NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) guides
24 source-backed guides for the CCMA, from registration and scoring to what to study, exam day and retakes.
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New to the CCMA? These answer the first questions most candidates have.
- 1Getting started
What Is the NHA CCMA? The Credential, the Exam, and Where It Counts
CCMA stands for Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, a national certification from the National Healthcareer Association. Here is what it certifies, how you earn and keep it, how it relates to state rules, and how it differs from the CMA (AAMA).
Read guide - 2Eligibility, registration & costs
CCMA Eligibility and How to Apply: NHA's Pathways, Provisional Certification, and Scheduling
NHA accepts CCMA candidates through a training pathway or a work-experience pathway, plus a provisional route for high school students. Here is what each route requires, the California exception, and how registration, payment and PSI scheduling work.
Read guide - 3Exam format & scoring
CCMA Exam Format: 180 Questions in 3 Hours, the Seven Domains, and Three Ways to Test
The NHA CCMA has 180 multiple-choice questions, 150 scored and 30 unscored, in 3 hours. Here is how many scored questions each domain and subdomain carries, how to pace the sitting, which tools are on screen, and how school, PSI and remote testing differ.
Read guide - 4Study strategies
How to Study for the CCMA: An 8-Week Plan Weighted by NHA's 150 Scored Questions
NHA's free test plan tells you what the CCMA covers and how many questions each domain carries. Here is how to turn it into about 60 hours over eight weeks, a 4-week fallback, NHA's own readiness checklist, and a way to use the knowledge statements as a checklist.
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Getting started4 guides
What the exam is, who takes it, how it compares and how hard it is.
NHA CCMA vs CMA vs RMA in 2027: Eligibility, Exams, and the CMA's July 2027 Outline
Three national medical assistant certifications, three sets of rules. Here is how NHA's CCMA, the AAMA's CMA and AMT's RMA compare on eligibility, exam, fees and renewal, what changes for CMA exam dates from July 2027, and how state rules narrow the choice.
Read guideCCMA vs CMAA: NHA's Clinical and Administrative Medical Assistant Exams Compared
NHA's CCMA covers clinical care plus a share of front-office work; its CMAA is administrative only. Here is how the two test plans overlap, how eligibility, pass rates and renewal compare, and when holding both makes sense.
Read guideHow Hard Is the CCMA? NHA's 2022–2025 Pass Rates and the Topics That Trip Candidates Up
About eight in ten CCMA exams were passed in 2024 and 2025, according to NHA's annual reports. Here is what those rates can't tell you, why the exam's breadth is the real challenge, and two original practice questions to test yourself.
Read guideWhat Is the NHA CCMA? The Credential, the Exam, and Where It Counts
CCMA stands for Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, a national certification from the National Healthcareer Association. Here is what it certifies, how you earn and keep it, how it relates to state rules, and how it differs from the CMA (AAMA).
Read guide
Eligibility, registration & costs5 guides
Who can sit the exam, how to apply and schedule, and what it costs.
Passed the CCMA? Your Certificate, Verification, Using the Credential and the First Two Years
After you pass the NHA CCMA, a few steps turn a score into a usable credential. Here is how to print your certificate and get your digital badge, how employers verify you, when you may write CCMA after your name, what states may ask next, and how to plan your first renewal.
Read guideCCMA Eligibility and How to Apply: NHA's Pathways, Provisional Certification, and Scheduling
NHA accepts CCMA candidates through a training pathway or a work-experience pathway, plus a provisional route for high school students. Here is what each route requires, the California exception, and how registration, payment and PSI scheduling work.
Read guideWhat the CCMA Costs: Exam Attempts, Lost Fees, Retakes, and the $195 Renewal
NHA charges a CCMA fee for every attempt, often paid by the school. Here is who pays, which mistakes forfeit the fee, when NHA refunds, why retakes cost the full price, and what keeping the credential costs every two years.
Read guideRenewing Your NHA CCMA in 2027: NHA One, the $195 Fee, and 10 CE Credits
If your CCMA expires in 2027, NHA's current renewal rules apply unless it announces a change. Here is what renewal costs, how NHA One fits in, how to earn and upload 10 CE credits, and what happens if the date passes.
Read guideDo You Need the CCMA in Your State? Washington, California and Florida Rules, and How to Check
NHA certifies; states decide what medical assistants may do. Here is what Washington, California and Florida law says about medical assistant credentials, certification and drawing blood, and a method to check any other state.
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Exam format & scoring2 guides
Questions, sections, timing and the score you need to pass.
