2 weeks of, or after, the program start. See our Refund & Transfer Policy for full details.

Request it through our Student Portal, signing in with the same email address you used when enrolling.

Yes. Our Job Board links straight to the careers pages of skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities we partner with in the Tri-Valley — the same facilities where many of our students complete clinical training, so hiring managers there already know our program. No third-party job boards, just direct applications to real openings.