I started at this school with zero knowledge in healthcare -- literally starting from scratch. Becoming a CNA here gave me a strong foundation, both in skills and confidence, and that foundation is what helped me grow into the professional LVN I am today. The instructors don't just teach they guide you, support you, and push you to reach your full potential. The hands-on training, the classroom lessons, and the overall environment truly prepared me for real-world nursing. Looking back, choosing this school was one of the best decisions I made. I'm grateful for how much I learned and how far I've come because of the support and education I received here. If you're thinking about starting your journey in healthcare, this school will definitely set you up for success. Highly recommended!" read more

It was a great experience doing my CNA classes in this school! Staff are very helpful, they will guide you in any situation you want to ask and learned the right way of doing things or skills that will help me do the right job as a CNA. read more

Extremely LONG but way overdue review. Let me start with this: if you are a Black woman or any student who expects to be treated with basic respect, stay far away from CAL ACE. This school is a disgrace and should be shut down. The five-star reviews you see? Many of them are pressured out of students while they're still in class, face to face with staff. I personally witnessed this. Several of my classmates told me privately that they had negative experiences too--but were too scared to speak out publicly because of retaliation or fear they wouldn't pass. This review isn't just mine--it reflects what many of us went through and whispered about behind closed doors. I attended in July/August 2024, and from the moment I walked in, I had doubts. The school is inside a shopping plaza with a fish market, and the environment is beyond unsanitary. Bathrooms were filthy--cockroaches, dried feces on the floor and toilet, overflowing trash DAILY. The classroom was crowded, disorganized, and the curriculum had tons of spelling and grammar errors. Yet they charge nearly $2,000 per student. It's a money grab, plain and simple. But what really broke me was the way I was treated by the staff. Marilyn, one of the owners, was cold, dismissive, and clearly had a chip on her shoulder. She refused to answer my questions, lied about not having a printer when I needed to reprint a background check form, and acted like I was a burden anytime I needed basic help. I still tried to push through because I was on a strict deadline to start nursing school. Then came the incident that pushed me to the edge. We were asked to review our attendance, and I noticed multiple errors. I went in person to clarify. Instead of asking me a single question, Marilyn immediately accused me of leaving clinicals early. I was stunned. I showed timestamped proof from my Clipper card showing my exact travel times, and she still repeated the accusation over and over. Then she brought in Dino, the instructor, who flat-out lied and said I had left early. They ganged up on me. A random woman in the office also inserted herself into the conversation because my voice was raised--which, yes, it was, because I was being falsely accused of something that could cost me my nursing future 10 plus times (not an exaggeration). I was shaking. I had done nothing wrong. I found my signed attendance sheet from the day in question after 30 minutes of digging. It proved I was present. Did I get an apology? No. Marilyn tried to claim it was a different day. I shut that down too. It was disgusting and clearly racial. The tone, the disbelief, the ganging up--it wasn't just a mistake, it was a targeted attack on my character. Cliff, the owner, came in "to help" but was immediately accusatory, but eventually just agreed. He updated my hours online, but the emotional harm was already done. A few days later, I was called into the office again. I assumed they were finally going to apologize. Instead, they told me they were "concerned about me becoming a nurse." The audacity. The falsely accused me of something with zero evidence. Marilyn didn't even know what the word "accusing" meant. I wish I was joking. I had to explain it to her. She eventually gave me an apology, but it was insincere and too late. That moment stuck with me--being made to feel like I did something wrong for simply defending myself. On top of that, Cliff frequently made inappropriate comments during class. One student--who was only 17--said her mom (a former student) warned her to stay away from him. He made us all uncomfortable. During our CNA test review, I couldn't remember one of the skills, and in front of the whole class, he told me my response was "pathetic." Not only was it unprofessional and humiliating, but again, I was balancing multiple jobs and college courses while still showing up and doing the work. He later apologized when the room cleared, but it was clear who he respected and who he didn't. The only decent instructor in the entire program was a kind black man whose name I sadly forgot. He was respectful and actually listened. BOTTOM LINE: CAL ACE does not care about your education, your dignity, or your future. They care about your tuition and keeping their shady operation running. If you have another option--take it. This place needs to be investigated, restructured, or shut down. No one should have to experience what I did just to become a CNA. Update: CAL ACE has since responded--but instead of taking accountability, they doubled down and claimed I succeeded "with their support." Let me be clear: I succeeded in spite of this school, not because of it. They falsely accused me, publicly humiliated me, and failed to take responsibility even after I proved I was telling the truth. They are being reported currently. I've also added some screenshots of what students really think about the school. read more

