Chapter 1
The Certification
Process
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Introduction
Now is the best time to take your exam, and here’s why:
■ Holding national certification shows potential and existing employers
that you have a standardized body of knowledge.
■ States now regulate the medical assistant role and credentials, but
they all recognize the American Association of Medical Assistants
(AAMA) and the American Medical Technologists (AMT) exams.
■ Expanding administrative responsibilities now warrant specialization
and validation of knowledge through a certification process such as
the AMT Certified Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS).
■ Medical offices are affiliated with health care organizations accredited
by The Joint Commission (TJC), the National Committee on Quality
Assurance (NCQA), etc., which inspect staff credentials.
■ Preparing for a national exam is a method to keep up with everchanging practice, to review the latest standards, and to demonstrate
your knowledge of entry-level competencies.
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
National Medical Assisting Exams
THE CMA (AAMA)
■ 200 multiple choice questions with 5 answer options
■ 20 of the questions are for trial only and do not count toward your
score
■ It is not indicated which questions are the trial questions
■ Exam review questions for Anatomy & Physiology and Medical
Terminology are available on the AAMA website (www.aamantl.org)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
Eligibility Criteria
■ Graduating students or recent graduates of a medical
assisting program accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Programs
(ABHES)
■ Nonrecent graduates (more than 12 months after graduation)
of a CAAHEP or ABHES–accredited medical assisting
program [beginning January 1, 2010, candidates will have 60
months from the date of graduation to pass the exam; if a
candidate does not pass within this time frame, the candidate
will not be eligible for the CMA (AAMA) credential]
■ CMAs (AAMA) recertifying their credential by way of
examination
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National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
Figure 1-1. Insignia of the American Association of Medical Assistants
(AAMA).
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National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
THE RMA (AMT)
■ 200–210 multiple choice questions with 4 answer options
■ If there are 210, 10 are for trial only and do not count toward your
score
■ You have 2 hours to take the exam; questions are in random order
■ Exam review questions are available on the AMT website
(www.amt1.com)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
Eligibility Criteria
■ Graduates
of (or students scheduled to graduate from) a medical
assistant program that holds programmatic accreditation by the
ABHES or CAAHEP or students in a postsecondary school or
college that holds institutional accreditation by the ABHES or
CAAHEP
■ Graduates of (or students scheduled to graduate from) a medical
assisting program in a postsecondary school or college that has
institutional accreditation by a regional accrediting commission or
a national accrediting organization approved by the U.S.
Department of Education; the program must include a minimum
of 720 clock-hours (or equivalent) of training in medical assisting
(including a clinical externship)
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National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
■ Graduates of (or students scheduled to graduate from) a formal
medical services training program of the U.S. Armed Forces
■ Medical assistants employed in the profession for a minimum of 5
years, no more than 2 years of which may have been as an
instructor in the postsecondary medical assistant program
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National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
Figure 1-2. Insignia of the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
NATIONAL MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST EXAM (Certified
Medical Administrative Specialist [CMAS])
■ 200–210 multiple choice questions with 4 answer options
■ If there are 210, 10 are for trial only and do not count toward your
score
■ You have 2 hours to take the exam; questions are in random
order
■ Exam review questions are available on the AMT website
(www.amt1.com)
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
Eligibility Criteria
■ Graduating students or graduates of a medical office
administrative program that holds programmatic accreditation or
is part of a postsecondary school or college that holds
institutional accreditation by the ABHES
■ Graduates of (or students scheduled to graduate from) a medical
assisting program in a postsecondary school or college that has
institutional accreditation by a regional accrediting commission or
a national accrediting organization approved by the U.S.
Department of Education; the program must include a minimum
of 720 clock-hours (or equivalent) of training in medical assisting
(including a clinical externship); training must include:
• Medical records management
• Health care insurance processing, billing, and coding
• Office financial responsibilities
• Information processing
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National Medical Assisting
Exams, cont’d.
■ RMAs
or equivalent who possess a minimum of 2 years working as
a medical office administrative specialists
■ Medical office administrative specialists employed in the profession
for a minimum of 5 years
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Maintaining Certification
Earning Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
■ Attending
seminars and conferences approved for CEUs by your
certifying organization
■ Completing online modules of appropriate topics approved for
CEUs by your certifying organization
■ Reading material in journals approved for CEUs by your certifying
organization and answering related questions
■ Listening to audio modules approved for CEUs by your certifying
organization and completing required exercises or answering
related questions
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Strategy Advice
A graduate, who recently took the certification examination, gives this
advice:
“Study this book, study the practice exam at the end, and
then study this book again.”
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Studying
Suggested study techniques:
■ Inform your family, friends, employer, and fellow employees that
you are preparing for the exam. Ask them to support you, and
include them in the review process. Ask your family to allow you
uninterrupted study time; determine when that time will be and
stick to it.
■ Read each chapter, and underline or highlight information that
needs reinforcement. Reread those areas at different times until
you believe you know them. Write down information you cannot
remember; writing helps memorization.
■ Write difficult information in your own words to assure
understanding; ask your employer, a teacher, or a peer if you
need assistance.
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Read the important review terms at the end of each chapter.
■ Develop flashcards by writing the review term on the front of an index
card and the definition on the back. Again, writing enhances the
memorization process.
■ Look for learning moments. These are times outside of your planned
study regimen when you can sneak in some studying, such as during
breaks; at lunch; while riding as a passenger in a car or bus, using
exercise equipment, or walking the dog; or even during television
commercials. Be creative!
