How to Prepare for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam
Becoming a CMA (AAMA)® is a straightforward process and it can quickly advance your career.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to CMA (AAMA) Exam Success
To earn the CMA (AAMA) you will need to pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. The certification validates that you have been credentialed through the Certifying Board of the AAMA. The CMA (AAMA) credential must be recertified every 60 months. View the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam Application and Policies for details.
Step 1: Meet the Requirements
Ensure you've graduated from or are about to graduate from an accredited medical assisting program which meets certain requirements. Learn more about eligibility.
Step 2: Master the Material
Use study guides, practice exams, and online resources to prepare for the CMA (AAMA) exam. The exam accurately reflects medical assistants' duties and required skills because it uses research-based data from the AAMA's Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants.
These resources will help you study for the exam.
- The Exam Content Outline: This is a road map for tracking all the exam subject matter you need to study. It includes the number and percent of questions on the exam by major content areas.
- If the exam date is before July 2027: continue using the previously published Content Outline to prepare students for the exam.
- If the exam date is on or after July 2027: use the updated Content Outline to prepare students for the exam.
- The CMA (AAMA) Certification Practice Exam: This online exam will help you understand the exam structure and item types.
- The CMA (AAMA) Practice Exam is only available online.
- You will have 90 days from the date of purchase to go through the set of 200 questions twice.
- There are 10 practice modules, each containing 20 questions, for a total set of 200 questions.
- The practice exam will have a timer running to help you pace yourself.
The questions on this practice exam will not appear on the actual CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. Performance on this practice exam does not ensure a passing score on the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. The CMA (AAMA) Practice Exam is the property of the AAMA Certifying Board. Its content may not be copied, reproduced, disseminated, or used in any way without explicit written permission from the Certifying Board. The percentage of items on the practice exam in the general, clinical, and administrative areas does not mirror the percentage of items in each category on the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.
- AAMA Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants: Examine the tasks that surveyed medical assistants identified as important to their current medical assisting position. The Certifying Board uses the findings of this occupational analysis to update the Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, which informs the Task Force on Test Construction to write exam items that appropriately measure the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes required by employers.
- 2018-2019 AAMA Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants: The 2018-2019 occupational analysis informed the Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, effective through June 2027.
- 2025 AAMA Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants: The 2025 occupational analysis informed the Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, effective beginning July 2027.
- Anatomy and physiology and medical terminology questions: Test your knowledge by accessing 50 free questions in each topic area.
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