See all

If you're looking for a cheap and flexible CNA program just to get certified quickly, this is for you. But if you care about professionalism, structure, and real preparation, I wouldn't recommend it. As from the June Cohort, I was not satisfied with the quality of education and clinical training I received from Cal Ace. From day one, things felt disorganized. Classes were held both in-person and online at the same time, with over 100 students online and about 30 in person. The instructor's attention was split between both formats, making the in-person experience feel no different than being on Zoom. I believe other students felt the same way, as many eventually stopped showing up. Theory Classes For a 4-hour theory class, we would take long breaks and most times even get dismissed 2 hours early. On many days, teaching would go off-topic with long personal stories that didn't relate to the material or drifted so far that I'd lose track of the original point. Clinical Hours The website advertised four full weeks of clinicals at a facility, but several of those days were spent in the classroom practicing skills, and still counted as "clinical hours." It felt like the instructional time I paid for was not respected, and that the program didn't take our training seriously. Skills Lab Experience Skills days were underwhelming. The instructor would demonstrate 2-3 skills, and then each student would perform them once on a mannequin. No structured grading or feedback was given. Once you performed your skill, class was dismissed early--again. To make matters worse, if you do make a skill mistake, instructors often criticize before correcting. Clinical Site Experience Your clinical experience depended entirely on who you were assigned to. Some CNAs were helpful, while others had us just follow them around without any guidance. There was no formal evaluation or follow-up... your attendance was basically your passing grade. Poor Leadership Leadership was unreliable, and concerns were brushed off to keep students quiet. Our instructor will be a no-show at the clinical site, abandoned classroom, and multiple times, clinical sites will turn students away for no apparent reason, and according to Cal Ace, it's out of their control. Safety Concerns Parking at Canyon Springs was another issue. We were told to park in a nearby neighborhood, but no one warned us how sketchy the area was. My car was hit during clinicals, and another student saw two separate hit-and-runs on the following day. I didn't feel safe leaving my car there and ended up parking at the hospital across the street. Park at your own risk! Misleading Equipment Policy Cal Ace advertised that your tuition would include a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, textbook, exam package, and more as long as you paid in full. But what they didn't say was that you only get everything if you also paid before a specific deadline. Just stick to the 3-payment plan. You really don't need the book to pass. Lack of recognition The pinning ceremony for clinical orientation, which had been spoken of with pride at the beginning of the program, never happened. Instead, we were simply handed a pin, told to pin our partner, and that was it-- "skill complete." No recognition, no words, no sense of accomplishment. At the end, I came to find out that other students didn't even know about it, nor received a pin. Poor Internal Recordkeeping Near the end of the program, I was unexpectedly told that I had missed quizzes, despite being present in class and completing all required work. When I asked how that was possible, the school did not verify its own records or offer to investigate. Instead, they requested that I provide proof. There was no apology, no ownership of the error, and no acknowledgment of how stressful and frustrating that was for me as a student. Because of this experience, I strongly advise future students to keep screenshots of every quiz, assignment, attendance confirmation, and communication throughout the program. The school's internal tracking appears disorganized, and students may be blamed for errors they didn't cause. Graduation. I wasn't planning to go to graduation, but the way they handled it was just another slap in the face. After all the concerns we raised about not getting proper clinical training, they still went ahead and moved graduation last minute--right during my clinical class, without any real notice. It just showed how little they actually cared. It wasn't about the students at all, just whatever was easier for them. I paid to be here, and the fact that my time was constantly dismissed and disrespected is honestly infuriating. Final Thoughts In the end, I completed the program, but it truly felt like a case of "you get what you pay for." The education was cheap in price, and it showed in quality. I hope this helps others go in with realistic expectations and not be too quick to trust surface-level ratings. read more

before you invest your hard earned money please read this. First choice of school for me was a disappointment. Due to there stupid module policy they created . I paid full price and I won't make the same mistake twice .! There policy applies to all Cal Ace businesses there modules allow 1st week you can RETAKE THE MODULE ...tests no limits . after that only .... ONCE .... IF You ? FAIL YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CLINICAL also ? The MODULES IVE NOT RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT OR test HELP TO PASS IT TOOK ME TO SAY SOMETHING IN CLASS to make it known they have not shown any attempts to aid new students in such situations although they will say they do . Other people are also having trouble Witt it this should be done more often to take tests with instructors present . And help students when needed not when teachers or instructors say nope you fail 2 attend you're not eligible for clinical's Regardless of 2 attempts there policy for limits set on attempts to pass ? Modules THATS AN INSULT to new students who paying a lot to get there license." Or pay to enroll in school or training They SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RETAKE EACH MODULE as many times needed in order to pass. I tried to convince that students will not put up with this type of let down they will go elsewhere . Or find a different path that suits there financial interests. people don't feel defeated when giving up they simply want too succeed. this place should be #1 to avoid out of all the students I am the person you don't wanna Cross . I paid full tuition .We study really hard we deserve passage and more help with the Modules . Not a letdown .change your policy or face criticism. Who are you gonna TRUST? A review from a former student? Or a wannabe ? School who will say? about anything to get you to join .? This is a business I don't recognize it as a school change your policy allow students to keep trying to retake modules or this review will stay !! For the rest of your life . read more

I joined the September cohort with no prior CNA knowledge and didn't know what to expect. Thanks to Dr. Cliff's excellent teaching, Sir Dino's supervision during clinical rotations, and Marilyn's smooth registration process, I was able to pass both my skills and written exams on the first try! If you're considering CNA training, look no further!! read more

I started coming here to take my CE's class...the instructor Dr. Cliff is kind, helpful, and give lessons clearly :-) the CE classes are only given on weekends due to during weekdays they have CNA class...understandable :-) I cant complain for the CE classes done on weekends only. Im More so Grateful because there are places that do CE classes on weekdays but far distant.... Thank you Dr. Cliff and to your staff for doing this on weekends..this means alot.. I appreciate you and your Extra time :-) :-) :-) read more

If I can give 0 stars I would, worst school to take cna course, they only care about your money. I never learned or practiced my skills, nothing is communicated properly and you won't feel prepared for your exam. The uniforms are cheap and everything the instructors do is not properly planned out just a mess. read more

They taking care of it. Never gotten the ID yet. Hopefully soon. Bit I'm still waiting that long.