CHHA Certification in New Jersey
If you are looking for home health aide certification in New Jersey, CHHA is the word you need. It stands for Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aide, and it is the same job you have read about everywhere else as an HHA. New Jersey just gives it a different name, which is why searching for one does not always turn up the other.
The short version. 76 hours of Board approved training, then a competency exam run by the New Jersey Board of Nursing rather than by your school, then renewal every two years. New Jersey is one of the minority of states that issues its own home health aide credential and tests for it.
How to get your CHHA
- 1
Finish a Board approved training program
New Jersey requires 76 hours: 60 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of supervised clinical training. The program has to be approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. There is no way to skip the program and sit the exam on your own.
- 2
Pass the competency examination
The exam is administered by the New Jersey Board of Nursing or a Board approved testing service, and it is offered at least four times a year under N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.10. This is not a test your school writes for itself, which is what makes New Jersey different from most states.
- 3
Receive your CHHA certificate
The credential is issued by the Board through the Division of Consumer Affairs. It is the document a home care agency asks to see before putting you on a case.
- 4
Renew every two years
CHHA certification in New Jersey runs on a two year cycle. Renewal is not automatic, and letting it lapse means you cannot legally work as a CHHA until it is restored.
What makes New Jersey different
In most states a home health aide is tested by the training program or by the employing agency's nurse, and there is no state exam at all. Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Michigan all work that way. New Jersey does not. The competency examination is administered by the Board of Nursing or a Board approved testing service, on a schedule set in regulation.
That is good news if you like knowing exactly what you are walking into, and it is the reason it is worth practising against real questions rather than only reading your course handouts.
Renewing your CHHA
CHHA certification renews every two years through the Division of Consumer Affairs. Renewal is the part people get caught by, because nothing stops you forgetting the date until an agency runs a check. Put the expiration on a calendar the day you are certified. Working on a lapsed CHHA is not permitted, and sorting it out afterwards takes longer than renewing on time.
Common questions
Is a CHHA the same thing as an HHA?
Yes. CHHA stands for Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aide, and it is simply what New Jersey calls the home health aide credential. If you have read about HHA training elsewhere and then found New Jersey talking about a CHHA, they are the same job and the same work. The name is what changes at the state line.
Is a CHHA the same as a CNA?
No. A CNA is a certified nursing assistant, a different credential with a different scope that usually works in nursing homes and hospitals. New Jersey issues the CHHA specifically for home health aides through the Board of Nursing. Some states route home health aides through a nursing assistant credential instead, but New Jersey is not one of them.
How many hours of training does a New Jersey CHHA need?
76 hours total: 60 hours of classroom instruction plus 16 hours of supervised clinical training, at a program approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. That is above the 75 hour federal Medicare minimum.
What score do I need to pass the CHHA exam?
The New Jersey Board of Nursing establishes and reviews the passing score annually, so it is not fixed in the regulation text and we will not print a number that could be out of date. Ask your approved training program what the current standard is when you register for the exam.
How often is the CHHA exam offered?
At least four times a year, under N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.10. It is administered by the Board of Nursing or by a testing service the Board has approved.
How do I renew my CHHA license in New Jersey?
CHHA certification renews on a two year cycle through the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Watch your expiration date rather than waiting for a reminder, because working on a lapsed certificate is not permitted.
I am certified in another state. Can I transfer to New Jersey?
There is no automatic reciprocity. Endorsement may be available depending on where you trained, and the New Jersey Board of Nursing reviews applications individually. Call the Board at (973) 504-6430 to confirm what your specific certificate qualifies for before you pay for anything.
Practise for the New Jersey exam
Free practice questions written for New Jersey, no account needed to start.
New Jersey HHA practice testRequirements come from the New Jersey Board of Nursing and N.J.A.C. 13:37-14.10. State processes change without notice, so confirm current details with the Board at (973) 504-6430 before you rely on them. This page is information, not legal advice.