What is the INA Nanny Credential Exam?
The INA Nanny Credential Exam is designed to assess a nanny’s practical knowledge of child care. It is a comprehensive exam intended to test the skills of a professional nanny of a wide array of child care related subjects, including children’s physical, emotional and social growth and development, nutritional needs, health and safety issues and professionalism.
The INA Nanny Credential Exam is a valuable tool that is helpful in determining a nanny’s level of professional competence. While the exam is helpful in evaluating a nanny’s ability to observe, plan, and create an age-appropriate schedule and daily routine, it should be used in conjunction with other screening tools to enhance, not replace, an agency’s or a prospective employer’s own means of assessment.
The INA encourages nannies to actively continue their education by enrolling in continuing education programs, attending professional child care training sessions and conferences and by reading child care related books and articles. INA Nanny Credential Exam Prep resource provides suggested articles, websites and credible sources to help the professional nanny explore current research and topics that impact families and children. This INA Nanny Credential Exam Prep will also supply additional information and tips for nannies wishing to take the exam.
In the past the INA published Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Guide to In-Home Child Care to work as a study guide for the Exam. However, as this book is several years old, some of the information it contains is out of date. If you choose to read this book in order to study, please note that when inconsistency is found, you should follow the instructions in the study guide.
What is the format of the INA Nanny Credential exam?
The exam has 100 Multiple Choice Questions and 1 Essay Question. Nannies have 120 minutes to complete it. The essay question is open-ended and has multiple parts to the question. Partial credit may be awarded for incomplete answers. All of the questions are designed to expand your knowledge of best practices when caring for children and to inspire you to seek answers about your profession.
What are the requirements to take the INA Nanny Credential exam?
If you are interested in taking the exam, you must follow the INA Credential Exam Info & Application Booklet instructions and complete the Application. Each nanny wishing to take the exam must hold a current infant/child CPR and First Aid Certification and supply photo identification. INA also strongly suggests a minimum requirement of 2,000 hours (1 year full time) experience as a provider of in-home child care and be currently employed in the in-home child care industry.
How do I get signed up to take the INA Nanny Credential exam?
To get started, download the INA Credential Exam Info & Application Booklet. Complete the application and follow the instructions carefully. Identify/locate a proctor for your exam. Email, fax or mail the application, copies of your current CPR and First Aid Documentation, an executed Proctor Agreement form and a copy of your photo identification. The cost of the exam is $40 for INA Members and $50 for non-members. You may pay for exam fees by check, money order or credit card through the e-store on the INA website.
What are my options to take the INA Nanny Credential exam?
There are 2 delivery options to take the exam.
- You may take the paper exam when it is offered at the annual INA conference. The exam will be scheduled and proctored on site. Other special testing sites and dates may be arranged at the discretion of the INA Board and/or Office Manager throughout the year only through written request.
- You may take the exam online. This also requires a proctor and will have the same time limits as the paper exam. Printing will be disabled and online settings will restrict nannies from re-entry, submitting more than one time or sharing the content.
How is the Updated INA Nanny Credential different?
The exam has been updated to include:
- current health and safety standards
- expanded content to include issues impacting families of today
- additional opportunities for nannies to demonstrate best practices when planning environments or creating learning opportunities for young children
- analyzed language and vocabulary within the questions to remove bias
- critiqued questions to improve clarity for an international audience
- experts from a wide range of early childhood and child care industry professionals reviewed content to strengthen the validity of the test content and structure
Who developed and updated the INA Nanny Credential exam?
- Sara McCormack-Hoffman was the original exam developer. Her background includes a Master of Science degree in Psychology, college educator in Minnesota, Co-Author of Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care and many years in the Nanny industry.
- Michelle LaRowe Conover, Co-Author of Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care worked alongside Ms. McCormack-Hoffman to develop the study guide after the INA Credential exam was complete. She was also the Nanny of the Year for 2004, has spent years authoring influential books, articles and blogs in the Nanny field and the Executive Director of Morningside Nannies.
- Angela Riggs chaired the Education committee that updated the exam. She has been the Dean, Director and Coordinator over the past 15 years for Sullivan University’s Early Childhood Education and Professional Nanny Programs. As founder of Personalized Educational Adventures, LLC, Mrs. Riggs works directly with children, young adults and families to create learning beyond the classroom through travel in addition to her work in higher education.
- Additional valued experts serving on the education committee and lending their expertise to critique and review the exam are:
- Michelle LaRowe Conover, Author, NOTY 2004, Executive Director of Morningside Nannies, and on the original team to create the Nanny credential exam
- Louise Dunham, Owner and CEO of Placement Solutions in Australia
- Sheri Lopez, Credentialed Nanny – NOTY 2014, Founder and Owner of Bella Grace Agency
- Carolyn Stulberg, Founder and Executive Director of The Alexandria School
- Susan Tokayer, Owner and President of Family Helpers in New York and INA past president
- Karen Yatsko, Credentialed Nanny, House Manager and long-time member of INA
What happens after I take the INA Nanny Credential exam?
When the nanny completes the exam, her/his grade will be displayed for the multiple choice only. The essay will be scored manually. Complete information about the nanny’s exam results will be sent to INA automatically. Nannies will be sent a letter with the final score of the exam. Exam scores and responses will be kept on record at the International Nanny Association office.
All nannies who pass the exam (score of 70% or better) will receive a certificate in the mail. Once a nanny passes the exam, she/he will be considered an INA Credentialed Nanny. For active INA members, the Nanny’s name will appear on the Professional Nanny Credential Exam list on the website. All other nannies that have passed the exam will be maintained on the INA list and can be verified by contacting the INA.
If a nanny does not receive a passing grade on the exam, an opportunity to retest will be provided, but no sooner than six months from the date of the first attempt. Candidates must reapply and pay another testing fee. The exam will not be identical to the first one.
Do I have to retake the INA Nanny Credential exam if I already passed it?
No, you do not have to retake the exam. If you passed the exam, your name will remain on the list. If you are an active member, your name will also appear on the website. If your membership has lapsed, the INA will keep your name on file and when contacted, they can verify your status.