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CMAA certification: what it is and whether it's worth it

The CMAA (Certified Medical Administrative Assistant) is NHA's credential for the front office side of healthcare: scheduling, patient encounters, billing and compliance. The exam has 135 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, costs $134, and only 62.68% of attempts passed in 2024.

Updated October 2026
$134
CMAA exam applicationNHA store, October 2026
135questions
62.68%passed in 2024
2 yearsrenewal

CMAA at a glance

Awarded by
National Healthcareer Association (NHA), NCCA-accredited per NHA
Exam
135 questions (110 scored), 2 hours 15 minutes
Passing score
390 on 200–500
Cost
$134 (NHA store, October 2026)
Eligibility
HS diploma or GED, plus an MAA training program within 5 years or supervised work experience
Testing
Your school, a PSI center or live remote proctoring
Renewal
Every 2 years: 10 CE credits plus a fee

The job behind the credential

BLS groups this work under medical secretaries and administrative assistants: 979,000 jobs in 2025, a median wage of $45,930 (May 2025), and 5% growth projected from 2025 to 2035, "primarily due to the growth of the healthcare industry."

What's on the CMAA

DomainScored items
Communication and Professionalism21
Patient Encounter21
Medical Law, Ethics and Compliance17
Scheduling16
Administrative Procedures and Logistics14
Billing and Revenue Cycle11
Foundational Knowledge10

With a 2024 pass rate of 62.68%, this is not an exam to walk into cold. See is the CMAA exam hard and CMAA passing score.

Know you're ready for the CMAA before you book your date

PassPulse is built for one job: getting you through the CMAA 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.

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CMAA FAQ

What does CMAA stand for?

Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, a credential from the National Healthcareer Association.

How much is the CMAA exam?

$134 for the exam application in the NHA store as of October 2026.

What is the CMAA pass rate?

62.68% of 9,390 exams in 2024, per NHA.

Is the CMAA the same as the CCMA?

No. The CCMA is clinical; the CMAA covers administrative work such as scheduling, billing and compliance.

More CMAA guides

Sources
  1. NHA: Medical Administrative Assistant certification
  2. NHA CMAA Test Plan
  3. NHA Store: CMAA exam application
  4. NHA annual pass rates 2024
  5. NHA Candidate Handbook (updated 10/05/2026)
  6. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

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PassPulse is an independent exam preparation tool. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), American Medical Technologists (AMT) or the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT). Exam, credential and product names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the exams and materials described.

This page is for general information only. It is not official guidance from any certifying body, state agency or employer, and it is not legal, medical, career or financial advice. The information on this page may contain errors or omissions, or may be out of date: fees, policies, exam content and state rules change. Practice questions, answers and explanations on PassPulse may also contain errors. Always confirm current requirements and facts directly with the certifying body, your state, your employer or the manufacturer's instructions before you register, apply or act on them. Pass rates and statistics describe past candidates and do not predict your result.
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