WA Department of Health Home Care Aide Program Announcements
Their previous announcement sent on January 22, 2024 included information on transitioning the Prometric exam into a self-scheduling and self-pay portal.
The following information is for those who are currently pending their initial application for a home care aide certification with the Department of Health. If you are currently certified, left the profession, or otherwise – you will not be required to retake the certification exam, this is only informational.
A note to caregivers taking the training through SEIU 775 Benefits group – you will not be required to pay the application fee to the Department of Health nor the exam fee to Prometric. More information will be provided for SEIU 775 Benefits Group applicants.
Examination Information:
Next week on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, will begin the two-week blackout period for Prometric examination. Candidates will not be able to schedule their exam during this time. Please do not submit exam payments to the department after Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
Prometric Information and Updates:
For more information on the upcoming changes to the Prometric exam, visit the WADOH – Washington State Department Of Health Home Care Aide Exam | Prometric webpage. The informational webinars and Question and Answers are posted under the Training Program Resources at the bottom of the page.
Are you interested in becoming a test site? Please visit How to Become A Test Center | Prometric webpage for more information.
Please be sure to visit the Prometric Landing page often as there will be more updates posted over the next few weeks.
Here are the upcoming Prometric Fee increases that will be effective February 29, 2024:
| WAHCA Exam Pricing | Current Fees | New Fees |
| Knowledge Exam | $45 | $49 |
| Skills Exam | $92 | $101 |
| Rescheduling Fee | $25 | $35 |
Here is the draft WADOH Candidate Application and Scheduling Guide that will help caregivers and employers or trainers better understand the new process for candidate to self-schedule and self-pay for their exams. The final guide should be posted soon.
The WADOH Voucher Guide will also provide employers, training programs, and other third parties that pay for the caregiver exams, a better understanding of the process for purchasing bulk voucher payments for caregivers.
