Section 18.88B.031. Certification examinations.

(1) Except as provided in RCW 18.88B.041 and subject to the other requirements of this chapter, to be certified as a home care aide, a long-term care worker must successfully complete the training required under RCW 74.39A.074(1) and a certification examination. Any long-term care worker failing to make the required grade for the examination may not be certified as a home care aide.

(2) The department, in consultation with consumer and worker representatives, shall develop a home care aide certification examination to evaluate whether an applicant possesses the skills and knowledge necessary to practice competently. Except as provided by RCW 18.88B.041(1)(a)(ii), only those who have completed the training requirements in RCW 74.39A.074(1) shall be eligible to sit for this examination.

(3) The examination shall include both a skills demonstration and a written or oral knowledge test. The examination papers, all grading of the papers, and records related to the grading of skills demonstration shall be preserved for a period of not less than one year. The department shall establish rules governing the number of times and under what circumstances individuals who have failed the examination may sit for the examination, including whether any intermediate remedial steps should be required.

(4) All examinations shall be conducted by fair and wholly impartial methods. The certification examination shall be administered and evaluated by the department or by a contractor to the department that is neither an employer of long-term care workers or a private contractor providing training services under this chapter.

(5) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.

[ 2012 c 164 § 304; 2012 c 1 § 104 (Initiative Measure No. 1163, approved November 8, 2011).]

NOTES:

Reviser's note: The language of this section, as enacted by 2012 c 1 § 104, was identical to RCW 18.88B.030 as amended by 2009 c 580 § 4, which was repealed by 2012 c 1 § 115. This section has since been amended by 2012 c 164 § 304.

Finding—Intent—Rules—Effective date—2012 c 164: See notes following RCW 18.88B.010.

Intent—Findings—Performance audits—Spending limits—Contingent effective dates—Application—Construction—Effective date—Short title—2012 c 1 (Initiative Measure No. 1163): See notes following RCW 74.39A.056.

2012 c 164 § 304; 2012 c 1 § 104 (Initiative Measure No. 1163, approved November 8, 2011).