The Nanny Credential Exam is designed to test a candidate’s working knowledge of children,

their developmental needs, and how to meet those needs in an in-home child care environment. The questions range in difficulty and are meant to provoke thought and learning. The exam is not meant to replace thorough interviews by agencies and families, observation of nanny applicants with children of prospective employers, and complete reference checks. It can, however; be a gauge of Nannies’ knowledge of how children think and act at different ages, basic assumptions about guiding children’s behavior, and awareness of developmentally appropriate activities for children. Professional child care providers continuously learn about children. Both experience and education keep us abreast of developments in the child care field. Our commitment to learning as much as we can about them will enhance children’s development, help them to feel secure and confident, and increase their ability to make thoughtful choices in regards to themselves and others.

The exam has 75 Multiple Choice Questions.

This exam is designed to evaluate knowledge, skills, and attitudes of candidates taking the exam in the following areas:

• Health and Safety principles for children ages birth to twelve years
• Child Development including language, intellectual, physical, social and emotional developmental domains
• Caring for Children and their Environment to meet daily needs and utilizing best practices as a nanny
• Professionalism including communication, personal qualities of a nanny, management skills and adherence to ethical guidelines.

Study guide resources to accompany this exam prep can be found on this page. Please be sure to visit the links to explore credible research findings, the latest statistics, safety guidelines, videos, articles, expert reviews and best practices from authoritative sources around the world. Focus on the 10 assessment areas to hone your skills and review best practices for caring and teaching young children. It will also be important to revisit the latest CPR and First Aid training materials.

Starting out with a positive attitude is very important.

• Don’t aim for perfection. Focus on the big picture of improving your skills to make a positive impact on your charges and their family.
• The study process should be focused on exploring best practices when caring and teaching infants rather than memorizing every word and phrase.
• The new information you read and explore helps to demonstrate that you are a dedicated newborn care specialist, and that learning is a lifelong pursuit.
• Studying should be scheduled in smaller chunks of time rather than a marathon of reading.
• When reading materials, try to visual the information and connect it to your current job or past experiences.
• Create an outline or graphic organizer to help you divide the information for easier processing.
• Ask a friend to help you study or talk about new information with others. Talking about the information will help you to retain it longer.
• If possible and age appropriate, apply new strategies or techniques into real-world experiences with your current charges
• Do not cram the night before.
• Get a full night of sleep before the test.
• Eat breakfast the morning of the test and drink plenty of fluid to keep hydrated.
• Read all directions on the test carefully.
• With multiple choice questions, the process of elimination is helpful. Note choices that you know are incorrect then spend time focusing on possible correct answers.
• Do not leave any multiple choice questions blank.

• Daily Food Plans for ages 2 to 18

• 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series 
• Childhood Illnesses Articles
• Childproofing and Preventing Household Accidents
• Safety Guides
• Does sharing photos of your children on Facebook put them at risk?
• Home Allergy Management for Everyone Room
• Symptoms of Choking in Children: 
• Demystifying Vegan Nutrition: 
• Burns and scalds: 
• Baby is allergic or intolerant to cows’ milk? 
• Epinephrine Auto-injector

• Milestone Developmental Tracker
• Little Kids, Big Questions: A Parenting Podcast Series from Zero to Three
• School Readiness
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8
• The Science of Early Childhood Development
• Ages and Stages for Caregivers Fact Sheets
• Wondering with Children: The Importance of Observation in Early Childhood Education
• Early Recognition of Child Development Problems Educational
• Important Milestones: Your Baby By Fifteen Months
• Children need to sit less and play more

• Nanny Resources: 100 Ways to Connect with Your Charges

• Learning and Developing through Play
• Challenging Behaviors Tips and Tools from Zero to Three
• It’s the Little Things: Daily Routines 
• Sit Less Play More
• Protecting children from radicalisation:
• Screen Time Guidelines for Babies and Toddlers
• What to do if you suspect child abuse:
• Making Physical Activity a Way of Life:
• Focused Attention in Toddlers: 
• Tips for Talking with Parents about Developmental Concerns
• COVID-19 Playful Parenting

