CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination study guide
CMA (AAMA) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA (AAMA)) credential is the professional certification conferred by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and is one of the most widely recognized designations in the medical assisting field. It is designed for medical assistants who have completed an accredited medical assisting education program - the AAMA references CAAHEP- and ABHES-accredited programs - and who want to demonstrate that they meet a national standard of competence. The examination samples the full scope of the profession rather than a single specialty. Candidates should expect content drawn from general, administrative, and clinical areas: office and financial administration, scheduling and patient records, insurance and coding fundamentals, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, infection control and asepsis, vital signs and patient assessment, pharmacology and medication administration, specimen collection and diagnostic testing, and the legal, ethical, and communication responsibilities of the medical assistant. The CMA (AAMA) study guide has 3 sections and about 822 words.
01General Medical Assisting Foundations
General questions draw on medical terminology, basic anatomy and physiology, human behavior, communication, professionalism, and legal/ethical concepts. You should be able to build and decode terms from word parts, relate organ systems to common disorders, recognize defense mechanisms and therapeutic communication, and apply scope-of-practice and consent rules.
263 words, about 1 min02Administrative Practice and the Revenue Cycle
Administrative content covers appointment scheduling, patient registration, medical records, release of information, HIPAA privacy and security, insurance terminology, billing and coding basics, bookkeeping, supplies, and office communication. Master the revenue cycle: registration, verification of eligibility and benefits, coding, claim submission, payer adjudication, patient responsibility, and collections.
278 words, about 1 min03Clinical Skills, Safety, and Technique
Clinical questions cover asepsis and infection control, vital signs, patient preparation and positioning, assisting with examinations, medication administration, injections, phlebotomy, electrocardiography, specimen collection, and emergency response. Know medical asepsis versus surgical asepsis, standard precautions, PPE sequence, and transmission-based precautions.
281 words, about 1 min