NAB National Nursing Home Administrators Line of Service Exam (NHA) — Information & Free Practice
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300 free questions · Answer explanations · No signup required
NAB National Nursing Home Administrators Line of Service Exam (NHA)
- Provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Objective multiple-choice items with four response options, one correct; delivered by Pearson VUE
- Exam questions
- 75 (60 scored, 15 non-scored pretest)
- Time limit
- 90 minutes seat time; 1 hour and 10 minutes to answer questions
- Passing score
- Scaled score of 113 on a 50-150 scale
- Exam fee
- NHA only $190; CORE and NHA combo $480 (effective 2/1/2026)
Examination outline
Care, Services, and Supports (45%)
- Quality of Care: Medical and Nursing Care Practices
- Quality of Care: Medication Management and Administration
- Quality of Care: Nutrition and Hydration (e.g., specialized diets)
- Quality of Care: Rehabilitation and Restorative Programs
- Quality of Care: Care Recipient Assessment and Interdisciplinary Care Planning
- Quality of Care: Clinical and Medical Records and Documentation Requirements (e.g., storage, retention, destruction)
- Quality of Care: Medical Director
- Quality of Care: Emergency Medical Services (e.g., CPR, first aid, Heimlich maneuver, AED)
- Quality of Care: Transition of Care (e.g., admission, move-in, transfer, discharge, and move-out)
- Quality of Life: Psychosocial Needs (e.g., social, spiritual, community, cultural)
- Quality of Life: Person-Centered Care and Comprehensive Care Planning
- Quality of Life: Care Recipient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
- Quality of Life: Care Recipient Safety (e.g., fall prevention, elopement prevention, adverse events)
- Quality of Life: Care Recipient (and Representative) Grievance, Conflict, and Dispute Resolution
- Quality of Life: Care Recipient Advocacy (e.g., Ombudsman, resident and family council)
- Quality of Life: Care Recipient Decision-Making (e.g., capacity, power of attorney, guardianship, conservatorship, code status, advance directives, ethical decision-making)
- Quality of Life: Recognition of Maltreatment (e.g., abuse, neglect, exploitation)
- Quality of Life: Mental and Behavioral Health (e.g., cognitive impairment, depression, social support systems)
- Quality of Life: Trauma-Informed Care (e.g., PTSD)
- Quality of Life: Pain Management
- Quality of Life: Death, Dying, and Grief
- Quality of Life: Restraint Usage and Reduction
- Quality of Life: Foodservice (e.g., choice and menu planning, dietary management, food storage and handling, dining services)
- Quality of Life: Social Services Programs
- Quality of Life: Therapeutic Recreation and Activity Programs
- Ancillary Services: Hospice and Palliative Care
- Ancillary Services: Transportation for Care Recipients
- Ancillary Services: Diagnostic Services (e.g., radiology, lab services)
- Ancillary Services: Dental and Oral Care Services
- Ancillary Services: Healthcare Partners and Clinical Providers (e.g., MD/DO, Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist, Podiatrist, Dentist)
- Ancillary Services: Volunteer Programs
Operations (28%)
- Financial Management: Revenue and Reimbursement (e.g., PDPM, PDGM, ACOs, HMOs, Medicaid, private payors)
- Financial Management: Financial Reporting Requirements (e.g., requirements for not-for-profit, for-profit, and governmental providers)
- Financial Management: Integration of Clinical and Financial Systems (e.g., EMR/EHR, MDS)
- Financial Management: Resident Trust Accounts for Personal Funds
- Risk Management: OSHA Rules and Regulations
- Risk Management: Compliance Programs
- Risk Management: Scope of Practice and Legal Liability
- Risk Management: Internal Investigation Protocols and Techniques (e.g., incidents, adverse events)
- Risk Management: Mandatory Reporting Requirements (e.g., incidents, adverse events, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, fraud)
- Risk Management: Healthcare Record Requirements (e.g., confidentiality, disclosure, safeguarding, HIPAA, HITECH)
- Risk Management: Security (e.g., cameras, monitoring systems, locks, staff location reporting)
- Risk Management: Contracted Services (e.g., roles, responsibilities, oversight, background checks)
- Human Resources: Organizational Staffing Requirements and Reporting (e.g., PBJ)
- Human Resources: Staff Certification and Licensure Requirements
- Human Resources: Professional Development (e.g., maintenance of credentials, continuing education)
- Human Resources: Employee Training and Orientation
- Human Resources: Performance Evaluation
- Human Resources: Employee Record-Keeping Requirements
- Human Resources: Cultural Competence and Diversity Awareness
Environment and Quality (27%)
- Care Setting: Federal Codes and Regulations for Building, Equipment, Maintenance, and Grounds
- Care Setting: Person-Centered Environment (e.g., home-like environment)
- Care Setting: Safety and Accessibility (e.g., ADA, safety data sheets)
