Eligibility Requirements for the
CMA (AAMA)® Exam
To be eligible for the CMA (AAMA)® Certification Exam, the candidate must meet the criteria for one of the following eligibility categories.
Candidate Eligibility Categories
Category 1 | Completing student or recent graduate of a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program
The candidate must have graduated from or be about to complete a medical assisting program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
Completing students may take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam no more than 30 days prior to completing their formal education and practicum.
Recent graduates are those who apply for the exam within 12 months of graduation.
Category 2 | Nonrecent graduate of a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program
A candidate who applies for the exam more than 12 months after graduation is a nonrecent graduate.
Candidates who graduate from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program that was accredited at any time during the student's enrollment, or who graduated within the 36 months prior to the program becoming CAAHEP or ABHES accredited, are eligible to apply for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam under Category 1 or 2.
Category 3 | CMA (AAMA) recertificant
The candidate must have previously passed the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam and is applying to recertify the CMA (AAMA) credential.
Education Pathway | Graduate of a qualified postsecondary medical assisting program or postsecondary medical assisting apprenticeship program that meets certain requirements
The Certifying Board (CB) of the AAMA recognizes that postsecondary (college-level) medical assisting programs other than those accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES may provide the requisite educational depth, breadth, and rigor for their graduates to apply for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. For more information, see the "Certification Exam Eligibility Pilot Program" webpage.
Ineligible Candidate | If you do not meet the exam eligibility requirements, your application will be canceled. The candidate fee, less a $65 administrative fee, will be refunded within four to six weeks after your application has been reviewed.
Accreditation Periods
Candidates who graduate from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program that was accredited at any time during the student's enrollment, or who graduated within the 36 months prior to the program becoming CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited, are eligible to apply for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam under Category 1 or 2. The 12-month period for student or recent graduate fee eligibility begins on the date that the program is granted CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation.