Administrator Certification Exam — Information & Free Practice

US-CA · Examination information

171 free questions · Answer explanations · No signup required

Start free practice →

Administrator Certification Exam

Provider: California Department of Social Services, Administrator Certification Bureau
Format: Timed online examination using combined web-conferencing and Blackboard; open-book for authorized printed statutes and regulations
Exam questions: 100
Time limit: 120 minutes
Passing score: 70% or more
Exam fee: $100, non-refundable; up to three attempts

Examination outline

Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Procedural Standards Impacting RCFE
- Health and Safety Code 1569
- Overview of Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Articles 1-15
- Overview of Title 22: Licensing process
- Overview of Title 22: Non-transferability of license
- Overview of Title 22: Certification process
- Overview of Title 22: New Laws and Regulations
- Overview of Title 22: Administrative responsibility/accountability
- Overview of Title 22: Mandated reporting
- Overview of Title 22: Confidentiality
- Overview of Title 22: Personal rights
- Overview of Title 22: Complaint procedures
- Overview of Title 22: Forms
- Overview of Title 22: Navigation of CCLD website
- Overview of Title 22: Agencies
- State Fire Code Regulations
- State Fire Code Regulations: R2 Occupancies
- State Fire Code Regulations: R3.1 Occupancies
- State/Federal Laws
- Program flexibility, Exceptions, Waivers
- Accounting & tax filing requirements
- Accounting & tax filing requirements: Bonding
- Accounting & tax filing requirements: IRS
- Accounting & tax filing requirements: Comingling, Theft/loss
- Plan of Operation
Business Operations
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 4 - Operating Requirements
- Wage Order 5, Liability issues
- Insurance types
- Budgeting and fiscal documentation
- Monitoring of ongoing operations
- Overview of labor laws/Federal requirements
- Personnel/wages
- Classification of employees
- Classification of employees: Employments status
- Classification of employees: Live-in
- Classification of employees: Salary vs hourly
- Classification of employees: Contract vs employee
- Classification of employees: FMLA
- Marketing a facility
- Marketing a facility: General requirements
- Marketing a facility: Type of facility
- Rate setting/record keeping
- Other agencies
- Other agencies: IRS
- Other agencies: EDD
- Other agencies: INS
- Contract compliance, Audits
- Contract compliance, Audits: Program
- Contract compliance, Audits: Financial
- Legal fund raising
- Legal fund raising: Audits
- Legal fund raising: Co-mingling of funds
- Phones/vehicles
Management/Supervision of Staff
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 6 - Background Check & Article 7 - Personnel
- Staffing requirement/day/night supervision
- Hiring practices
- Hiring practices: Criminal background requirements
- Hiring practices: Use of volunteers and interns
- Hiring practices: EEO requirements
- Hiring practices: Job descriptions
- Hiring practices: Federal/State requirements
- Hiring practices: Wages
- Hiring practices: Interviewing
- Hiring practices: Termination
- Hiring practices: Fact sheet 33, Performance evaluations, Personnel policy manual
- Personnel records requirements
- Admin/staff training requirements
- Admin/staff training requirements: First Aid/CPR
- Admin/staff training requirements: Immunizations and health
- Admin/staff training requirements: Water safety
- Admin/staff training requirements: Cal-OSHA
- Admin/staff training requirements: Illness/injury prevention plan
- Admin/staff training requirements: Staff duties and responsibilities
- Admin/staff training requirements: Employer responsibilities
- Admin/staff training requirements: Staffing patterns
- General personnel requirements, Training
- General personnel requirements, Training: Types & frequency
Psychosocial Needs of the Elderly
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 8 - Resident Assessments, Fundamental Services, and Rights
- Identifying characteristics and special needs of client population
- Evaluation and observation
- Evaluation and observation: Initial
- Evaluation and observation: ongoing
- Mental health issues
- Family involvement/participation and dynamics
- Bereavement/stress issues
- Activities
- Activities: Interests
- Activities: Resident councils
- Basic services
- Training
- Training: Types
- Training: Frequency
- Advanced Health Care Directives
- DNR Orders
- End of life planning
Physical Needs for Elderly Persons
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 8 & Article 11 - Health Background Check & Article 7
- Personnel Hydration
- Understanding the client needs
- Understanding the client needs: Nutrition
- Understanding the client needs: Assisting with ADLs
- Understanding the client needs: Health conditions
- Understanding the client needs: Aging process
- Individual health care needs
- Individual health care needs: Dental
- Individual health care needs: Vision
- Individual health care needs: Podiatry
- Individual health care needs: Hearing
- Individual health care needs: Physical limitations
- Sexuality in the aging adult
- Nutritional support/food service
- Nutritional support/food service: Quality
- Nutritional support/food service: Quantity
- Nutritional support/food service: Storage
- Basic services
- Annual Physical 602
- Ongoing assessment & observation
- Areas of neglect in direct client care
- Areas of neglect in direct client care: Dehydration
- Areas of neglect in direct client care: Skin Breakdown
- Areas of neglect in direct client care: Malnutrition
Community & Support Services
- Responsibility & expectations of referral agencies
- Mental health resources
- Ombudsman
- Adult Protective Services
- Resident and support services
- Suicide prevention
- Funding sources
- Other resources
- Other resources: Local area agencies on aging
- Other resources: Assisted living waiver program
- Other resources: DDS Regional centers