■ Have friends and family test you using your flashcards.
■ Develop rhymes to assist memory (such as, for diabetic coma, “hot and
dry, sugar high”).
■ Use alphabetical connections, for example, arteries (begins with an “a”)
carry blood away (also begins with an “a”).
■
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Incorporate as much repetition as you can.
■ Read the review tip boxes at the beginning of each chapter.
■ Take lots of practice tests, using the tests in this book and the practice
questions from the AAMA and AMT!
■ Contact local programs—some offer national exam reviews.
■ Cram only if you are confident of your overall knowledge and need only
cursory last-minute review.
■ Consider joining a study group as additional preparation, but not as
your only preparation.
■
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Multiple Choice Exams
Use these strategies to avoid decoy traps:
Read the question and answer it in your head, and then look for
the answer you think is correct in the choices, but do not mark it
yet.
■ Read the whole question with each of the choices. Some
questions have more than one correct answer, but one answer is
more correct than the others. Do not mark your answer before
considering all of the alternatives. That last choice may be better
than the first. A word that is similar but not correct may appear
first and act as a decoy.
■ Watch your time. Do not spend more than 45 seconds on one
question. Come back to it after completing the questions you
know.
■
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Eliminate choices you know are wrong. The more choices you eliminate,
the better your chance of selecting the correct one.
■ Watch for “all of the above” answers. If you eliminate one answer, “all of
the above” cannot be correct.
■ Watch for “none of the above.” If one answer is correct, “none of the
above” is not the answer.
■ Use caution with questions that contain the word “except.” The answer
you are looking for is the opposite of the question. If the question says,
“You would use sterile technique in all of the following situations,
except,” look for the opposite of when “you would use sterile technique,”
such as when taking a blood pressure. Read “except” questions extra
carefully and be sure of what they are asking.
■
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Watch for words such as “always,” “never,” “all,” and “none.” If you can
think of one exception to a choice, then that answer is not correct.
■ Handle decoys. Some questions lead you to think another answer is
correct when you are relatively sure it is not. Read the whole question
with each alternative separately. Think about what each question with
each answer means. Frequently, this helps confirm your original answer
choice.
■
And remember, the most effective strategy for multiple choice tests is practice,
practice, practice!
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
English Language Learners
■ Do not rush into taking the exam; be prepared.
■ Read and follow the previous strategies.
■ Buy or borrow the textbook Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL). It offers an effective method to evaluate your English. If
you have difficulty with this text, consider first taking an English or
ELL course at a community college or other school. Taking a course
may also increase your employment opportunities.
■ English tests called Combined English Language Skills
Assessments (CELSA) are available at community colleges for nonEnglish speakers to determine their level of English. A national
exam will be difficult to pass if you score below the high school
equivalent on the CELSA.
■ Obtain an ELL medical terminology book and review it.
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
■ Study with a native English speaker who is motivated and organized
(see section on Study Groups).
■ If a question on the exam does not seem to make sense to you, look
closely at the verb. It may have another meaning different from the
one you thought. An example is the word “pose,” commonly meaning
to assume a posture for a picture or artistic purposes (for example,
“She posed for the picture”). Another meaning, more common in
tests, is to present an idea for consideration, such as, “The doctor
posed that the patient may not be taking his medication according to
instructions.” Consider other verb meanings before answering.
■ Select only one answer—the best answer—for multiple choice
questions. In some countries, you may select several correct
answers. In the United States, if you select more than one answer, it
is marked incorrect.
■ Be sure you are familiar with the testing modality you select
(computer or “bubble” answer sheet).
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Study Groups
Pros
■ Study times and places are designated; people are more motivated
to be prepared if others are relying on them.
■ The work, such as researching or organizing a topic, is shared.
■ One person’s weak area may be another’s strength, which
sometimes makes studying easier.
■ You can discuss issues related to the exam, relieve stress, and gain
a fresh perspective.
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Cons
■ Participants must agree on study times and places, which is
sometimes challenging.
■ All members may not participate equally, resulting in more work for
some.
■ Everyone does not study at the same pace, leaving some behind and
others frustrated with the slowness.
■ Conversation and other distracters may interfere with study.
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
Study Group Advice
■ Know the members and look at their performance in school or at work
to determine whether they are committed and motivated before
inviting them to join the group.
■ Select a site and time conducive to study—for example, not the home
of a friend who has active, small children.
■ Allow only full-time members—coming to only some sessions should
not be permitted because a part-time member requires time to catch
up. An exception would be if a person only wants to participate for
one or two subjects and the dates and times for those subjects are
pre-established.
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Strategy Advice, cont’d.
■ Organize an overall study plan with topics, assignments, and a leader for
each session. Do this at the first session. It is sometimes difficult but
worth the time. There are many options for putting together a plan. One
method is to plan an overall review of each topic or to concentrate on
specific topics that most members of the group find difficult. Anatomy
and Physiology is the most challenging area. The group may decide to
concentrate on this and study other topics individually.
■ Deal with disrupting or distracting members right away; sometimes humor
works, for example, “Okay, time out for you until you stop gossiping and
get down to work.”
■ Leave a study group if it is not working for you; simply say, “This is not
working for me.”
■ Remember, the study group is only one tool; use the learning moments,
flashcards, and other strategies previously mentioned. After you develop
your study plan as described in Chapter 3, you will probably need more
hours than the group provides, especially to cover difficult topics.
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins