How Much Does HCA Certification Cost in Washington, and How Long Does It Take?
- Katarina Mirkovic Arsic
- Jul 15
- 7 min read
Becoming a certified home care aide in Washington costs up to $964 through Cornerstone Healthcare Training. That figure breaks down into three payments:
up to $714 for the 75-hour training
$100 for the state application
$150 for the certification exam
Only $100 of that total is a state fee.
The time side has two answers. The training itself is a fixed 75 hours. The legal outside limit for finishing everything is 365 calendar days from the date of hire, but the first deadline arrives far sooner than most people expect, at 14 days.
Table of Contents
Verified against chapter 246-980 WAC as last updated June 2, 2026, with the current rules effective July 3, 2026. |
How much does HCA certification cost in Washington?
One distinction shapes everything below. The 75-hour training produces a certificate of completion from a training program approved by the Department of Social and Health Services.
Home care aide certification is separate, and it is issued by the Department of Health after an application, that certificate of completion, and a passed exam. Two different documents, and the money divides along the same line.
The 75-hour training
Cornerstone's HCA Learning Plans run from $408 to $714, and a full 75-hour program sits at the top of that range at $714. The price varies because Learning Plans bundle different combinations of courses depending on what a caregiver has already completed.
Training prices are set by the training provider, not by the state. There is no official rate for the 75 hours, which is why published figures differ so widely from one provider to the next. A caregiver comparing quotes is comparing business decisions, not state fees.
The state application fee
The application fee is $100, paid to the Department of Health. It is set in rule and it is nonrefundable, so it is not returned if a caregiver changes course partway through.
The timing matters more than the amount.
The application has to be submitted within 14 calendar days of the date of hire, and the fee goes with it. That means the $100 comes due in the first two weeks, before training is finished and often before it has properly started.
The certification exam
The HCA exam costs $150 through Cornerstone. It has two parts, a written knowledge test and a skills demonstration, and both must be passed. Exam fees are set by the testing vendor rather than the state.
Cornerstone is an approved exam provider and delivers the exam in person at seven locations: Federal Way, Mountlake Terrace, Olympia, Sequim, Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver. Testing is open to any candidate in Washington, not only to Cornerstone students.
What it adds up toAt full price, the path from no training to home care aide certification costs $964. Caregivers who need fewer courses to reach 75 hours pay less on the training line, which brings the total closer to $658. |
What happens if someone does not pass the exam
Failing a portion of the exam is the one situation that pushes the cost above $964.
A candidate who does not pass a portion may retake that portion three times, which allows four attempts in total. The HCA reexamination fee is set by the testing vendor, the same as the original exam fee, and it is paid when the retake is scheduled.
After four consecutive unsuccessful attempts at both portions, the rules change. The candidate has to retake and successfully complete the core competencies portion of the entry-level training before sitting the exam again, and cannot continue providing care as a long-term care worker until certification has been issued.
At that point the cost stops being a retake fee and becomes retraining plus lost working time, which is a strong argument for preparing properly the first time.
How caregivers and employers bring the cost down
Cornerstone does not offer free training. What it does offer is help getting the training paid for by someone else, and in practice that covers part or all of the cost for a large number of caregivers.
Several Washington organisations fund caregiver training for people who qualify, including WorkSource, OIC of Washington, and People for People. Eligibility depends on employment status, income, and location, and each runs its own application process.
Cornerstone also operates a Sourced Funding Department that exists specifically to match caregivers and employers with the funding they qualify for.
For facilities, this is worth treating as a line item rather than an afterthought. Funding that covers a caregiver's training converts a per-hire training cost into an administrative task, and the difference across a hiring cohort is substantial.
How long does HCA certification take in Washington?
There are two clocks running, and they are very different lengths. The legal clock allows a full year. The practical clock, for a motivated caregiver on a self-paced program, is measured in weeks.
The legal deadlines
Four deadlines apply to a long-term care worker who has been hired and needs to become certified.
Before providing any care at all, the worker must complete five of the 75 hours: two hours of orientation covering the caregiver role and the terms of employment, and three hours of safety training covering basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control.
The certification application must reach the Department of Health within 14 calendar days of the date of hire. An application counts as submitted on the date it is postmarked, or, for applications filed in person or online, the date the department accepts it.
All 75 hours of training must be finished within 120 calendar days of the date of hire. A worker who misses that deadline is no longer eligible to provide care without a credential.
Certification itself must be obtained within 365 calendar days of the date of hire. This timeline applies from August 25, 2025 through December 31, 2027, and it covers any pending or new applicant who submitted an original application for home care aide certification by December 31, 2027.
How long it actually takes
The 75 hours are fixed, but how quickly a caregiver moves through them is not.
Skills labs taken in person usually run across two days. Taken online, the skills component moves as fast as the caregiver does. The student watches a demonstration video, records themselves performing the skill, and submits the recording for grading.
Evaluators return results within 48 hours, and in practice often the same day.
Once training is complete and the department confirms the candidate has met the requirements, the candidate contacts the exam provider to schedule and pay.
Cornerstone schedules exams without a waitlist, which removes the delay that most often sits between finishing training and holding certification.
A caregiver working steadily can therefore compress a process the law allows a year for into a small fraction of that time.
Provisional certification
One narrow exception extends the final deadline. A long-term care worker who is limited-English proficient may request a provisional certification, which takes effect 365 calendar days after the date of hire and expires at 425 days.
A provisional certification is issued only once. If certification has not been granted by day 425, for any reason, the worker must stop working. Like the 365-day timeline, this applies from August 25, 2025 through December 31, 2027 for applicants who applied by December 31, 2027.
What employers need to plan for
For an adult family home, assisted living facility, or home care agency, the deadlines are compliance obligations rather than personal milestones, and the earliest one is easy to miss.
The 14-day application clock starts on the date of hire, not on the date training begins, so submitting the application belongs in the onboarding checklist alongside paperwork rather than in the training plan. The five-hour rule means a new hire cannot be scheduled with a client until orientation and safety training are done. The 120-day and 365-day deadlines then determine whether that person can lawfully stay on the schedule.
On cost, the useful figure for workforce planning is $964 per new hire at full price, of which the training portion is the only part that funding can realistically offset. Facilities that route new hires through a funding assessment before enrolment often reduce that figure considerably.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 75-hour training the same thing as HCA certification?
No. Finishing the training earns a certificate of completion from a DSHS-approved training program. Home care aide certification is issued separately by the Department of Health, and the certificate of completion is one of the items submitted with the application.
Can a caregiver work before being certified?
Yes, within limits. A long-term care worker may provide care before certification is issued, provided the two hours of orientation and three hours of safety training are complete and the application has been submitted within 14 calendar days of hire.
Is the $100 application fee refundable?
No. Home care aide fees are nonrefundable, including the application fee.
How many times can the certification exam be retaken?
A candidate may retake a failed portion three times, allowing four attempts in total. After four consecutive unsuccessful attempts at both portions, the core competencies portion of the entry-level training must be retaken and passed before testing again.
Does the state set the price of the exam?
No. Exam fees are set by the testing vendor, which is why the price differs between providers. Through Cornerstone the exam is $150.
What happens if the 120-day training deadline is missed?
The worker is no longer eligible to provide care without a credential. The deadline runs from the date of hire, which is the first day the worker is employed as a long-term care worker or the date they first provide direct care for pay.
What does the whole process cost at a minimum? The state application fee of $100 and the exam fee are unavoidable. The training cost is the variable part, and it is the part that funding programs can cover.
Sources
WAC 246-980-990, Home care aide certification fees. The fee schedule. Establishes the $100 application fee and confirms that home care aide fees are nonrefundable.
WAC 246-980-030, Working while obtaining certification as a home care aide. The 14-day application deadline, what counts as a submitted application, and the consequences of missing the 120-day and 365-day deadlines.
WAC 246-980-040, Certification requirements. The three conditions for certification: 75 hours of training within 120 days of hire, passing the certification examination, and becoming certified within 365 days of hire. Also sets the August 25, 2025 through December 31, 2027 window.
WAC 246-980-045, Application requirements. What an applicant submits: the application form, the required fees, and the certificate of completion from an approved training program.
WAC 246-980-065, Home care aide provisional certification. Provisional certification for limited-English-proficient workers, including the 365-day effective date, the 425-day expiry, and the requirement to stop working.
WAC 246-980-100, Examination and reexamination for home care aide certification. The two-part exam structure, confirmation that examination fees are set by the vendor, the scheduling process, and the retake limits.
RCW 74.39A.074, Training requirements for long-term care workers. The composition of the 75 hours, including the two hours of orientation and three hours of safety training required before a worker may provide care.
