CCMA Test Day at a School, a PSI Center, or at Home: ID, Tools, Breaks and Remote Rules

Most CCMA test-day problems happen before the first question: an ID that doesn't match, a remote setup that fails, a late arrival. The rules depend on where you test, and they come from two documents, NHA's Candidate Handbook (updated 10/05/2026) and PSI's NHA candidate bulletin (updated 6/15/2026). Here they are side by side, as checked on October 28, 2026.

CCMA test day at a glance

Since June 1, 2026, NHA's Product & Cert Portal Updates say PSI-delivered exams, at a center or remote, no longer allow scratch paper, which is why the PSI columns show whiteboards.

The ID rules that decide whether you test

Both documents are strict about identification, and the PSI bulletin says the wrong ID means a cancelled appointment and a forfeited fee.

• One current ID, government-issued, with your photo and signature, and not a temporary ID. PSI lists a state driver's license, state ID card, federal employment authorization card, government-issued passport, NYC ID or green card, and notes that Arizona state IDs are accepted without an expiration date
• Exact name match. The first and last name on the ID must match the name you registered under; NHA's Help Center says "exactly"
• Address. The handbook asks for an ID with a permanent address, and if it differs from your registration address, proof such as a current utility bill
• Remote exams: no military ID

If your name changed or your ID expires before the exam, fix it before test week. NHA's readiness checklist puts the ID check 45 days out.

What isn't allowed in the CCMA exam room

The handbook's Testing Rules of Conduct apply everywhere:

• No reference materials or papers of your own
• No electronic devices, listed as phones, computers, tablets, e-readers, cameras, MP3 players, pagers, radios, watches, AI glasses, earbuds, earphones, translators and calculators, unless approved as an accommodation
• No food or drink unless approved in advance for a documented medical condition
• No talking about the exam with anyone until it's over, even during a break
• No content questions: the proctor won't answer questions about exam content

At a PSI center the bulletin adds: no personal items in the testing center, no phones or children, no hats, coats, hoods or heavy jackets in the testing room (religious apparel excepted), no smoking, eating or drinking, and no leaving the building during the exam.

CCMA at your school or employer

Your proctor has completed NHA's proctor training and signed the Proctor Oath, per the handbook. You log in to your own NHA account to start, so know your password; NHA's checklist says to write your login down a week ahead because you may be on a different computer. If you forget it anyway, NHA's proctor instructions let the proctor generate a reset code, valid for 30 minutes, for candidates on the roster.

Two things differ from PSI. You still get scratch paper here, two sheets that you hand back. And rescheduling is in the school's hands: the handbook says a school exam must be rescheduled before it starts, at the school's or employer's discretion.

CCMA at a PSI test center

From the PSI bulletin:

1. Arrive on time. Arriving after the exam start time makes your registration invalid and forfeits the fee
2. Check in with your ID; you are then directed to a semiprivate testing station and confirm your name, identification number and exam
3. Tutorial. An on-screen tutorial with sample questions comes first, and up to 15 minutes of it doesn't count toward your exam time
4. The exam. One question per screen, a clock showing the time remaining, and the ability to return to any question and change your answer while time remains
5. Finish. An on-screen message and an email explain how to get your score from NHA

If severe weather or another emergency closes a PSI site on your date, the handbook says PSI reschedules you at no extra charge.

CCMA at home with live remote proctoring

Remote testing has the most rules and the most ways to fail before you start. From the PSI bulletin, the handbook and NHA's Help Center:

• Equipment. A computer, not a tablet or phone: NHA's system requirements say candidates can't take certification exams on tablets or mobile devices. PSI requires Google Chrome with cookies enabled
• Compatibility check. Run PSI's audio, video, webcam and system check when you book, and again at least 24 hours before the exam on the same machine, because a software or firewall update can break it
• Connection. NHA recommends a wired connection for proctored testing, since Wi-Fi can be unreliable
• Room. A private, secure room; you can't test in a public place, and no one else may be in the room at any time
• Launch. You can launch up to 30 minutes before your scheduled start
• During the exam. The proctor watches by video and audio, can pause the exam if someone enters or you leave your station, and can end it if an interruption isn't corrected. You may be asked to remove items, turn off devices, adjust lighting or reduce noise
• No breaks at all, and you may not leave the room

If launching fails, PSI's bulletin gives a remote proctoring technical support line, (844) 267-1017. When you book, NHA's remote scheduling article notes that slots start 24 hours ahead of your current time and that you choose a time zone, so check AM and PM and the zone twice. If you'll test at home, practice at the same desk on the same computer, and planned CCMA prep runs in any computer browser, so your rehearsal can use that setup.

Breaks and pacing during the CCMA

The handbook says the exam is "a single, continuous session." In person, a proctor may let you leave the room only if the break is reasonably necessary, only one candidate may be out at a time, you may not talk, read or use devices while out, and "break time is counted as test taking time." Remotely, "no breaks are allowed."

At 180 questions in 3 hours, the even pace is a minute per question; the CCMA exam format guide has checkpoints. Because the clock keeps running during any break, plan water and restroom stops for before you check in. The best way to learn whether you can hold focus for three hours is to try it once, and the planned CCMA mock exam lets you rehearse all 180 questions in one sitting.

Mistakes that cost the CCMA fee on the day

The PSI bulletin lists four that make a registration invalid and forfeit the fee: not cancelling at least 24 hours before, not showing up, arriving after the start time, and not presenting proper identification. A voicemail doesn't count as a cancellation with PSI. The CCMA cost guide lists every way a fee can be lost or refunded.

Accommodations on CCMA test day

If NHA approved an accommodation, it is delivered by the proctor or, for approved devices, checked by the proctor. The handbook says extra time is usually 150% of the standard time, that remote proctoring may not be available for some accommodations, and that once PSI is notified, its accommodations department calls you within 48 hours; if you haven't heard from PSI, call before your date to confirm. How to request one is in the CCMA eligibility and application guide.

The week before your CCMA exam

A checklist built from NHA's readiness checklist and the rules above:

• One week out: confirm your NHA login and password, take your final practice test under timed conditions, and confirm the date, time and time zone
• Remote candidates: rerun PSI's compatibility check at least 24 hours before, on the computer and network you'll use, and prepare a private room
• The day before: set out your ID, avoid cramming, and sleep
• The day: arrive early, or launch up to 30 minutes early at home, and bring only your ID into the testing area

NHA's checklist still mentions pencils, but since June 2026 PSI provides whiteboards instead of scratch paper, and at a school the proctor supplies a writing instrument, so follow your location's current rules. For the last few days, Cram and a Test Day checklist are planned for CCMA prep.

Your next step before CCMA test day

Check your ID against your NHA registration today, character by character. Then plan your final practice sitting with the CCMA practice tests guide, and read the CCMA passing score guide so you know when and where your result will appear.