- Other resources: Free legal
- Other resources: Eye care
- Other resources: Dental
- Other resources: Transportation
- Other resources: PACE
- Other resources: Medicare
- Other resources: Medi-Cal
- Other resources: 211
- Other resources: VA
- Other resources: Adult day care center
- Other resources: SSI
Medication Management
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 8 - Resident Assessments, Fundamental Services, and Rights
- Health & Safety Code
- AB 1570
- Administration of medication
- Administration of medication: Technical aspects
- Regulatory requirements
- Regulatory requirements: Storage
- Regulatory requirements: Documentation
- Regulatory requirements: Disposal
- Role of medications in treatment plan, including typical interactions & staff’s role
- Misuse and adverse effects of medication
- Communication with pharmacists & MDs
- Communication with pharmacists & MDs: Written instructions
- Drug interaction/pharmaco-dynamics
- Common medications
- Common medications: Infection control
- Common medications: Seizure disorder
- Common medications: Psychotropic
- Client advocacy related to medication use
- Medi-Cal
- Medical/dental funding
- Required Training
- Common medication errors
- Address toxic medication precautions
- Hospice
Resident Admission, Retention & Assessment Procedures
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 12 - Dementia
- Program Statement
- Allowable vs. Prohibited conditions/IMS
- Appraisals
- Appraisals: Pre-admission
- Appraisals: Physician’s report
- Appraisals: Functional
- Appraisals: Social
- Appraisals: Ongoing
- Needs and services plan
- Needs and services plan: Development
- Needs and services plan: Review
- Charting and documentation
- Admission agreements
- Adult Protective Services/emergency placement
- Incidental medical services
- Incidental medical services: Allowable
- Incidental medical services: Restricted
- Incidental medical services: Prohibited
- Client satisfaction
- Contract compliance
- Age exceptions
- Relocation/eviction
- Evaluation and observation
- Evaluation and observation: Initial
- Evaluation and observation: ongoing
- Assessment tools
- Home health and other allied professional relationships
Managing Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 8 - Resident Assessments, Fundamental Services, and Rights
- Non-pharmacologic person-centered approaches to dementia care
- Overview of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
- Understanding dementia-related behaviors
- How the patient communicates
- Personal care
- Medications
- Environment & physical plant
- Environment & physical plant: Egress
- Storage of dangerous items
- Individualized Service Plan (ISP)
- Marketing and advertising
- Dementia care
- Dementia Plan of Operation
Cultural Competency and Sensitivity to Aging LGBT Community
- AB 663
- Issues related to the underserved aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community
- LGBTQ
- LGBTQ: Ethics & values
- LGBTQ: Self-awareness
- LGBTQ: Education/skills/resources/advocacy
- LGBTQ: Staff
- LGBTQ: training requirements
- Care - equality
Managing the Physical Environment
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 5 - Physical Environment and Accommodations
- Maintenance requirements
- Housekeeping requirements
- Health and safety considerations
- Health and safety considerations: Air/water temperature
- Health and safety considerations: Lighting
- Health and safety considerations: Grab bars
- Health and safety considerations: Non-skid strips
- Health and safety considerations: Signal
- System disaster plan
- Capacity
- Use of space and storage
- Use of space and storage: Poisons and pesticides
- Use of space and storage: Firearms
- Use of space and storage: Clear passageways
- Physical plant
- Changes to plan of operation
- Building and Safety Code
- State Fire Code Regulations
- R2 Occupancies, R3.1 Occupancies
Residents’ Rights
- Title 22, CCR, Div 6, Chapter 8, RCFE, Article 8 - Resident Assessments, Fundamental Services, and Rights
- Statutory Personal Rights Afforded by AB 2171
- Initial and ongoing staff training to ensure residents’ rights are fully respected and implemented
- Resident and Family Councils
- Basic services
- Basic services: Transportation
- Basic services: Handling of money
- Basic services: Protection from other residents
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.: Accommodations
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.: Observations
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.: Advance Health Care Directives
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.: DNR
- Safeguard resident’s cash, etc.: Dignity
- Conservator-ship
- Conservator-ship: Full
- Conservator-ship: Limited
- Abuse prevention
- Polst
Postural Supports, Restricted Health Conditions & Hospice Care
- Postural Supports
- Restricted Health Conditions or Health Services
- Hospice care
- Hospice care: Waiver
- Bedridden resident
- Exception requests and conditions for them
- Home health and other allied professional relationships

Examination sources

CCR-87785.html
22 CCR §87785(h)(1)(A)-(M), complete Core of Knowledge
CCR-87785.html
22 CCR §87785(h)(2)(B), complete exam content boundary
rcfeman1-2025.docx
22 CCR §87102 introductory incorporation provision
rcfeman1-2025.docx
22 CCR §87102(k), incorporated RCFE curriculum
CoreofKnowledgeRCFE.pdf
Page 1, chart heading
CoreofKnowledgeRCFE.pdf
Page 1, chart footnote
rcfeman4-2026.docx
22 CCR §87785(h), handbook following (h)(1)(M)
exams.html
Exam Information; RCFE question count, time and passing score
CCR-87785.html
22 CCR §87785(h)(2)(A)-(B), scored questions
initial-procedures.html
Steps 2-4, registration and administration
exams.html
Exam Fee and After the Exam

Related license preparation

This examination may be required or accepted as an alternative, depending on the license and application pathway.

Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) Administrator Certificate; Conditional RCFE Administrator Certification