HCA Training and the State Exam Around a Full-Time Job: Interview with Blanca
Updated: Aug 27
Blanca Prieto is a Cornerstone Grader with more than 25 years of caregiving experience. She reviews the skills videos students submit as part of Cornerstone's Virtual Skills Lab and was certified as a nursing assistant herself in 2017.
But until recently, Blanca hadn't experienced Cornerstone's HCA certification path from the student's side.
While working full time, she went through the Cornerstone's HCA training and the Virtual Skills Lab herself, and passed the HCA state exam in July 2026.
Going through the process gave her a chance to experience the same training and skills requirements she works with every day, this time as a student. We talked to Blanca about fitting HCA training around a full-time job, completing her skills virtually, and what the state exam was actually like.
When did you take the course, and what made you decide to do it?
I started a little bit after I was hired. I was hired in August, and I think we talked about it around October or November, and Jocelyn put me to do the training and get HCA certified.
Of course I did not mind at all. She asked if I wanted to and I said, of course. Then I did not actually start until December, because I was working and learning all this software at the same time.
I was anxious to get going and Jocelyn was not saying anything, so I messaged her. I remember it was December. I said, can I get started on my course? And she said, of course.
How long did the whole thing take, around a full-time job?
I would go in and do my course while I was working, and off work, in those little bits of chances that I had. I finished all the coursework around February or March. Somewhere in January I messaged Jocelyn again and said, can I also start doing my skills, because I was getting through the courses pretty quick, and she said go for it.
The recording took me about three weeks. So all in all, I want to say about four months for the courses and the skills. It was exciting. A little bit hard, but at the same time I was excited to be learning new stuff, a new world. And yeah, I did it.
If you were doing it again, would you pick the virtual skills lab?
I am very satisfied and happy that I did it virtually. It is handy, it saves you a lot of time. With driving you have to plan when you are going to do it and when you are going to be able to, and with work on top of that, how do you even do it? So my experience doing everything online, and the virtual skills, was really nice.
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You had done your CNA certification entirely in person. How different was this?
Very. In 2017 I went to the classes, all my teaching, all my skills, everything was in person, and I did my state exam at a facility. So taking HCA courses online, that was the first time for me.
Was the technology side a barrier?
I knew a little bit of computers, how to do emails, go to websites, search things up. That much I knew. But honestly it was not hard. It was a little bit challenging, and if I did not know something I would just search it up and follow the steps and I was able to do it. Even uploading the videos, I worked out how to do it on my computer without asking for help, just searching.
How did the recording feel?
It was comfortable. It was fun.
Did you have to redo any skills, and how fast was the feedback?
No, I did not have to redo any. I think it helped me a lot that I had already been reviewing videos for three or four months, maybe five actually. And the response was quick. I think within less than 24 hours I got my grade.
How did you prepare for the HCA exam?
That part was easy and quick too. The hardest part was filling out the application. I got stuck on two or three things and I asked for help and got it. Other than that the process was smooth and fast, I started one day and finished it the next.
How prepared did you feel walking in?
I felt prepared. I did not study the morning of or the night before, I told myself no, I am overthinking, I am not going to study. But I had studied some time back. In my free time I would go in and watch some modules and the skills, just to go over them and refresh, and make sure I am doing my job right. So yeah, I felt pretty good. The training was enough. It is exciting.
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What was the morning like?
I was excited. A little bit nervous, there is always that feeling in you of what if. Pasco is 40 or 50 minutes away and we rode together, so I thought we were both going to want to quiz each other the whole way. No. We just had a nice long conversation about nothing to do with the testing.
We got there with good time, 20 or 25 minutes spare. Sarah was there, a really nice lady, and she was having her lunch. She said we were welcome to come in and sit down or look around, and she came back to us maybe 10 or 15 minutes later.
She explained what was going to happen, gave us five or seven minutes to look around so we would know where the stations and the supplies were, and told us the pairing would be random, one person testing and one playing the client, two of us going first while the other two waited outside.
My partner was nervous. She said, I need to study, I brought my notes, and she sat down at a table out in the hall. I left her alone for about 10 minutes, then I went over and said, hey, you got this, do not overthink it. If you overthink it, that is when it gets bad. Then I left her alone again. I was fine. I was just waiting for my turn.
Want to know what Joy thought about her HCA exam?
Read a full interview with Joy about how she did on her exam day.
Which skills did you get?
Handwashing, which I think is for everyone. Then denture care, range of motion, and medication assistance. I was glad I got those, because perineal care and catheter care take more of you, all those supplies and all those steps that have to be done right, so I was hoping not to get them.
Did you miss anything?
Not on medication assistance. Not on range of motion or denture care either. On handwashing. Can you believe that? I forgot not to go past the forearm, because if you dry past the forearm then you are cross contaminating your hands. Just dry from the wrist down.
What was the written part like?
Also pretty easy. There were some questions that were just a little bit hard to understand. I asked about two of them, because I kept reading and I did not understand, and she came over and worded it differently for me.
One of them I left how I had it, and the other one I crossed out and chose a different answer. I finished in about 35 minutes. On the written they do tell you the percentage, which I thought was nice, but they will not tell you which ones you missed.
What would you tell somebody who is about to start?
That they are going to do great. That if they did their studying and their skills, they are prepared. It was a pretty good experience. It is not hard. Not hard.
And be there on time. Do not be late. There was a young woman at our session who came in late, and she was nervous when she walked in, and she asked if she could have a little time to study before starting. She was told no.
