Free CMA Certification Test 2026
The CMA Certification Test (Also known as the CMA AAMA exam) is built to test applicants' general, administrative, and clinical knowledge on topics related to their day-to-day job.
The test is a must for those who wish to receive a certificate from the American Association of Medical Assistants.
JobTestPrep's MA Certification Prep includes the following:
Click the Get Started Now button to begin practicing.
On this page, you’ll find free CMA certification test practice questions, the content of the exam, preparation, registration, and requirements. Let's get started.
Each practice test contains detailed answers and explanations
The AAMA CMA exam is a multiple-choice 200-question test with four segments of 40 minutes each that requires in-depth knowledge of healthcare services. It is administered through PSI Services LLC (PSI) and applicants are only allowed to take it if they meet AAMA requirements.
The following Professionals are required to take the exam by the certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA):
The AAMA Medical Assistant (CMA) test examines the candidate's clinical and administrative skills, while the NHA CCMA test only focuses on the clinical skills necessary to function as a competent medical assistant.
Clinical skills and patient care are usually the main responsibilities of CCMAs, but in smaller healthcare facilities, they may also perform minor administrative duties.
The following medical assistant certification practice test questions are similar to the ones you’ll encounter in the actual exam.
What do you call that stage of the disease when the host is infected by the agent, yet there have been no signs and symptoms of the disease so far?
A. Prodromal stage.
B. Chronic stage.
C. Convalescent stage.
D. Incubation stage.
E. Acute stage.
The correct answer is (D).
Incubation stage: The stage of disease when the host is infected by the agent, but the first signs and symptoms of the disease have not yet occurred.
Prodromal stage: The initial stage of a disease characterized by malaise and/or fever.
Chronic stage: When the disease has been there for a long time.
Convalescent stage: Recovery stage of the disease.
Acute stage: When the disease is at its peak stage.
Which of the following is NOT a part of CHEDDAR charting?
A. Details of a complaint.
B. Drug dosages.
C. Response of the patient to care given.
D. Details of problems.
E. Drug frequency.
Explanation
The correct answer is (C).
CHEDDAR is a format used for charting patients' medical records. It stands for:
C - Chief complaint
H - History
E - Examination
D - Details of problem and complaint
D - Drug and dosage information
A - Assessment
R - Return visit
Which of the following is NOT a part of medical record keeping?
A. Personal and insurance data on the patient.
B. Patient history.
C. Calls made by the patient to the clinic.
D. The time at which the patient arrives for the appointment.
E. Calls made by the patient to his health insurance company.
The correct answer is (E).
All other options are an integral part of medical record keeping. Calls made anywhere except to the medical facility are of no concern to medical record keeping.
There is an unexpected delay in patient appointments and they will need to wait for a while before they are seen. What would you do?
A. Ignore the delay and pretend there is no change.
B. Talk to the patients but avoid telling them about the delay.
C. Tell the patients there will be a delay and they will have to wait.
D. Talk to the patients about the delay and try to make them comfortable while they wait.
E. Get patients some coffee but don’t tell them about the delay.
The correct answer is (D).
Delays are sometimes unavoidable, so it is the medical attendant's responsibility to inform the patients of the delay and offer options to make sure they are comfortable while they wait.
A medical assistant asks a patient, “What is your pain like?” This is an example of which type of question?
A. Exploratory.
B. Open-ended.
C. Partial-open.
D. Close-ended.
E. Double-barreled.
Explanation
The correct answer is (B).
Open-ended questions are those that encourage the patient to talk and give his own answers, rather than choose from a given set of responses. The given question is an example of an open-ended question as the medical assistant has given the patient an open choice to answer in whatever way he wants to.
Partial-open questions have limited response options and if the respondent selects a specific option, he will have to answer another set of questions, as well. For example, “Do you have pain in your left arm?” If so, how long have you been experiencing the pain, and how would you describe this pain: dull or sharp?
Exploratory questions are intended to find a cause-and-effect relationship. For example, what do you think is the reason behind your depression?
Close-ended questions have limited response options, such as yes or no. For example, if a physician asks a patient, “Do you have pain in the right arm?” the patient would respond yes or no.
Double-barreled questions ask more than one question at a time. For example, “Do you have pain in your arm and leg?” This question asks about pain in the arm and leg in one question. Now, the patient may have pain only in his arm, but if he says yes, the answer would be taken as: Yes, the patient has pain in his arm and leg. These types of questions are not encouraged in a medical setting.
Which of the following members of the healthcare team assist patients in developing, recovering, and maintaining daily living following a disease or an injury?
A. Sports medicine specialist.
B. Occupation therapist.
C. Phlebotomist.
D. Physical therapist.
E. Chiropractor.
The correct answer is (B).
Occupation therapist: Assists patients in developing, recovering, and maintaining daily living following a disease or an injury.
Sports medicine specialist: Diagnoses and treats sports-related injuries.
Phlebotomist: Obtains blood samples.
Physical therapist: Evaluates, diagnoses, and treats musculoskeletal injuries.
Chiropractor: Provides manipulative treatment of disorders resulting from spinal vertebrae misalignment.
If you want to take the CMA medical assistant exam, you must fall into one of three brackets:
You already finished or be within 30 days of finishing a valid medical assistance program. Recognized courses are approved by either the:
If you’re a non-recent (greater than 12 months since graduation) graduate to apply for the exam you must submit an official transcript from the accredited medical assisting institution that you have graduated from.
If you wish to renew your CMA credentials and retake the test you must provide your CMA (AAMA) certificate number accompanied by the date you were last certified or recertified.
Exam fees are as follows:
As mentioned previously the CMA Medical Assistant exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, of which 20 do not count. There are four 40-minute segments in the exam, with the opportunity for breaks in between.
There are three categories to the exam:
The Clinical Competency category is the largest on the Registered Medical Assistant exam and includes a total of 106 questions.
Here are the topics you might encounter.
Questions related to everyday clinical workflow include:
There are a total of 38 questions in the general section about the following topics:
There are 36 questions in the administrative category. The following topics will be covered:
To register for the test you need to get an exam scheduling permit. In order to obtain your permit, you must submit the necessary paperwork and pay the candidate fee.
You will receive an email within five to ten days of submitting your application. Following the submission, your 90-day testing window will begin in which you can schedule your exam.
Schedule your exam directly through the online registration system or via the telephone number listed on your scheduling permit.
The number of slots for each area and test time are limited so try to register for the exam as early as you can in order to get the time and location you prefer.
You’ll need to choose one of the PSI testing centers closer to your home.
Your score is calculated by the number of correct responses, ranging from 200 to 800. Passing the CMA exam requires a minimum score of 405. You will receive an official notification that will inform you if you passed or failed the test.
Your official examination score and report will be mailed within three weeks. In it, you will find your percentile rank in each of the three test categories.
Make sure you arrive on time to the test center. It will give you enough time to settle in and solve any unexpected issues that may come up. Make sure you have on you the required identification.
Once you arrive, you will be escorted to your appointed station and instructed on the use of computer equipment.
Upon entering the testing center and taking your seat, there will be no talking allowed, and breaks will only be allowed during the designated break times.
A violation of the test center's rules could result in cancellation and loss of your candidate fee.
If you put in enough time in preparation and practice the right way, you too can be successful on the CMA test.
During your preparation, it's critical to use practice tests to assess how well you know the different test sections. The use of practice tests can help you understand your strengths and spot weaknesses you need to work on.
When reviewing your answers and finding mistakes ask yourself the following questions:
Identify the main problems and write them down for later review.
When reading the explanations to the question, make sure you understand every concept related to it. This will ensure you have a thorough understanding of all the key terms in both the question and the answer.
There was a 62% pass rate among 8,870 certification exams administered.
A total of 76,989 CMAs were in operation as of March 7, 2022 (AAMA).
JobTestPrep is a leading test prep company that offers accurate practice simulations for hundreds of pre-employment tests. Since 1992, it has helped 1M+ candidates. If you have any additional questions about the Medical Assistant CMA Exam, feel free to send us an email, we usually reply within 24 hours.
