← CNA exam guides

CNA guide · updated 2026-09-29

CNA practice questions: infection control, safety and daily care

Physical Care Skills is 64% of the NNAAP written exam, about 38 of the 60 scored questions. The sample questions below come from that domain and show the reasoning the exam rewards: safety first, standard precautions every time, and reporting changes to the nurse.

Why this domain decides your result

Basic Nursing Skills (35%) and Activities of Daily Living (22%) together are more than half the scored exam. Infection control and safety questions are the most common type inside Basic Nursing Skills, and they follow a short list of rules.

Infection control rules to know cold

  • Hand hygiene before and after client contact, after removing gloves, and after touching anything contaminated.
  • Standard precautions apply to every client, whether or not an infection is known.
  • Put gloves on last and take them off first. Remove PPE so you do not touch the contaminated outside with bare hands.
  • Hold soiled linen away from your uniform and never shake it.
  • Transmission-based precautions (contact, droplet, airborne) are added on top of standard precautions for specific infections.

Safety rules to know cold

  • Lock bed and wheelchair wheels before any transfer. Keep the bed in the low position with the call light in reach when you leave.
  • Use a gait belt and good body mechanics: bend at the knees, keep the load close, do not twist.
  • Restraints require an order and are a last resort. Check and release on schedule per facility policy and report.
  • In a fire, remove clients in immediate danger first, then follow your facility plan.
  • If a client falls, do not get them up. Stay with them, call for the nurse.

Measurements that show up as math

Some questions ask you to add intake and output in milliliters. Remember 1 fluid ounce is 30 mL, so an 8 oz cup of juice is 240 mL. Others ask for a pulse or respiration count taken over 30 seconds and doubled, or the percentage of a meal eaten.

Daily care questions in the same domain

Activities of Daily Living items ask about the routine care you give every shift. Common themes: provide privacy and let the client do as much as possible; wash from clean to dirty (for perineal care, front to back); keep the client covered; dress a weak side first and undress it last; keep a client upright for meals and for a period afterward if they have swallowing problems; offer fluids often unless the care plan restricts them; and record intake and output accurately.

Self Care and Independence items ask how to promote independence. The correct option usually gives the client time and the right assistive device instead of doing the task for them to save time.

How to read a safety question

Many Physical Care items ask what to do first. Rank the options: an immediate threat to life or safety comes first (choking, a fall in progress, fire), then preventing harm (locking wheels, raising side rails only as ordered), then comfort and routine. If an option removes the danger, it usually beats an option that reports it, but if the situation needs a nurse's assessment, call for help and stay with the client.

Sample CNA questions with answers

1. Before beginning a bed bath, the nurse aide tests the water temperature using the inner wrist. Which temperature range is MOST appropriate for bath water?

  1. 80–90°F (27–32°C)
  2. 105–115°F (41–46°C)
  3. 120–125°F (49–52°C)
  4. 95–100°F (35–38°C)
Show answer

B. 105–115°F (41–46°C) Bath water should be comfortably warm, approximately 105–115°F (41–46°C). Water below this range may feel cold and cause chilling; water above 115°F risks scalding, especially for clients with decreased sensation. The inner wrist is used to test temperature because it is more heat-sensitive than the palm.

2. A resident is unconscious and cannot swallow normally. How often should the nurse aide provide oral care for this resident?

  1. Once each morning
  2. Only when the family requests it
  3. At least every 2 hours
  4. Before and after each meal
Show answer

C. At least every 2 hours Unconscious clients cannot clear secretions and are at high risk for dry mouth, oral infection, and aspiration pneumonia; oral care is therefore provided at least every 2 hours. The nurse aide must position the resident's head to the side so secretions drain out of the mouth rather than into the airway. Waiting for family requests or providing care only once a day is inadequate and unsafe.

3. A resident drinks 6 oz of orange juice, 4 oz of milk, and 120 mL of water with breakfast. What is the total fluid intake in mL?

  1. 300 mL
  2. 360 mL
  3. 420 mL
  4. 480 mL
Show answer

C. 420 mL 1 fl oz = 30 mL. Converting: 6 oz × 30 = 180 mL; 4 oz × 30 = 120 mL; water is already expressed as 120 mL. Total = 180 + 120 + 120 = 420 mL. Option A (300 mL) omits the water entirely; B (360 mL) converts only the two oz values and ignores the water; D (480 mL) results from adding an extra unconverted 60 mL.

4. During an 8-hour shift, a resident's measured urine outputs are 320 mL at 0900, 175 mL at 1300, and 205 mL at 1600. What is the total urine output for the shift?

  1. 600 mL
  2. 650 mL
  3. 700 mL
  4. 750 mL
Show answer

C. 700 mL Total output = 320 + 175 + 205 = 700 mL. Each voiding must be measured and summed accurately before recording on the I&O form. A (600 mL) omits one voiding entirely; B (650 mL) reflects adding only 320 + 175 + a rounding error; D (750 mL) overstates by 50 mL through arithmetic error.

5. The primary goal of restorative care provided by the nurse aide is to:

  1. Complete all activities of daily living for the client as quickly as possible
  2. Help the client maintain or regain the highest possible level of independence
  3. Perform physical and occupational therapy treatments with the client daily
  4. Prevent the client from attempting any activity that causes frustration
Show answer

B. Help the client maintain or regain the highest possible level of independence Restorative care focuses on helping clients maintain or regain their highest level of independent function by doing tasks WITH the client rather than FOR them. Option A describes custodial task completion, which is the opposite of the restorative philosophy. Option C describes services within the scope of licensed therapists, not nurse aides. Option D eliminates therapeutic opportunity and undermines client dignity and independence.

6. During morning care, a client with right-sided weakness tells the nurse aide, 'Just comb my hair for me—it takes forever when I try.' The nurse aide's best response is to:

  1. Comb the client's hair completely to honor the client's stated wish
  2. Encourage the client to comb their own hair, allowing extra time and assisting only as directed by the care plan
  3. Skip hair combing and document that the client refused care
  4. Report to the nurse that the client is refusing to participate in restorative activities
Show answer

B. Encourage the client to comb their own hair, allowing extra time and assisting only as directed by the care plan The restorative principle is to do tasks WITH the client, not FOR them. Allowing extra time and offering encouragement or hand-over-hand assistance preserves function and dignity. Completing the task entirely (A) eliminates a therapeutic opportunity. The client has not refused care—they have expressed a preference—so documenting refusal (C) is inaccurate. This situation does not represent a change in condition requiring nurse notification (D); it is a routine restorative coaching moment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most tested infection control fact?

Hand hygiene: when to do it and that gloves do not replace it.

Are there calculations on the CNA written exam?

Only simple ones, such as intake and output totals, ounces to milliliters and doubling a 30-second count.

Try the free CNA practice test

Questions tagged to the official outline, with an explanation for every answer. 15 free a day, no sign-up.

Start free

Sources: 2024 NNAAP Written (Oral) Examination Content Outline (NCSBN / Credentia). Independent study material. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN or Credentia.

More CNA guides