Last updated on August 28th, 2025 at 04:57 pm
Caregiving can be a very rewarding job. You get to make a difference in people’s lives every day. With care needs expected to grow as the population ages, your skills will be in demand and highly appreciated in the years to come.
However, not everyone can work as a paid caregiver in Washington State. To do the job, you must become certified as a Home Care Aide (HCA-C). If an agency hires you before you have this certification, you will be required to work toward it.
Requirements For Becoming an In-Home Caregiver in Washington State
To work as a paid caregiver in Washington State, you must:
- Be 18 years old or older.
- Be authorized to work in the U.S.
- Provide a picture ID of yourself.
- Pass a criminal conviction background check.
- Complete Washington State’s caregiver training requirements.
Keep in mind that the state will not pay you HCA-C wages for caring for your spouse. However, you can apply to be a paid caregiver for a non-spouse family member or friend if they are eligible for Apple Health (Medicaid) Long Term Services and Supports. To do so, you will need to complete the CDWA application in addition to the state HCA certification requirements.
How to Get Your HCA-C Certification
To get your HCA-C certification, you need to complete 75 hours of basic caregiver training. Some caregiver agencies, like Sunrise, will sponsor your training and let you complete it within a few months of starting a job. Other agencies may expect you to get training first or pay for it yourself.
In Washington State, you must complete your basic caregiver training within 120 calendar days of your date of hire. Your 75 hours of basic caregiver training should have three parts:
Orientation and Safety Training: 5 Hours
This part of your training covers basic caregiving knowledge and safety practices. You will need to finish this part of your training before you work for a client, even if you have been hired by an agency that lets you begin work before you’ve completed the rest of your training.
This part of your training is often done online. That means you can do it on your own time.
Core Basic Training: 54 Hours
Core basic training covers the skills you will need to work as a paid caregiver for most clients. This is also the main training that will prepare you for the HCA-C test.
You must take at least part of this training in person because it includes hands-on practice in a classroom lab setting. However, you may be able to complete up to 38 of the 54 hours online in some caregiver training programs.
Population Specific Training: 16 Hours
Population specific training teaches you how to care for groups of people with more specialized care needs. You can use this training time to take courses on caring for people with dementia, traumatic brain injuries, substance use disorders, and other mental health conditions.
Most population specific training courses are only offered in-person, but some programs offer online options. Depending on your program, you can choose which population groups you learn to care for.
After Training: The Home Care Aide Exam
After you complete your 75-hour caregiver training, you can take the exam for Home Care Aide certification. To begin the process, fill out the state’s Home Care Aide Certification Application Packet. You will need to mail your application and exam fee to the Washington State Department of Health. You may begin providing care prior to certification if you submit a completed application and exam fee within 14 days of your date of hire.
After the Department of Health receives your completed application and $100 application fee, you will receive an email from Prometric (SMTNotice/Registration@isoqualitytesting.com) with instructions on how to log into your Candidate Exam Scheduling profile online. You can follow the process as shown in this video: here.
As of March 2025, you can complete the written/oral home care aide exam online in English if you choose. Check the ProProctor user guide to make sure your laptop or desktop computer is compatible with the exam and meets the system/security check requirements.
Prometric charges exam fees, which you can pay by credit card, debit card, or your employer/trainer’s provided voucher. As of 2025, the current fees are $49 for the knowledge portion of the exam and $101 for the skills exam. If you need to reschedule your exam, you will be charged an additional $35.
The home care aide exam includes both a knowledge portion and a clinical portion. The knowledge portion includes 60 questions within a 90-minute time period. The clinical portion covers various skills over a 25-35 minute time period. You can get an oral translation of the exam if needed.
The Prometric website offers a variety of exam preparation materials. You can find practice questions, a skills checklist, and general instructions for the skills test to help you prepare for exam day.
You must become certified as a home care aide within 200 days of your date of hire. If you do not become certified in that timeframe, you must stop working as a caregiver until after you become certified.
In-Home Caregiver Training With Sunrise
Sunrise Services offers a caregiver training program you’ll love! Our experienced instructors are eager to help you learn.
Our training goal is to help you become successful as an HCA-C. Since we are a certified regional test site, you can take your exam in the same facility as your training. With our flexible program, you can complete your training faster than you could with another program.
Sign up for our caregiver training program today!