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Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) — Requirements & Free Practice

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Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)

NHA certification for medical administrative assistants in the United States, earned by passing the CMAA examination and meeting certification eligibility requirements; separate from state eligibility to practise.

Licensing authority: National Healthcareer Association · Application information

Initial by examination
Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
Education
A high school diploma or recognized equivalent is required for full certification. Non-English supporting documents require the approved English translation described in handbook p.6.
Employer Training
The employer must have an NHA agreement; eligible didactic completion permits examination before on-the-job completion. No certificate number or available certificate until completion is reported to NHA. Complete training and employer notification within 180 days of the exam or the passed score is void and retesting is required.
Exceptions
Handbook p.12 permits documented eligibility exception requests decided by the Disciplinary & Appeals Committee with Board reconsideration; this is not evidence of an examination waiver.
Pre Externship
The institution must have an NHA agreement and verify didactic completion. No certificate number or available certificate until externship completion is reported. Complete the externship, required institutional paperwork and notification within 90 days of the exam or the passed score is void and retesting is required.
Provisional
Candidates expecting a diploma/equivalent within 18 months may request provisional status during registration and must satisfy all other requirements. For passes in the requested November 2026-January 2027 appointment window the 18-month policy effective October 1, 2026 applies from the passed examination date. Proof of graduation and other applicable eligibility is needed to convert to full certification before expiry. Earlier passes retain their prior 12-month deadline; the policy is not retroactive. Handbook pp.35 and 36 retain older 12-month wording, resolved for current candidates by the explicit dated NHA update and FAQ; handbook pp.11 and 38 give 18 months for non-ExCPT candidates. Provisional status is a placeholder for the same certification, not another examination or a no-exam alternative.
Scope
CMAA only; no CCMA-specific California requirement, phlebotomy procedure count or EKG procedure count applies to this route. State eligibility to practise remains separate. Renewals, reinstatement and historical passes are not separate routes in this initial-certification investigation.
Training Or Experience
Either qualifying training within the five-year registration lookback (accredited/state-recognized program, registered apprenticeship, formal US military medical-services training, or the authorized employer/pre-externship alternatives), or at least one year of supervised field experience in the past three years or two years in the past five years. These are eligibility alternatives, not alternative examinations. The handbook says completion five years or more before registration is ineligible under the training pathway.

Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)

Provider
NHA; delivery through an authorized school, PSI testing center or live remote proctoring
Format
Proctored computer-based multiple choice examination
Exam questions
Total questions: 135; Scored questions: 110; Unscored questions: 25; The total includes the scored and unscored questions.
Time limit
2 hours + 15 minutes
Passing score
Scaled score of 390 or higher on a 200-500 scale
Examination outline
  • Foundational Knowledge (9.09%)
    • Medical Terminology
    • Basic Anatomy and Physiology
  • Communication and Professionalism (19.09%)
  • Medical Law, Ethics, and Compliance (15.45%)
  • Scheduling (14.55%)
  • Patient Encounter (19.09%)
  • Billing and Revenue Cycle (10%)
  • Medical Practice Administrative Procedures and Logistics (12.73%)
Examination sources