Medical Assistant Certification

Recognized Certification Providers

Today's health care training programs gear their programs specifically toward one, or several of the nationally recognized medical assistant certification exams, depending on which certification provider the institution has partnered their programs with.

Which Medical Assistant Certification Exams?

Most students are well prepared to pass the test to earn professional credentials they will use with their name when they introduce themselves to employers and patients, sign documents, or apply for jobs. However, the confusion around what professional certification continues! In contrast to nurses, Medical Assistants (MAs) do not hold a license to practice and are therefore not regulated by their state or any other entity, except in less than a handful states across the USA.

The questions asked most by medical assistant students are:

• is certification the same a licensing
• is one certification as good as the other
• what is the difference between the exams
• will I need certification to land a job?

* NRCMA stands for Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant

In today's economy and job market certifications are important! Professional certification creates instant credibility and gives you recognized designations in your specific discipline called credentials. Credentials are verification of your work related knowledge and qualifications and are portable to all places that you may work now, and in the future.

Medical assistant certification in the USA is largely voluntary. Exams are held at different intervals, often annually, semi-, or tri-annually at designated testing sites for individuals who meet the training and experience requirement as determined by the sponsoring organization. These organizations are:

  - American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
  - American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  - National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
  - National Registry for Medical Assisting (NRMA)
  - American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants

Upon passing a medical assistant certification exam the certificant receives an official document from the organization that provided it to confirm the person named therein has passed their standardized written certification test. Typically, the document shows the individual's name, date of birth, certificate number, certification status, professional examination results, type of earned credential and any conditions or restrictions with an official seal. This documentation is especially valuable during job applications and consideration for promotion.

Medical Assistant Certification and Professional Membership Organizations

Professional certification and membership organizations strive to build close relationships with accredited vocational training institutions. This creates a win-win situation for everybody, the school, their faculty and their medical assistant students because they PREFER schools with programs that lead to recognized certifications. In return the schools achieves better student recruitment, retention and placement. Typical educational requirements to be accepted into a medical assistant program is:

• at least 18 years of age
• high school diploma, or equivalent

Certification as a Badge of Distinction

Certification exam applicants must have successfully completed an accredited medical assisting program (usually schools with CAAHEP and/or ABHES accreditation) which typically includes an externship and extensive practical and written finals, to qualify for the exam.

The AAMA primarily certifies candidates who are recent graduates from an accredited medical assistant program. The AMT certifies recent medical assisting program graduates as well as those who have been working as a medical assistant for at least five years. The NHA accepts three consecutive years of consistent work experience. Once certified, the certificant must comply with the organization's standards and continuing education requirements to maintain the credential.

Organizations that award medical assistant certifications:

• AAMA - CMA (all areas of competency) 
• AMT - RMA (all) and CMAS (administrative) 
• NHA - CCMA (clinical) and CMAA (administrative) 
• NRMA - NRMA 
• American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants

The CMA exam is a 300-question, multiple-choice test, covering general medical, administrative and clinical knowledge. The RMA exam consists of 200-210 multiple-choice questions on the same subject matter: general medical, administrative, and clinical.

Clinical vs Administrative Medical Assisting Credentials

AAMA and NRMA do not offer separate credentials for clinical and administrative medical assisting, while the AMT and NHA do make a distinction between the two and offer different designations accordingly.

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National Healthcareer Association and AMT grants certifications based on experience:

Certification candidates who want to take advantage of certification based on their years of continuous experience on the job can do so through the NO EXAM program, an opportunity for experienced individuals. Those who want to get certified must provide written proof of from their director or employer.

  NHA offers clinical certifications:

• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
• Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
• Certified EKG Technician (CET)
• Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA)
• Certified Patient Care/Associate/Nurse Technician (CPCT/CPCA/CNT)
• Certified Operating Room/Surgical Technician (CORST)
• Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

  NHA's administrative certifications:

• Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)
• Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)

AMT's Clinical Allied Health Professional Certifications:

•  Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
• Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)
• Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
• Medical Technologist (MT)
• Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
• Medical Laboratory Technician (CML)
• Clinical Lab Consultant (CLC)

AMT's administrative certifications:

• Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS)

AMT's healthcare instructor certification:

• AMT Healthcare Instructor (AHI)

Sources of Additional Information:

American Medical Technologists (AMT)
10700 West Higgins Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
Phone: (800) 275-1268

American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
20 N. Wacker Drive, #1575
Chicago, IL 60606-2963
Phone: (312) 899-1500

National Center for Competency Testing, Inc. (NCCT)
7007 College Boulevard, #705
Overland Park, KS 66211
Phone: (800) 875-4404

American Registry of Medical Assistants (ARMA)
69 Southwick Rd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Phone: (800) 527-2762

California Certifying Board of Medical Assistants
P.O. Box 462
Placerville, CA 95667
Phone: (888) 464-2622

American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants (ASPMA)
2l24 S. Austin Blvd.
Cicero, IL 60804
Phone: (708) 863-6303

Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO)
2025 Woodlane Dr.
St. Paul, MN 55125-2998
Phone: (800) 284-3937

Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 314 N.
Falls Church, VA 22043
Phone: (703) 917-9503