Searching for the exam fee gets you a confusing mix of pharmacy-exam results, outdated numbers, and single-state PDFs. Here is the full cost picture for nursing home administrator licensure: what NAB publishes, what your state adds, what preparation runs, and the two expensive mistakes to avoid. Every figure is dated and sourced; fees change, so the current handbook always wins.
| Cost | Published amount (July 2026) | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| NAB exam application, Core + NHA combined | $480, effective February 1, 2026 | NAB (published fee schedule) |
| State application and license fees | Varies by state: application fees, initial license fees, AIT permit fees where applicable | Your state board (see your state's page in our state-by-state guide for the board link) |
| State exam fee | Only in states that add a state law exam (about half do); amount set per state | State board or its testing vendor |
| Testing seat | Delivered at Pearson VUE centers under your Authorization to Test; confirm in your handbook whether any separate scheduling fee applies to you | NAB / Pearson VUE |
| Study materials | $0 to $399 depending on route (breakdown below) | You |
| A retake, if needed | Reapplication through NAB with fees per the current handbook, plus a new ATT and 90-day scheduling window | NAB + your state |
Verified against NAB's published materials, July 2026. State amounts deliberately not listed here because all 50 differ and change; your board's fee page is linked from your state's guide.
Prices below are as listed publicly in July 2026; formats differ more than prices do.
| Route | Typical price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| NAB official study guide | $135 per year | Online subscription guide; practice exams sold separately (roughly $25 to $60 per short form) and, per NAB's own policy, answers are not explained |
| Books and PDF question sets | $29 to $99 | Static content; check the edition date against the current domain structure before buying |
| Online question banks | $75 to $135 | Volume varies widely; explanation quality is the thing to check |
| Live review courses | $249 to $399 | Fixed-date Zoom or classroom sessions, sometimes bundled with practice tests |
| Free resources | $0 | Real free material exists: our 10 practice questions with explanations, the 15 NAB math calculations, the printable formula sheet, and the AIT Planner, no account needed |
| This site | $35 per month, $99 for 4 months, $179 for 12 months | A guided daily path of 100 explained NAB-style questions, weak-spot training, weekly timed Checkpoints; the $99 and $179 plans add the Exam Week Playbook and Retake Protection |
Put together, a first-attempt candidate in a typical state should plan for the $480 national application, their state's application and license fees, a state exam fee if their state requires one, and whatever preparation route they choose. What moves the total most is not the prep line, it is whether you pay the national fee once or twice. That is worth keeping in mind when weighing free-only preparation against structured practice: the delta between prep options is usually smaller than the cost of one additional attempt.
The $480 combined fee, the 60-day refund window, the 40 percent withdrawal forfeit, and the attempt caps come from NAB's published materials as of July 2026 and change between handbook editions. State fees are set by each board and change on their own schedules. The current handbook and your board's fee page are the final word.
The combined Core + NHA application is $480, effective February 1, 2026, per NAB's published fee schedule. Your state adds its own application and license fees on top, and about half the states add a state exam. Verify current amounts in the handbook and on your board's fee page.
A reapplication through NAB with fees per the current handbook, plus a new ATT and 90-day scheduling window. Budget roughly the original application amount and confirm the current retake fee. The hidden costs are calendar time and study access that lapses between attempts.
NAB's published policy allows refund requests within 60 days and withholds a 40 percent processing fee for withdrawing an incorrect exam application. Read the current refund terms before applying.
The market runs from genuinely free resources to $399 courses. Judge options on explanation quality and currency with the present domain structure rather than price; the most expensive outcome is preparing cheaply and paying the $480 twice.
A guided daily path of 100 explained NAB-style questions across all 4 domains, weak-spot training, and a weekly timed Checkpoint. Try 5 free questions first, no account needed.
Try 5 free questions