• INA Nanny Employer Handbook
• INA Weekly – Blog
• Nanny 101 – Communication
• Creating a Nanny Journal 
• Packaging Yourself Professionally
• Recommended Practices for Nannies
• Recommended Practices for Support Groups
• Recommended Practices for Newborn Care Specialists
• Recommended Practices for Agencies
• Recommended Practices for Business Staff
• Recommended Practices for Nanny Employers
• Recommended Practices for Background Checks
• Recommended Practices for Educators 
• Recommended Practices for Online Recruitment Platforms 
• Recommended Practices for Industry Services
• Coverage under the FLSA
• Contracts and Contract Law: Legal Contracts
• What Happens When the Construction Contract is Not Signed and the Work is Underway? 

• Respect the contributions of individuals involved in professional in-home child care.
• Maintain high standards of professional conduct
• Respect and support families in their task of nurturing children.
• Promote the physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of children.
• Support the lifelong process of personal growth and professional development.

• Basset, Monica M., The Professional Nanny, Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1998.
• Colker, Laura J., Dodge, Diane Trister, Koralek, Derry G., Caring for Children in Family Care, Vol. 1 & 2. Washington, D. C.,Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1993.
• Colker, Laura J., Dodge, Diane Trister, Koralek, Derry G., Caring for Children in School-Age Programs, Vol. 1 & 2. Washington, D. C., Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1995.
• Colker, Laura J., Dodge, Diane Trister, Koralek, Derry G., Caring for Infants and Toddlers, Vol. 1 & 2., Washington, D. C., Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1991.
• Colker, Laura J., Dodge, Diane Trister, Koralek, Derry G., Caring for Preschool Children, 2nd Ed., Vol. 1 & 2., Washington, D. C., Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1989.
• McCormack-Hoffman, Sara., Interactive Computer CD-ROM:, Childcare in Action for Infants and Toddlers, Preschool and School Age. CDs $25 each,$60 set. Delmar Publishers. To order online: www.delmarlearning.com. Click on link “Early Childhood Education.” Next click on “CDA Training.”
• Merchant, A.M., The Nanny Textbook, Lincoln, NE: Writers Showcase, 2003.

The Exam Prep INA page provides credible resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics, United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Choose MyPlate by USDA, Dr. Sears, NAEYC, Early Childhood NEWS, Zero to Three, Center for Disease Control, Early Childhood Research and Practice publications, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, PBS and others. To adequately prepare for the Exam, please use these resources to review best practices while caring and teaching young children. Focus on all 10 of the assessment areas mentioned on this page.  Reviewing the most recent CPR and First Aid training is also a must.

The questions range in difficulty and are meant to provoke thought and learning. It is not meant to replace thorough interviews by agencies and families, observation of nanny applicants with children of prospective employers, and complete reference checks. It can, however; be a gauge of Nannies’ knowledge of how children think and act at different ages, basic assumptions about guiding children’s behavior, and awareness of developmentally appropriate activities for children. 

Professional child care providers continuously learn about children. Both experience and education keep us abreast of developments in the child care field. Our commitment to learning as much as we can about them will enhance children’s development, help them to feel secure and confident, and increase their ability to make thoughtful choices in regards to themselves and others.

Sample Question 1

Attention Deficit Disorder in children is most accurately diagnosed

1. before a child starts kindergarten.
2. through school performance on tests and assignments.
3. during an interview with a pediatrician or neurologist.
4. by using a collection of observations made by parents, teachers, and others who interact regularly with the child.

 (Correct response is D)

Sample Question 2

Children have the ability to imagine how another person thinks and feels as early as ____. 

1. two-three
2. four-five
3. seven-eight
4. Ten-eleven

(Correct response is B)

Previously, the International Nanny Association has published Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Guide to In-Home Child Care to work as a study guide for the nanny credential exam.  However, as this book contains outdated information and should NOT be used as a study guide for the INA Nanny Credential Exam.  We encourage you to instead read through the resources found in the INA Nanny Credential Exam Prep. INA no longer offers the book through our estore, however, we are aware that it is available through other online retailers. INA does not recommend you purchase this book through any venue for the purpose of study material and use the suggested INA Exam Prep Slideshow as the study resource.