The NHA CCMA exam: format, test plan, eligibility and retakes
The Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam is the National Healthcareer Association's certification exam for medical assistants: 180 questions in 3 hours, 150 of them scored, at a school, a test center or online. The score is scaled from 200 to 500 and 390 passes. More than half the scored questions are on clinical patient care.
- 180
- questions, 150 scored
- 3 hours
- to finish
- 390
- passing scaled score
- 2 years
- between renewals
Last checked · Facts from nhanow.com and the NHA test plan, read 22 October 2026
By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored
What is the NHA CCMA exam?
It is the exam for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant credential from the National Healthcareer Association, one of the national certifications employers look for when they hire medical assistants.
Most states do not license medical assistants, but many employers require national certification, and some state rules (for example on entering medication orders in an electronic record for Medicare programs) are easier to meet with one. The CCMA is common in programs that train clinical medical assistants; other credentials include the CMA (AAMA) and the RMA (AMT). Check which your employer or school accepts.
The CCMA is a clinical credential. NHA also offers the CMAA for administrative medical assistants, the CPT for phlebotomy technicians and the CET for EKG technicians, each with its own exam.
| Who gives it | The National Healthcareer Association (NHA), at a school or test center with a proctor, or online with a remote proctorPublished by the ownerNHA, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA): eligibility and exam |
|---|---|
| Questions | 180 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored and 30 unscored pretest questions you cannot tell apartPublished by the ownerNHA, CCMA test plan (2022 job analysis): 150 scored and 30 pretest items, 3 hours |
| Time | 3 hoursPublished by the ownerNHA, CCMA test plan (2022 job analysis): 150 scored and 30 pretest items, 3 hours |
| Score | Scaled from 200 to 500; 390 or higher passes. NHA does not publish a percent equivalentSourcedNHA, candidate handbook: scoring, retakes and recertification |
| Eligibility | High school diploma or equivalent, plus a medical assisting program finished in the last 5 years, or 1 year of supervised work in the last 3 yearsPublished by the ownerNHA, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA): eligibility and exam |
| Retakes | A 30-day wait after the first and second attempts; after a third, a 12-month wait. Each attempt is paid forSourcedNHA, candidate handbook: scoring, retakes and recertification |
| Fee | About $160 per attempt; many schools include it in tuition, and NHA shows the price when you registerSourcedNHA, candidate handbook: scoring, retakes and recertification |
| Renewal | Every 2 years, with 10 continuing education creditsPublished by the ownerNHA, certification renewal: every 2 years with 10 CE credits |
What is on the CCMA exam?
The NHA test plan sets the 150 scored items: Foundational Knowledge 15, Anatomy and Physiology 8, Clinical Patient Care 84, Patient Care Coordination and Education 12, Administrative Assisting 12, Communication and Customer Service 12, and Medical Law and Ethics 7.
| Domain | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science | 15 | 10% |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 8 | 5% |
| Clinical Patient Care: general patient care | 28 | 19% |
| Clinical Patient Care: infection control and safety | 15 | 10% |
| Clinical Patient Care: patient intake and vitals | 14 | 9% |
| Clinical Patient Care: phlebotomy | 12 | 8% |
| Clinical Patient Care: point-of-care testing and lab | 9 | 6% |
| Clinical Patient Care: EKG and cardiovascular testing | 6 | 4% |
| Patient Care Coordination and Education | 12 | 8% |
| Administrative Assisting | 12 | 8% |
| Communication and Customer Service | 12 | 8% |
| Medical Law and Ethics | 7 | 5% |
Clinical Patient Care is the heart of the exam, and inside it general patient care (28 items) outweighs every other domain on the plan. Phlebotomy and EKG are smaller than people expect, 12 and 6 items, but they are exact-answer topics where a single fact (the order of draw, where V4 goes) decides the question.
Practise each area on its own page: clinical patient care, phlebotomy, EKG, administration, law and ethics and terminology and anatomy, each with a free drill.
Practise every area
The free test shows your weakest area. The Pass Pack gives you seven more 150-question mocks and four drills for each area.
The CCMA Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 28 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The CCMA Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 28
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor
Who is eligible to take the CCMA exam?
You need a high school diploma or equivalent, and either a medical assisting training program completed within the last 5 years or 1 year of supervised medical assisting work within the last 3 years.
- Check your pathway: a training program (most candidates register through their school) or the work experience route.
- Create an NHA account and register for the CCMA exam. Your school may register and pay for you.
- Choose how to test: at your school or an approved test center with a proctor, or online with a remote proctor.
- Sit the 180 questions in 3 hours with valid photo ID.
- Get your result, then your certificate once you pass and meet any remaining eligibility requirements.
NHA's pages have described the high school timing slightly differently in different places, so if you are still finishing school, check the current rule on NHA's eligibility page before you register.
What score do you need to pass the CCMA exam?
390 on a scaled score from 200 to 500. NHA does not publish a percent or a number of correct answers for that line.
A scaled score lets NHA treat different versions of the exam fairly, so the number of correct answers needed can vary slightly between forms. Percentages quoted online are guesses. Everything about the passing score, including our 80% practice target, is on CCMA passing score.
What happens if you fail the CCMA exam?
You can retake it after a 30-day wait following your first and second attempts. After a third attempt, the wait is 12 months. Each attempt is paid for.
Your score report breaks your result down by domain. Use it: drill the lowest domain, take a full timed mock, and rebook only when you are clearing your target on fresh questions. The wait after a third attempt is long enough to cost a job offer, so treat a second attempt as the last easy one.
The plan is in how to pass the CCMA.
How do you renew CCMA certification?
Every 2 years, by completing 10 continuing education credits during the cycle and renewing with NHA before the expiry date.
NHA counts two hours of a qualified continuing education program as one credit, and extra credits do not roll over to the next cycle. If your certification lapses, NHA has a reinstatement route with more credits and a fee; after a longer lapse you may have to pass the exam again.
Keep certificates of completion for every course as you go; they are your proof if NHA audits your renewal.
How should I prepare for the CCMA exam?
Take a full mock first to find your weakest area, then learn the exact-answer topics (vitals ranges, order of draw, lead placement, precautions), drill patient care most, and book the exam when two mocks clear 80%.
Most people finishing a program need two to four weeks of focused review; people coming back to the material after a break need longer. A four-week plan is in how to pass the CCMA, and the free CCMA practice test shows where you stand today.
Sample questions with the trap explained for each are on CCMA sample questions. If you are considering other routes into health care, our guides to the CNA practice test, the NREMT practice test and the PTCB exam cover those certifications the same way.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CCMA exam hard?
Can I take the CCMA exam online?
What is the difference between the CCMA and the CMA?
How much does the CCMA exam cost?
Is the CCMA the same as the CMAA?
Is LifeScore part of NHA?
Pass on the first attempt
Eight full CCMA-style mocks, four drills for each area and every answer explained, for one payment.
The CCMA Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 28 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.
Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The CCMA Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.
- 8
- timed mocks
- 28
- topic drills
- 1
- score predictor