How do you read a graduated cylinder?

Set it on a flat surface, bring your eyes level with the liquid and read the line at the bottom of the curve. See our guide on reading a graduated cylinder.

How close does my urinary output have to be?

It must be within the tolerance stated in your candidate handbook compared with the evaluator's reading.

Measuring and recording urinary output: CNA skills test steps

Updated November 12, 2026 · Reviewed against official sources

Wearing gloves, pour the urine into a graduated cylinder, set it on a flat surface, read the level at eye level, empty and rinse the equipment, then record the amount in mL. Your reading must match the evaluator's within the tolerance in your candidate handbook.

Your state's nurse aide candidate handbook is the authority on exam format, skills lists and scoring. This page explains the general picture and links the official sources.

Steps

KEYmarks 3 steps that candidate handbooks commonly treat as critical. Missing a critical step usually fails the skill.

1Key step: Perform hand hygiene and put on gloves.
2Pour the contents of the bedpan or urinal into the graduated cylinder without spilling.
3Place the graduate on a flat, level surface (on a barrier such as a paper towel).
4Bend so the measurement line is at eye level and read the bottom of the curved surface of the liquid.
5Empty the urine into the toilet.
6Rinse the graduate and the bedpan or urinal, emptying the rinse water into the toilet, and return equipment to storage.
7Key step: Remove gloves and perform hand hygiene.
8Key step: Record the output in mL; it must be within the tolerance in your candidate handbook.
9Report anything unusual (color, odor, blood, very small amounts) to the nurse.

Common mistakes

Reading the graduate while holding it in the air instead of on a flat surface.
Reading from above instead of at eye level.
Recording in the wrong unit or forgetting to record before emptying.
Writing the number after removing gloves without hand hygiene in between.

Quick answers

How do you read a graduated cylinder?: Set it on a flat surface, bring your eyes level with the liquid and read the line at the bottom of the curve. See our guide on reading a graduated cylinder.
How close does my urinary output have to be?: It must be within the tolerance stated in your candidate handbook compared with the evaluator's reading.

What to do next

Skills and the written test are scored separately, and you must pass both. Check your written readiness in about 15 minutes.

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Sources

Checked: November 12, 2026. Rules, fees and vendors change — always confirm with your state's official page and candidate handbook.