CNA Basics answers the questions people actually type before enrolling in a nursing assistant program: can the training really be done online, how the hours are regulated, what the exam involves, and what an approved curriculum has to teach.
The short version, which every page here unpacks: federal regulation sets a floor for every state-approved CNA program — at least 75 clock hours of training, including at least 16 hours of supervised, hands-on practical training — and the certification exam includes an in-person skills demonstration. So "online CNA program" almost always means a hybrid: classroom material delivered online, hands-on hours and testing done in person. The details vary state by state, and we point you to the official places to check rather than guessing for you.
Start with the training format comparison table on this page — it lays out the common ways CNA training is delivered (community college, hybrid, employer-sponsored, and more) and what to verify about each before you sign anything. Then read the guides: whether a CNA license can be earned completely online, what actually determines how long training takes, what the exam involves, and what the required curriculum covers.
Everything here is grounded in the federal regulation, the national exam standards body, the official exam administrator, and government-published reference material — each page lists its sources so you can read the originals yourself.