Those seeking a future career as a nursing home administrator must meet many qualifications along that path, including taking and passing the Nursing Home Administrator Exam. There are many resources to help you prepare for the test, including nursing home administrator practice tests, exam sample questions, and nursing administrator study guides. But it is also helpful to know more about the test itself—how it is developed, how the questions are prepared, how best to study for it, and what results are needed in order to pass. To start with, you should be aware the development and administration of the national nursing home administrator exam are performed by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB).
What does the NAB do?
Each state has its own board or agency that is responsible for licensing long-term care administrators. These state boards and agencies make up the NAB, which in turn provides assistance to the individual agencies to help them carry out their duties. The duties of the state boards and agencies typically involve the licensure of nursing home administrators.
The NAB also has a direct role in the development of the Nursing Home Administrator Exam. The NAB provides all test materials to candidates taking the exam, processes applications, provides consultations, and reports scores to state boards and agencies.
What are the specifics of the exam and how is it prepared?
NAB examination committees use specific procedures to prepare the Nursing Home Administrator Exam, under technical guidelines developed and recommended by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), and the Professional Examination Service (PES).
In addition, the best efforts have been made to ensure that the test adheres to relevant sections of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Justice (DOJ).
The subject matter of the national nursing home administrator exam is based upon work-related activities and content areas of the job, utilizing data from a job analysis conducted every five years. Five main subject areas are tested, which include:
(1) Resident-Centered Care and Quality of Life
(2) Human Resources
(3) Finance
(4) Environment
(5) Leadership and Management
There are a total of 150 questions on the exam. Questions for each subject area are drafted by practicing nursing home administrators across the nation and submitted to the board for review. If the board finds the questions applicable, they are included on future exams.
How do you take the exam?
First, candidates must verify with their state board that they meet all of the state’s requirements for NHA licensure. A list of state boards can be found on the NAB website (www.nabweb.org).
For convenience for both exam candidates and the board, NAB has adopted an online application and a computer-based exam format, both of which can also be accessed via the NAB home page (www.nabweb.org).
This availability enables candidates to register for an exam and schedule an appointment to take the test at a time of their choosing, rather than having to wait for one of the four times per year it was offered, as was the case in previous years. However, if a candidate does not have access to a computer, a paper application may be submitted to the state board for an additional fee.
When creating a profile and registering for the exam, candidates must pay an exam fee of $375, which includes a non-refundable processing fee of $75. Within 120 days, the state board will make a decision with regard to the candidate’s eligibility to take the examination. If the candidate is approved to take the examination, an electronic Authorization-to-Test letter will be transmitted to the candidate via e-mail, indicating that the candidate has 60 days in which to schedule and take the examination.
How do you prepare for the exam?
The best way to prepare for the Nursing Home Administrator Exam is to take advantage of nursing home administrator practice exams containing sample questions, and to utilize nursing home administrator study guides. Both can be found at https://ltcexam.com.
The practice questions will help you improve your knowledge of the five core subject areas on the exam, and the nursing home administrator practice tests will serve as valuable guides that will let you know what to expect when taking the exam.
Results and rescheduling
Each state has its own requirements for passing, but typically a score of 75% or higher is considered passing. Scores are reported by NAB to the state licensure board. Candidates seeking score report information must make their requests directly to the appropriate administrative board.
Examinations can also be rescheduled within the 60-day eligibility period. Candidates may cancel or reschedule up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled test date. Failure to cancel or reschedule by 48 hours before your test date will result in forfeiture of all exam fees.
Candidates may withdraw their examination applications up to two days prior to their scheduled examination date. If a candidate fails to arrive at the scheduled appointment or fails to withdraw eligibility within the 60-day eligibility period, all fees are forfeited.