CCMA Exam Format: 180 Questions in 3 Hours, the Seven Domains, and Three Ways to Test
The NHA CCMA has 180 multiple-choice questions, 150 scored and 30 unscored, in 3 hours. Here is how many scored questions each domain and subdomain carries, how to pace the sitting, which tools are on screen, and how school, PSI and remote testing differ.
Read guideCCMA Passing Score: What 390 on NHA's 200–500 Scale Means and When Results Arrive
NHA's CCMA passing score is a scaled 390 out of 500, the same on every exam form. Here is why that isn't a percentage, when and where results appear, how to read the Above, Near and Below categories, and how to ask for a rescore.
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What to study7 guides
The content areas, skills and topics the exam actually tests.
CCMA Clinical Patient Care: The 84-Question Domain, Subdomain by Subdomain
Clinical Patient Care is 84 of the CCMA's 150 scored questions. Here is what each of its six subdomains covers in NHA's test plan, the official rules behind the most-tested facts, and how to split your study time.
Read guideCCMA EKG Review: Electrode Placement, Artifacts and the Rhythms to Recognize
EKG and Cardiovascular Testing is 6 of the CCMA's 150 scored questions. Here is what NHA's test plan lists, where the 10 electrodes go, what causes artifact, how to read paper speed and heart rate, and which rhythms a medical assistant must recognize and report.
Read guideThe NHA CCMA Exam in 2027: Which Test Plan, Rules and Dates Apply to a 2027 Test Date
Testing for the NHA CCMA in 2027? As of October 28, 2026, NHA has announced no new CCMA exam, so the test plan used since January 10, 2024 applies. Here is what is confirmed for a 2027 date, how NHA announces changes and how much notice it has given, and the rules and deadlines that cross into 2027.
Read guideCCMA Infection Control: Standard Precautions, OSHA Sharps Rules, and Sterilization
Infection Control and Safety carries 15 of the CCMA's 150 scored questions. Here is what NHA's test plan lists, with the CDC and OSHA rules behind each topic: the chain of infection, precautions, hand hygiene, PPE order, sterilization, sharps, exposures and safety data sheets.
Read guideThe Other 66 CCMA Questions: Basic Science, A&P, Care Coordination, Admin, Communication and Law
Six CCMA domains outside Clinical Patient Care carry 66 of the 150 scored questions. Here is what each covers in NHA's test plan, the official definitions behind the recall facts, and how much study time each deserves.
Read guideCCMA Order of Draw: Tube Colors, Additives, Inversions and the Errors Questions Test
The CCMA's 12 phlebotomy questions expect the CLSI venipuncture order of draw, a different order for capillary microtubes, and the reason behind each. Here are the tubes, their additives, BD's inversion counts and the collection errors that change results.
Read guideCCMA Vital Signs and Patient Intake: Normal Ranges, Conversions and Measurement Errors
Patient Intake and Vitals is 14 of the CCMA's 150 scored questions. Here are the adult and pediatric ranges from MedlinePlus, the AHA blood pressure categories, temperature by site, pulse oximetry, BMI and growth charts, the conversions, and the errors that change a reading.
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Study strategies2 guides
Study plans, practice tests and how to prepare in the time you have.
CCMA Practice Tests: NHA's Official Practice, Focused Review, and How to Use Your Scores
NHA sells the only official CCMA practice: three online practice tests with two attempts each, plus Focused Review after every attempt. Here is what each option includes, how to spread six attempts over your study weeks, how to judge third-party tests, and what practice scores can't tell you.
Read guideHow to Study for the CCMA: An 8-Week Plan Weighted by NHA's 150 Scored Questions
NHA's free test plan tells you what the CCMA covers and how many questions each domain carries. Here is how to turn it into about 60 hours over eight weeks, a 4-week fallback, NHA's own readiness checklist, and a way to use the knowledge statements as a checklist.
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Exam day2 guides
What to bring, testing rules and what happens at the test center or online.
CCMA Math: Conversions, Dosage Calculations and the Built-In Calculator
NHA's CCMA test plan names measurement conversions, vital-sign formulas and dosage calculations for oral and injectable medications. Here are the conversion factors from NIST and FDA, the dosage formula with worked examples, and how the exam's built-in calculator works.
Read guideCCMA Test Day at a School, a PSI Center, or at Home: ID, Tools, Breaks and Remote Rules
What happens on CCMA exam day depends on where you test. Here are NHA's and PSI's rules for ID, scratch work, the built-in calculator, breaks, prohibited items and remote proctoring, and the mistakes that forfeit your fee before the first question.
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Results & retakes1 guide
Getting your result, what it means, and what to do if you don't pass.
Exam changes & updates1 guide
Upcoming exam versions, new outlines and what changes for you.
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