Planning to become a nursing home administrator? To qualify for this job, you need to take the nursing home administrator exam, and that is no easy feat. While you will find lots and lots of material on the internet such as exam sample questions, practice tests, and study guides, you also need to know about the exam itself.
This knowledge includes finding of what type of questions the paper will have, how to prepare, are there any tips and techniques that will help you in studying better, etc.
Let’s have a look at some of the important questions answered below that will arm you with all the information about the nursing home administrator exam:
What Will This Exam Do For Me?
Every city has a different board that provides a license for nursing home administrators. Called the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), it provides agencies with guidance and helps to do their work.
NAB has a direct hand in providing all the materials of the exam such as the process applications, report scores, and consultations. Everything passes through them, and individual agencies use them to prepare for the exam.
How Is the Exam Prepared?
The exam is prepared under the guideline of the following authorities:
- The American Psychological Association (APA)
- The Professional Examination Service (PES)
- The American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
What Are the Subjects?
The subject matter of a nursing home administrator exam changes every five years, after a survey takes place in specific areas. The 5 mains subjects that are tested include:
- Leadership and Management
- Resident-Centered Care and Quality of Life
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Environment
The exam includes 150 questions in total. What most applicants don’t know is that senior nursing home administrators who have been in the profession for a long time draft the questions. Questions come in from all over the nation, which the board reviews. Finally, the ones found applicable are included in the exam.
Am I Eligible for the Exam?
To find out whether you are eligible for the exam or not, you need verification from the state board regarding the NHA license’s requirements. To speed up the process, NAB offers an online application, which allows candidates to check their eligibility.
They can also schedule a test on their own time rather than waiting for the annual exams. A candidate only has to register on the website and pick a time to give the test. Once the application and, exam and processing fee which is $375, is submitted, the board tales 120 days to decide on whether the candidate is eligible or not.
After approval, the board sends an e-mail to the candidate, after which you have 60 days to take the exam.
Result
Lastly, you need to score 75% of your exam to get an NHA license. While different boards have a different passing requirement, this is the highest score.
If you are planning to reschedule the exam or withdraw your application, you need to do so 48 hours before the exam. Failure to do so will cost you the examination fees, and a re-test will require a new application.