National Exams

NAB Core and Line of Service (LOS) Exams

The national NAB exams are competency-based assessments that are developed to protect the public by ensuring that entry-level administrators/directors have mastered a specific body of knowledge necessary for competent practice within the profession. NAB develops and administers examinations across the continuum of long-term care.

All of the items on the examinations are objective, multiple-choice questions, having four answer choices of which only one is the correct response. The Examination Content covers four content areas or domains:

• Care, Services, and Supports
• Operations
• Environment and Quality
• Leadership and Strategy

The NAB exams include the Core of Knowledge examination for long-term Care Administrators/Directors (CORE), Nursing Home Administrator (NHA), Residential Care/Assisted Living Administrators/Directors (RCAL), and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) line of service examinations.

NAB Core of Knowledge (CORE) Exam: The CORE exam is used to demonstrate mastery of the foundation of skills and knowledge for all lines of service across the senior living and health services continuum. The CORE has 125-questions and the candidate is given two hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Exam: The NHA line of service exam measures the entry-level knowledge which is specific to nursing home administrators. The NHA exam is a required component of licensure in all states. The NHA has 75-questions and the candidate is given one hour and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

Residential Care Assisted Living (RC/AL) Exam: The RC/AL line of service exam measures the entry-level knowledge which is specific to residential care/assisted living administrators. The RC/AL examination is a required component of licensure in several states. The RC/AL has 75-questions and the candidate is given one hour and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Exam: The HCBS line of service exam encompasses independent living, adult day care, home health, community-based services, palliative and hospice care. Currently, very few states offer licensure in HCBS. The HCBS has 75-questions and the candidate is given one hour and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

How to Apply

1. You must have an active application for licensure on file with BELTSS.
2. To apply for the NAB exams you will need submit the NAB online application on the website HERE.  
   1.  Applicants new to the NAB system will have to create an account on NAB's website.
   2.  First-time users to the NAB website will need to complete their account profile which includes sections for:
      1. personal information
      2. work history 
      3. education.
   3. Make sure you select 'Minnesota' as your jurisdiction. when you are submitting your exam applications
3. You will be allowed to sit for your exams after the BELTSS reviews the your application submission.
   1.  Applicants do not need to notify us; BELTSS is automatically notified by NAB when a submission is received.
   2. If it is necessary BELTSS will reach out to an applicant using the contact information in their BELTSS Online Portal profile. Please make sure your contact information is up to date!
4. Once BELTSS approves your exam application you will be authorized to schedule an appointment to take your exams. The scheduling link and instructions email will be sent to you by by NAB-PSI.
   1.  Find a location close to you at PSI Online.
   2. NAB is unable to schedule exams. In order to avoid scheduling delays, please contact PSI directly
5. After scheduling your examination appointment online, you will receive an email confirmation from no-reply@psiexams.com. This will contain the test date, time, test center address and directions. Please review NAB's website for more information about exam scheduling.

Resources/Study Materials

Candidates are encouraged to refer to the Exam Candidate Handbook for additional resources. NAB offers Recommended Reference list for the national exams on their website for each exam 2022 NAB Core and 2022 NAB RCAL examinations. The references on these lists are the materials used to develop the respective NAB exams. A digital NAB Study Guide and practice examinations are also available.

Exam Candidate Handbook

Study Guide 

Exam References - CORE and NHA

Practice Exams

Test Score Interpretation