I have been an administrator for six and half years, worked in the facility for almost twelve years.  I have taken the Caregivers Credentialing course certified by the state and I have just recently passed the National Administrators Licensing Exam.  Did I enjoy all the stress and extra time it took to study information that was new to me, no, but I did learn needed and valuable information for me to operate the facility.  To me that is worth all the time I put in.  The assisted living facilities are accepting residents who are in need of much more care and assistance, very close to what  a nursing home would take as a resident.  Why not be proactive and be ahead of just passing needed qualifications.  It is envitable that assisted living is going to be as structured and licensed similar to a nursing home.  What will happen then to all the residents when the people running the facilities are so far behind, that they can't catch up to the requirements? The cost of designing a state exam is not fesible.  Where is that money coming from and who will end up paying for that?