- Care Setting: Facility Management and Environmental Services
- Care Setting: Preventative and Routine Maintenance Programs (e.g., pest control, equipment, mechanical systems)
- Care Setting: Infection Control and Sanitation (e.g., linens, kitchen, hand washing, healthcare-acquired infections, hazardous materials)
- Care Setting: Disaster and Emergency Planning, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (e.g., Appendix Z)
- Regulatory Compliance: Federal Healthcare Laws, Rules, and Regulations
- Regulatory Compliance: Government Programs and Entities (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, waivers)
- Regulatory Compliance: Certification and Licensure Requirements for the Organization
- Regulatory Compliance: Regulatory Survey and Inspection Process
- Regulatory Compliance: Procedures for Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR)
- Regulatory Compliance: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Measures
- Regulatory Compliance: Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)
- Regulatory Compliance: Bed-Hold Requirements
- Regulatory Compliance: Pre-Admission Screening Annual Review (PASRR)
- Regulatory Compliance: Facility Assessment
Examination sources
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 NAB examination specifications table, heading
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 specifications table, Domain 1 row
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 specifications table, Domain 2 row
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 specifications table, Domain 3 row
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 specifications table, Domain 4 row
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.16 specifications table, note
- NAB Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Domains of Practice (2022)
p.1 title
- NAB Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Domains of Practice (2022)
page footer
- NAB Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Domains of Practice (2022)
p.1 item 1A1
- NAB Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Domains of Practice (2022)
p.3 item 3B10
- NAB Domains of Practice page
Domains of Practice page, 2022 vs. 2026 table, 2022 column heading
- NAB Domains of Practice page
Domains of Practice page, current domains download paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.17 Exam question types
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.17 Answering exam questions
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.18 Score reporting, scaled score paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.17 Answering exam questions, pretest paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.8 Exam structure, multiple-choice paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.6 NHA description, question count
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.6 NHA description, timing
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.11 Exam fees, first paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.8 Exam structure, readmission sentence
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.8 Exam structure, consecutive scheduling paragraph
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.17 Answering exam questions, combo exam note
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.11 National exam fees table, NHA only row
- NAB Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE publication #619900)
p.11 National exam fees table, CORE and NHA row
- NAB Exam Information page
Exam Information, February 2026 fee notice
Related license preparation
This examination may be required or accepted as an alternative, depending on the license and application pathway.
- Nursing Care Institution Administrator License; temporary nursing care institution administrator's license
- Inactive Nursing Home Administrator License; Nursing Home Administrator License; temporary or provisional certified nha licensure
- Nursing Home Administrator
- License to Practice Nursing Home Administration
- Nursing Home Administrator; Limited Nursing Home Administrator License; Limited Temporary Nursing Home Administrator License; Temporary Nursing Home Administrator License
- adult care home administrator's license; Temporary Adult Care Home Administrator License
- Nursing Home Administrator License; Provisional Nursing Home Administrator License
- Nursing Home Administrator License; Preceptor Certification; Temporary Permit to Practice as a Nursing Home Administrator; UROLA Temporary Practice Permit
- Nursing Home Administrator License; limited nha license; Temporary Emergency Nursing Home Administrator License
- Provisional Long-Term Care Administrator License; Tier 1 Long-Term Care Administrator
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Nursing Facility Administrator License; Emergency Permit to Practice as a Nursing Facility Administrator; Provisional Endorsement License
- Nursing Home Administrator License