NEW JERSEY CERTIFIED ASSISTED LIVING
ADMINISTRATOR (NJ CALA) |230 Complex Practice Questions
Certification Preparation 2025/2026
SECTION 1: NEW JERSEY ASSISTED LIVING REGULATIONS
1. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, which entity holds primary regulatory authority over assisted living
residences in New Jersey?
A) New Jersey Department of Human Services
B) New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Long Term Care Systems (correct
answer)
C) New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators
D) New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
Rationale: The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), specifically through the Division
of Long Term Care Systems, licenses and regulates assisted living residences, comprehensive
personal care homes, and assisted living programs under N.J.A.C. 8:36. The NJDOH conducts
inspections, investigates complaints, and takes enforcement action.
2. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, a New Jersey assisted living residence must provide which of the
following as a minimum core service?
A) Skilled nursing services seven days per week
B) Three meals daily, housekeeping, laundry, personal care assistance, and 24-hour staff
availability (correct answer)
C) On-site physician services at least three days per week
D) Transportation to all medical appointments regardless of distance
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires assisted living residences to provide core services including:
three meals per day, housekeeping and laundry, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs),
24-hour staffing capable of responding to resident needs, and recreational programming.
Additional services may be offered based on resident needs.
3. A New Jersey assisted living administrator receives a complaint from a resident's family that a
staff member was verbally abusive. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, the administrator must report this
alleged abuse to which agency within what timeframe?
, A) The New Jersey State Police within 48 hours
B) The New Jersey Department of Health and the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized
Elderly within 24 hours (correct answer)
C) The County Adult Protective Services within 72 hours
D) The State Licensing Board within 5 business days
Rationale: Under N.J.A.C. 8:36 and the Adult Protective Services Act, suspected abuse, neglect,
or exploitation of a resident must be reported to the NJDOH and the Ombudsman for the
Institutionalized Elderly. The alleged perpetrator must be immediately removed from resident
contact pending investigation. Administrators who fail to report timely face license sanctions.
4. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36-4.1, the maximum number of residents who may share a room in a
licensed New Jersey assisted living residence is:
A) One resident (private rooms only)
B) Two residents, with written consent of each resident or responsible party (correct
answer)
C) Three residents in facilities licensed prior to 2000
D) Four residents in specialized memory care units
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 permits shared rooms (maximum two residents) only with the written
informed consent of each resident or their legal representative. Room dimensions must meet
minimum square footage requirements per resident. Residents retain the right to refuse shared
accommodations and to request a change in roommate assignment.
5. A New Jersey assisted living residence must conduct a comprehensive resident assessment
within what timeframe of admission?
A) Prior to admission only — no post-admission assessment required
B) Within 30 days of admission, with annual updates and after significant change of
condition (correct answer)
C) Within 90 days of admission with semi-annual updates
D) Within 14 days of admission in accordance with federal MDS requirements
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires a comprehensive assessment completed within 30 days of
admission, with annual reassessments and reassessments triggered by significant changes in a
resident's physical, cognitive, or functional status. The assessment drives the individualized
service plan (ISP) development.
,6. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, which of the following conditions would require the mandatory transfer
or discharge of a resident from an assisted living residence?
A) Resident's refusal to participate in scheduled activities
B) Resident requiring continuous skilled nursing care beyond the facility's licensed scope
of services (correct answer)
C) Resident's family requesting a room change that is unavailable
D) Resident experiencing moderate cognitive decline requiring medication reminders
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires transfer or discharge when a resident's needs exceed the
assisted living residence's scope of services — specifically when the resident requires continuous
skilled nursing care, poses a danger to themselves or others that cannot be managed, or when the
facility cannot meet the resident's needs safely. The resident must receive 30 days' written notice
except in emergencies.
7. The "individualized service plan" (ISP) in a New Jersey assisted living residence must be
developed by:
A) The attending physician and nursing director only
B) An interdisciplinary team including the resident and/or legal representative,
administrator or designee, direct care staff, and other professionals as appropriate (correct
answer)
C) The administrator and family members without resident involvement
D) Only licensed nursing staff with no administrator participation required
Rationale: The ISP must be developed collaboratively by an interdisciplinary team that centers
the resident's preferences and choices. The resident and/or legal representative must be invited to
participate. The ISP documents the resident's strengths, needs, goals, and the specific services the
facility will provide to meet those needs.
8. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, a "comprehensive personal care home" differs from an "assisted living
residence" primarily by:
A) Serving a larger maximum number of residents
B) Providing a lower level of care without 24-hour awake staff requirements (correct
answer)
C) Serving exclusively residents with dementia diagnoses
D) Being licensed and regulated by a different state agency
Rationale: Comprehensive personal care homes (CPCHs) provide similar services to assisted
living residences but are licensed for a smaller population and typically have less intensive care
, requirements. The key distinctions involve staffing ratios, physical plant requirements, and the
complexity of residents who may be served. Both are regulated under N.J.A.C. 8:36 by NJDOH.
9. A New Jersey CALA administrator must ensure that resident rights under N.J.A.C. 8:36
include the right to:
A) Unlimited financial transactions without family notification
B) Privacy in communications, freedom from restraint, self-determination in care
decisions, and access to the Ombudsman without restriction (correct answer)
C) Demand services not included in the facility's scope of licensure
D) Designate themselves as their own legal representative regardless of capacity
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 enumerates resident rights including: self-determination (including the
right to refuse care), privacy (personal, financial, and medical), freedom from restraints
(chemical and physical), access to the Ombudsman, grievance filing without retaliation,
management of personal finances, and visitation rights. These rights cannot be waived by
admission agreements.
10. Under New Jersey regulations, the administrator of an assisted living residence must hold a
valid license issued by:
A) The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners
B) The New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators (correct answer)
C) The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Licensing Bureau
D) The New Jersey Department of Health directly through NJDOH
Rationale: The New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators licenses both nursing home
administrators and assisted living administrators (CALA). The CALA credential requires
specific education, supervised experience in an assisted living setting, and passage of the CALA
examination. Continuing education is required for license renewal.
SECTION 2: RESIDENT RIGHTS & RESIDENT-CENTERED CARE
11. A resident with mild cognitive impairment insists on making a financial decision that their
adult daughter believes is unwise. The administrator's most appropriate action is:
A) Side with the daughter since cognitive impairment means the resident lacks capacity
B) Assess whether the resident has decision-making capacity for this specific financial
decision, and if capacity is intact, support the resident's right to make their own choices
including unwise ones (correct answer)
ADMINISTRATOR (NJ CALA) |230 Complex Practice Questions
Certification Preparation 2025/2026
SECTION 1: NEW JERSEY ASSISTED LIVING REGULATIONS
1. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, which entity holds primary regulatory authority over assisted living
residences in New Jersey?
A) New Jersey Department of Human Services
B) New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Long Term Care Systems (correct
answer)
C) New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators
D) New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
Rationale: The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), specifically through the Division
of Long Term Care Systems, licenses and regulates assisted living residences, comprehensive
personal care homes, and assisted living programs under N.J.A.C. 8:36. The NJDOH conducts
inspections, investigates complaints, and takes enforcement action.
2. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, a New Jersey assisted living residence must provide which of the
following as a minimum core service?
A) Skilled nursing services seven days per week
B) Three meals daily, housekeeping, laundry, personal care assistance, and 24-hour staff
availability (correct answer)
C) On-site physician services at least three days per week
D) Transportation to all medical appointments regardless of distance
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires assisted living residences to provide core services including:
three meals per day, housekeeping and laundry, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs),
24-hour staffing capable of responding to resident needs, and recreational programming.
Additional services may be offered based on resident needs.
3. A New Jersey assisted living administrator receives a complaint from a resident's family that a
staff member was verbally abusive. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, the administrator must report this
alleged abuse to which agency within what timeframe?
, A) The New Jersey State Police within 48 hours
B) The New Jersey Department of Health and the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized
Elderly within 24 hours (correct answer)
C) The County Adult Protective Services within 72 hours
D) The State Licensing Board within 5 business days
Rationale: Under N.J.A.C. 8:36 and the Adult Protective Services Act, suspected abuse, neglect,
or exploitation of a resident must be reported to the NJDOH and the Ombudsman for the
Institutionalized Elderly. The alleged perpetrator must be immediately removed from resident
contact pending investigation. Administrators who fail to report timely face license sanctions.
4. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36-4.1, the maximum number of residents who may share a room in a
licensed New Jersey assisted living residence is:
A) One resident (private rooms only)
B) Two residents, with written consent of each resident or responsible party (correct
answer)
C) Three residents in facilities licensed prior to 2000
D) Four residents in specialized memory care units
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 permits shared rooms (maximum two residents) only with the written
informed consent of each resident or their legal representative. Room dimensions must meet
minimum square footage requirements per resident. Residents retain the right to refuse shared
accommodations and to request a change in roommate assignment.
5. A New Jersey assisted living residence must conduct a comprehensive resident assessment
within what timeframe of admission?
A) Prior to admission only — no post-admission assessment required
B) Within 30 days of admission, with annual updates and after significant change of
condition (correct answer)
C) Within 90 days of admission with semi-annual updates
D) Within 14 days of admission in accordance with federal MDS requirements
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires a comprehensive assessment completed within 30 days of
admission, with annual reassessments and reassessments triggered by significant changes in a
resident's physical, cognitive, or functional status. The assessment drives the individualized
service plan (ISP) development.
,6. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, which of the following conditions would require the mandatory transfer
or discharge of a resident from an assisted living residence?
A) Resident's refusal to participate in scheduled activities
B) Resident requiring continuous skilled nursing care beyond the facility's licensed scope
of services (correct answer)
C) Resident's family requesting a room change that is unavailable
D) Resident experiencing moderate cognitive decline requiring medication reminders
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 requires transfer or discharge when a resident's needs exceed the
assisted living residence's scope of services — specifically when the resident requires continuous
skilled nursing care, poses a danger to themselves or others that cannot be managed, or when the
facility cannot meet the resident's needs safely. The resident must receive 30 days' written notice
except in emergencies.
7. The "individualized service plan" (ISP) in a New Jersey assisted living residence must be
developed by:
A) The attending physician and nursing director only
B) An interdisciplinary team including the resident and/or legal representative,
administrator or designee, direct care staff, and other professionals as appropriate (correct
answer)
C) The administrator and family members without resident involvement
D) Only licensed nursing staff with no administrator participation required
Rationale: The ISP must be developed collaboratively by an interdisciplinary team that centers
the resident's preferences and choices. The resident and/or legal representative must be invited to
participate. The ISP documents the resident's strengths, needs, goals, and the specific services the
facility will provide to meet those needs.
8. Under N.J.A.C. 8:36, a "comprehensive personal care home" differs from an "assisted living
residence" primarily by:
A) Serving a larger maximum number of residents
B) Providing a lower level of care without 24-hour awake staff requirements (correct
answer)
C) Serving exclusively residents with dementia diagnoses
D) Being licensed and regulated by a different state agency
Rationale: Comprehensive personal care homes (CPCHs) provide similar services to assisted
living residences but are licensed for a smaller population and typically have less intensive care
, requirements. The key distinctions involve staffing ratios, physical plant requirements, and the
complexity of residents who may be served. Both are regulated under N.J.A.C. 8:36 by NJDOH.
9. A New Jersey CALA administrator must ensure that resident rights under N.J.A.C. 8:36
include the right to:
A) Unlimited financial transactions without family notification
B) Privacy in communications, freedom from restraint, self-determination in care
decisions, and access to the Ombudsman without restriction (correct answer)
C) Demand services not included in the facility's scope of licensure
D) Designate themselves as their own legal representative regardless of capacity
Rationale: N.J.A.C. 8:36 enumerates resident rights including: self-determination (including the
right to refuse care), privacy (personal, financial, and medical), freedom from restraints
(chemical and physical), access to the Ombudsman, grievance filing without retaliation,
management of personal finances, and visitation rights. These rights cannot be waived by
admission agreements.
10. Under New Jersey regulations, the administrator of an assisted living residence must hold a
valid license issued by:
A) The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners
B) The New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators (correct answer)
C) The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Licensing Bureau
D) The New Jersey Department of Health directly through NJDOH
Rationale: The New Jersey Board of Nursing Home Administrators licenses both nursing home
administrators and assisted living administrators (CALA). The CALA credential requires
specific education, supervised experience in an assisted living setting, and passage of the CALA
examination. Continuing education is required for license renewal.
SECTION 2: RESIDENT RIGHTS & RESIDENT-CENTERED CARE
11. A resident with mild cognitive impairment insists on making a financial decision that their
adult daughter believes is unwise. The administrator's most appropriate action is:
A) Side with the daughter since cognitive impairment means the resident lacks capacity
B) Assess whether the resident has decision-making capacity for this specific financial
decision, and if capacity is intact, support the resident's right to make their own choices
including unwise ones (correct answer)
