To become a certified medical assistant (CMA) you need to pass an exam. There’s a lot of things leading up to and after the exam that will cause you to bite your nails, sweat, and pull your hair out, but having a guide help you with all the technicalities leading up to, and after the exam will let you use your time for what really matters, studying for that test!
Applying for medical assistant exam:
Assuming you’re already enrolled in a medical assistant program and are on track to graduate, you’ll want to apply for the CMA exam. Here’s a few tips and links to help you save some hair.
1. Find out if you’re eligible for the test. (If your program is AAMA accredited, you’re good to go)
2. Provide documentation if necessary.
- No documentation is needed if you’re a recent grad, or finishing your program OR if you’re recertifying.
- Documentation needed if your program is not a qualified program, and if it’s not recent. (You’ll need to send your transcripts)
3. Fill out the application:http://www.aama-ntl.org/resources/library/ExamApp.pdf
- Include your exam fee: $125 for AAMA members (enrolled in a course) or $250 for non-AAMA members
To get started on the road to your exam, these are all the materials you need. Make sure to send in the correct amounts and fill out information correctly to avoid delaying your application.
Waiting for application approval
There are a few time periods to mark on your calendars for the application and exam processes. Don’t start sweating if you’re not within these time frames:
- 30 days: after submitting your application to hear your application status
- 90 days: The period of time you have to complete the test. This is based on the start date you put on your application.
- 20 days: Notification prior to your 90 days starting.
- See table on page 5 for clarification http://www.aama-ntl.org/resources/library/ExamApp.pdf
Having these time frames marked on your calendar now will give you a lot more time to study without the stress of wondering when you should hear about every little notice.
What’s on the medical assistant exam?
After all of your schooling, you want to know exactly what to study for, right?
The actual content will be different, but a practice quiz with a feel for the kinds of questions can be found here:
The exam is normally
- 11% anatomy
- 10% medical office management
- 4% bookkeeping
- 4% insurance processing
- 12% medical procedures, and more
Exam results
After taking your exam, you’ll be notified right here if you pass or fail. However, a pass notification does not mean certification yet.
Within 10 weeks you’ll get your detailed results. If your results are passing, in another 10 weeks, you should receive your certificate and wallet card. Happy job hunting!
