Medical assistants are not always required to have special certifications or licenses to practice medicine. However, having one shows you have the clinical and administrative skillfulness required to work as a medical assistant and opens you up to higher-paying jobs. Several certifications are available, such as the AAMA Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification, which you can get by taking the CMA certification exam. Here is more information about the exam and a few helpful tips on how to pass.
What is the CMA Certification exam?
This is a certification assessment offered by the AAMA and is widely renowned by medical assistants. It was the first certification developed for medical assistants. Passing it means you meet the qualifications and have a full recommendation from the AAMA board. While it is optional in many states, others require that you have one before getting a license.
Employers prefer those they hire to have this certification as it shows they are careful and diligent in their employment procedures. You can think of this certification as a strong recommendation letter from the AAMA board.
Passing tips
The exam comprises 200 multiple-choice questions in 40 segments. It lasts for nearly 3 hours (160-minutes), but you can have an optional 20-minute break in between segments. Additionally, there’s a 15-minute exam tutorial that’s not part of the 160 minutes. Here are some helpful study tips
Know the topics covered
The outline of the CMA exam is available online at the AAMA website. You can visit the site to get a comprehensive list of what’s there. But you will be graded on subjects such as medical reception, professionalism, communication, diagnostic testing, medical law and regulation, ethics, risk management, anatomy and physiology, first aid, and more.
Figure out your weak points
Just like in high school, there are some subjects you are not good at, and since you have the exam outline, you know what you need to work on. Go through it and identify your weak points so you can plan on spending extra time on them.
Schedule study session
As you schedule your classes, slot in time to study for your CMA exam. If you’re working, schedule these CMA study sessions after work when you can concentrate.
Take a few practice tests
The AAMA wants you to pass this exam, so aside from providing the exam outline and a lot of study material. They also have practice tests and quizzes you can take to help you get used to how the questions will be on the actual test.
Lastly, talk to people who have taken the exam before. What tips do they have? What parts of the exam stood out the most? Do they have any multiple-choice-question answering strategies? Sitting down with someone who has actually taken the test will give you an idea of what to expect.