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By: Maddie Cohen
Updated: February 10, 2026
Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
Walk into any doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, and you’ll find medical administrative assistants juggling everything from appointment schedules, to insurance claims and patient records. These professionals keep healthcare facilities running smoothly while rarely getting the spotlight they deserve. If you’re considering this career path, the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) certification from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) may help you land a job.
What is the CMAA certification?
The CMAA certification is a nationally recognized credential that validates your ability to complete administrative tasks in medical offices, clinics and hospitals. The NHA, the largest allied health certification agency in the United States, awards this certification to candidates who pass the CMAA exam.
It’s important to note that this certification focuses on the administrative side of healthcare. This means you’ll work with scheduling systems, medical records and billing software instead of taking vital signs or drawing blood.
“Medical administrative assistants (also called medical office assistants or medical secretaries) are critical in keeping healthcare offices running smoothly, and also play an important role in the patient experience,” the NHA said.
About 84% of employers prefer or require medical administrative assistants to hold a certification according to the NHA. This preference makes the CMAA credential extremely valuable for jobseekers looking to work in healthcare.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for the CMAA exam, you need to meet the requirements of one of two pathways. The first option requires the completion of a medical administrative assistant training program approved by the NHA within the past five years. You’ll also need a high school diploma or equivalent.
The second pathway lets you qualify through work experience. You need one year of supervised work as a medical administrative assistant within the last three years, or two years of supervised work within the last five years. Here too, you’ll need a high school diploma or equivalent.
What does the CMAA exam cover?
The CMAA exam contains 110 scored multiple-choice questions, plus 25 pretest items that don’t count toward your score. Candidates have two hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. The questions fall into seven domains:
- General: Healthcare organizations, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology fundamentals
- Scheduling and monitoring: Appointment management, diagnostic test scheduling and procedure coordination
- The revenue cycle: Billing processes, insurance verification and payment collection
- Confidentiality, legal and compliance: HIPAA knowledge, medical record storage requirements and scope of practice
- Communication and customer service: Interpersonal skills, active listening and difficult patient interactions
- Operational functions: Supply management, equipment maintenance and office procedures
- Technology and equipment: Electronic health records, office software and medical devices
To pass, you need a scaled score of 390 out of 500. The pass rate for the CMAA exam was 62.68% in 2024, which makes it one of the three most challenging exams offered by the NHA.
Cost and registration process
In 2025, the CMAA exam costs $129. Some training programs include this fee in tuition expenses. After creating a free NHA account, you can submit your exam application through the online portal.
You also get to choose how to take the exam: at your school (if you attend an NHA-affiliated institution), at a nationwide PSI testing center or through live remote proctoring. Once you register and pay, you have six months to schedule your test. If you miss this deadline, you’ll need to register and pay again.
Within 48 hours of completing the exam, the NHA will post your results to your account. Your certification will then be valid for two years.
How to maintain your certification
Every two years, you need to complete 10 continuing education credits to maintain your CMAA certification. The NHA offers free continuing education courses to current certification holders through an online library.
The renewal fee is approximately $185 every two years for each NHA certification you hold, which works out to just $7.50 per month. If your certification expires, you have one year to reinstate it before you’ll need to retake the exam.
How the CMAA compares to other medical assisting certifications
There are several medical assistant certifications which can lead to some confusion about which credential best fits your career goals. The CMAA differs from other common certifications in focus and requirements.
The Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification, also from the NHA, emphasizes clinical skills like taking vital signs, drawing blood and preparing patients for exams. While the CMAA hones in on administrative tasks, the CCMA prepares you for hands-on patient care.
The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential from the American Association of Medical Assistants covers both clinical and administrative tasks. This certification has stricter requirements, since you have to graduate from a program accredited by specific organizations. The CMA is often considered the most comprehensive medical assistant certification around. In addition, CMAs must recertify every five years, compared to every two years for CMAAs.
The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification from American Medical Technologists also covers both administrative and clinical responsibilities. Like the CMA, it involves broader training than the CMAA. RMAs need to recertify every three years.
If you prefer administrative work over clinical duties and want to avoid exposure to bodily fluids, the CMAA may be ideal.
Salary and career outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical secretaries and administrative assistants have a median annual wage of $44,640. The lowest 10% earned less than $35,050, while the highest 10% earned more than $60,050.
Geographic location significantly impacts salary. Washington, California and Massachusetts, for example, have the highest median annual wages.
The BLS does not track salary differences between certified and non-certified medical administrative assistants specifically. However, certification holders are generally viewed more favorably by employers and may have access to higher-paying positions.
Employment for medical secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow 4.2% through 2034, according to the BLS. This growth mainly comes from an aging population that will require more healthcare services over time. With the expansion of the healthcare industry, there will be steady demand for administrative professionals—especially those who can manage a growing volume of patients.
Study materials and preparation
The NHA offers several resources to help candidates prepare for the CMAA exam. These include an interactive study guide with games, quizzes and flashcards, as well as practice tests that identify areas where you may need additional review.
The NHA offers a free downloadable study plan that maps key concepts appearing on the current exam. For more comprehensive preparation, you can purchase study packages that include multiple practice tests and detailed study materials. However, you do not need to buy these materials in order to sit for the exam.Many candidates prefer to study for at least a month or two before they take their CMAA exam. To boost your chances of success, try to create a realistic study schedule that takes your daily obligations into account.
Career opportunities with a CMAA certification
With a CMAA certification, you can work in a range of healthcare settings. Physician offices employ the most medical administrative assistants, with 256,440 positions as of May 2024, according to the BLS.
General medical and surgical hospitals employed 195,930 medical administrative assistants, and dental offices, outpatient care centers and offices of other health practitioners also hire certified medical administrative assistants.
No matter the setting, you will serve as an essential link between patients and healthcare providers. Many professionals find that this is part of what makes medical administrative assisting such a fulfilling career.
Closing thoughts
The CMAA certification can give your resume a real lift if you want to work on the administrative side of healthcare. The credential shows your competence to potential employers and may help you gain access to positions that require or prefer certification.
Training programs typically take several months to a year to complete, although some accelerated online programs offer faster timelines. This relatively short preparation period makes the CMAA ideal for career changers and candidates who would like to work in healthcare without the need for extensive clinical training. For anyone who wants to make a difference in healthcare without clinical duties, the CMAA is an appealing way to start.