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American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)

CMA (AAMA)® Certification Exam

The medical assistant credential employers ask for by name — clinical, general and administrative knowledge in one 200-question exam.

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Phlebotomy: NHA CPT prep → · Medical coding: CPC prep →

Questions200 multiple-choice — 180 scored and 20 unscored pretest items
TimeAbout 160 minutes of testing, with optional breaks; plan on a 3-hour appointment
ContentClinical 59% (106 items) · General 21% (38) · Administrative 20% (36)
EligibilityGraduates and completing students of CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting programs, plus other AAMA routes — check AAMA's eligibility page
WhereAt a test center or by live remote proctoring, scheduled after AAMA approves your application
FeeUS$125 for AAMA members, completing students and recent graduates; US$250 for nonmembers — confirm on aama-ntl.org
ScoringScaled 200–800; a scaled score of 405 or higher passes; no penalty for guessing

About the exam

The CMA (AAMA) is the certification awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistants through its Certifying Board. Employers, physicians and health systems use it to confirm that a medical assistant can work safely on both the front office and the back office of a clinic.

The exam has 200 multiple-choice questions — 180 scored and 20 unscored pretest items you can't identify — taken in about 160 minutes of testing time with optional breaks. The content outline weights Clinical Competency at 59% (patient intake, safety and infection control, procedures and lab testing, and pharmacology), General knowledge at 21% (legal and ethical issues and communication), and Administrative knowledge at 20% (billing, coding and insurance, scheduling and health information). Results are reported on a 200–800 scale.

Our practice follows the AAMA outline section by section with realistic clinic scenarios — vital-sign ranges, venipuncture order of draw, injection sites and needle sizes, dosage math, HIPAA and consent, CPT/ICD-10-CM/HCPCS basics, claims and ABNs — plus flashcards, worked case walkthroughs, illustrated guides and timed full-length practice.

How we track your progress

Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:

  1. Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
  2. Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
  3. DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
  4. ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
  5. Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.

The exam blueprint

AAMA CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam Content Outline (rev. 1/26): Clinical 106 · General 38 · Administrative 36 scored items. AAMA has announced an updated outline for exams on or after July 2027 — check aama-ntl.org before you schedule. — Clinical competency (59%), General — legal, ethics and communication (21%), and Administrative — billing, coding, insurance, scheduling and records (20%). Tap a domain to see its topics.

1 Patient Intake and Discharge Clinical · est. ~13% of the exam
Vital signs and pediatric measurementsMedical terminologyInterviewing and documentationScreenings and wellnessPatient instruction and nutrition

41 practice questions in this domain so far

2 Safety and Infection Control Clinical · est. ~13% of the exam
Infectious agents and the chain of infectionStandard precautions, PPE and exposure controlMedical asepsis, waste and safety dataEmergencies and first aidBody mechanics, risk management and quality

38 practice questions in this domain so far

3 Procedures and Examinations Clinical · est. ~22% of the exam
Exam positions, methods and patient preparationSurgical asepsis, instruments and sterilizationWound care and minor proceduresAnatomy and physiologySpecimen collection: blood, urine and swabsLab quality control, CLIA and specimen handlingLab tests and normal valuesECG and diagnostic testing

67 practice questions in this domain so far

4 Pharmacology Clinical · est. ~11% of the exam
Drug classes, actions and adverse effectsDosage calculations and the rights of administrationInjection routes, sites and needlesImmunizations and vaccine handling

33 practice questions in this domain so far

5 Legal and Ethical Issues General · est. ~11% of the exam
HIPAA and protected health informationConsent and medical directivesLiability, torts and legal termsControlled substances and mandatory reportingEthical standards

33 practice questions in this domain so far

6 Communication General · est. ~10% of the exam
Therapeutic communication and patient barriersDefense mechanisms and behaviorPatient education and learning stylesTelephone etiquette and care coordination

30 practice questions in this domain so far

7 Billing, Coding and Insurance Administrative · est. ~12% of the exam
CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS codingInsurance payers and claimsAuthorizations, ABNs and fraud and abusePatient accounts, collections and financial math

36 practice questions in this domain so far

8 Scheduling and Health Information Management Administrative · est. ~8% of the exam
Scheduling appointmentsReception, registration and identity protectionElectronic health records and reports

22 practice questions in this domain so far

What you get when you access this exam

Free with your QuizMe account.

Built on the AAMA content outline

Every question is tagged to an outline section — clinical, general or administrative — and written as the clinic situations medical assistants actually face.

Hints that teach

Reveal the rule, normal range or step behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer explains why the right choice is right and why the others aren't.

Adaptive practice

Questions steer toward your weakest sections, weighted like the real exam, and get harder as you get stronger.

Timed full-length practice

200 questions in 160 minutes — the real exam's pace — with a pacing indicator and full review.

Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides

Flashcards for ranges, terms and rules, step-by-step clinic case walkthroughs, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.

Progress in every section

Each outline section moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.

Test at home or at a center

Apply online through the AAMA Certification Department with proof of your program (or expected completion date). After AAMA approves your application, you schedule the exam yourself at a test center or with live remote proctoring.

At a test center

  • Arrive about 30 minutes early for check-in.
  • Bring valid government-issued photo ID with the same name as your AAMA application.
  • Phones, bags, watches and notes go in a locker; a basic on-screen calculator is provided.
  • You see pass/fail right after the exam; the official score report follows by email.

Live remote proctoring

  • Test from home on your own computer with a webcam, microphone and steady internet.
  • Run the system check well before exam day.
  • Test alone in a quiet room with a clear desk — no phone, notes or second monitor.
  • Same exam, same scoring as the test center.

Exam-day game plan

How to walk in ready — and how to pace 200 questions in 160 minutes — the real exam length.

Pacing checkpoints

Our timed test runs 200 questions in 160 minutes, the real exam's length. On the real exam 20 of the 200 are unscored pretest items.

50questions0:40
100questions1:20
150questions2:00
200questions2:40

The week before

  • Take one full timed practice test 3–5 days out, then review your weakest sections.
  • Drill the numbers that show up everywhere: vital-sign ranges, order of draw, needle gauges and lengths, lab normals.
  • Review HIPAA, consent and the payer basics — they're quick points on test day.
  • Confirm your appointment, ID and (for remote testing) your computer check.

During the test

  • About 48 seconds a question — mark the slow ones and come back.
  • Read the last line first: is it asking what to do first, what's normal, or what's legal?
  • For scope-of-practice questions, pick what a medical assistant may do, not what a provider would do.
  • Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.

Keep your head

  • Twenty questions don't count, so a strange one may be a pretest item.
  • If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
  • Change an answer only when you find a real reason in the question.

Keeping your CMA (AAMA)

  • The credential must be recertified every 60 months.
  • Recertify by continuing education (60 CEUs, with required minimums in general, administrative and clinical content and a share of AAMA-approved CEUs) or by retaking and passing the exam.
  • Using the CMA (AAMA) title requires a current credential — keep track of your 60-month date.
  • If you don't pass, you may apply to retest; each attempt carries a new fee. Check AAMA's current retake policy.

Official sources and further reading

Ready to start?

300 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.

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CMA (AAMA)® is a registered trademark of the American Association of Medical Assistants. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by the AAMA. All questions are original. Details are summarized from AAMA's official pages; fees and policies change — always confirm at aama-ntl.org. Clinical content is for exam study, not patient care.