CCMA exam at a glance
- Questions
- 180 (150 scored, 30 unscored pretest)
- Time
- 3 hours
- Passing score
- 390 on a 200 to 500 scaled score
- 2024 pass rate
- 81.38% of 78,681 exams
- 2023 pass rate
- 77.28% of 67,809 exams
- Biggest domain
- Clinical Patient Care, 84 of 150 scored items
- Retake
- Wait 30 days, full exam fee each time
What the CCMA pass rate tells you
NHA publishes a pass rate every year. For 2024 it reported 78,681 CCMA exams administered and a passing rate of 81.38%. In 2023 the figure was 77.28% across 67,809 exams. So most candidates pass, and the share that passes went up in 2024.
Two details matter when you read these numbers. They count exams, not people, so a candidate who failed and retook the exam appears twice. And NHA does not split first attempts from retakes. The honest reading is simple: around 1 attempt in 5 does not reach 390.
Most people who fail the CCMA knew enough to pass. They just didn't know which topics were costing them points.
See how PassPulse prepares you for the CCMAWhat makes the CCMA hard
The questions themselves are mostly single best answer items about real clinical tasks. What makes the exam hard is how much ground it covers and how the points are distributed.
- One domain decides the exam. Clinical Patient Care is 84 of the 150 scored items, 56% of your score. It includes intake and vitals, general patient care, infection control, point of care testing, phlebotomy and EKG.
- It is long. 180 questions in 3 hours works out to one minute per question, for three hours straight.
- 30 questions don't count, and you can't tell which. Pretest items look exactly like scored ones, so every question needs full attention.
- Scoring is scaled. You need 390 on a 200 to 500 scale, not a fixed percentage, so there is no safe number of questions to miss. More in our CCMA passing score guide.
- Small domains still count. Medical law and ethics is only 7 items and anatomy and physiology only 8, but a weak area anywhere drags the total down.
Where the points are
| Domain | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Patient Care | 84 | 56% |
| Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science | 15 | 10% |
| Patient Care Coordination and Education | 12 | 8% |
| Administrative Assisting | 12 | 8% |
| Communication and Customer Service | 12 | 8% |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 8 | 5% |
| Medical Law and Ethics | 7 | 5% |
Inside Clinical Patient Care, the test plan breaks the 84 items down further: general patient care 28, infection control and safety 15, intake and vitals 14, phlebotomy 12, point of care testing and lab 9, EKG and cardiovascular 6. The full breakdown is in what's on the CCMA exam.
How to be in the 81%
- Study by domain weight. Clinical Patient Care deserves more than half of your time.
- Find your weak domains early with timed practice, then fix those first instead of rereading what you already know.
- Practice at exam pace, one question per minute, so three hours doesn't feel long on test day.
- Book the exam when your practice results sit comfortably above the passing line, not on it.
Know you're ready for the CCMA before you book your date
PassPulse is built for one job: getting you through the CCMA on your first attempt. 880+ exam style questions across every topic on the exam, every answer explained, even the wrong ones. Your readiness score updates after every session and the app keeps drilling your weakest topics until they stop costing you points. 15 minutes a day, on your phone.
Start preparing for the CCMAWhat happens if you fail
According to the NHA Candidate Handbook, you wait 30 days before retaking, you can make three attempts at least 30 days apart, and after a third failed attempt there is a one year wait before each further attempt. Every retake costs the full exam price. The cheapest attempt is the first one you pass.
CCMA FAQ
What is the CCMA pass rate?
NHA reported an 81.38% passing rate for 78,681 CCMA exams administered in 2024, and 77.28% for 67,809 exams in 2023.
Is the CCMA harder than the CMA (AAMA)?
They are built differently. The CCMA has 180 questions in 3 hours, the CMA (AAMA) has 200 questions in 160 minutes of testing, and each body reports pass rates in its own way, so the numbers can't be compared directly. See our medical assistant exam comparison.
How many questions are on the CCMA?
180 questions: 150 scored and 30 unscored pretest questions, with a 3 hour time limit.
What score do you need to pass the CCMA?
A scaled score of 390 or higher on a 200 to 500 scale.
Can you retake the CCMA if you fail?
Yes. You wait 30 days, pay the full exam fee again, and can attempt it three times at least 30 days apart. After a third failed attempt you wait one year.