Exam Types Hub

AAMA — American Association of Medical Assistants

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)

The CMA (AAMA) is the gold-standard medical-assisting credential and the only one recognized by the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, and many state practice acts. Eligibility requires graduation from an accredited program, which makes it the credential of choice for program-based graduates but rules out direct-write candidates. ExamReady's CMA track complements AAMA-accredited curricula with content-area drills and timed full-length exams.

$125 (AAMA member) / $250 (non-member)

Cost

5 years (re-certification cycle, formerly 60-month)

Validity

★★★★☆

Difficulty

60 months of credentialing cycle: 30 continuing-education units plus either another certification exam

Renewal

Who is this credential for?

Graduates of CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical-assisting programs who plan to practice in states that recognize the AAMA credential as the licensure benchmark.

Renewal requirements

60 months of credentialing cycle: 30 continuing-education units plus either another certification exam, a recertification exam, or completion of an accredited program. CMA (AAMA) is the only medical-assisting credential required by some state practice acts.

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