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By: Paige Cerulli
Updated: February 10, 2026
National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
As a medical assistant, you have the opportunity to directly engage with and provide care for residents. You’ll have a diverse range of responsibilities, including administrative and clinical roles, as you support healthcare professionals through your daily work.
Earning a National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) certification may make you a more competitive candidate, potentially helping to advance your career. The certification can demonstrate your dedication to your career, your ability to meet the industry’s standards and your dedication to continuing education.
What is the National Certified Medical Assistant Certification?
The National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) is a voluntary credential created for medical assistants. The exam confirms your skills and training in clinical and administrative tasks required of the profession, and it demonstrates that you’re prepared for the wide range of challenges you might face on the job, such as completing insurance billing or explaining treatment procedures to patients.
The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) administers the NCMA certification exam.
NCMA eligibility requirements
The NCCT outlines five potential pathways toward eligibility to take the NCMA exam.
Current high school student, or those who have graduated from a medical assistant program in the last five years:
- Submit a copy of your medical assistant diploma
- Submit all required documents within two years of completing the program
Current students in a postsecondary medical assistant program at an NCCT-authorized school:
- Be a U.S. high school graduate or hold equivalent credentials like a GED
- Submit a copy of your medical assistant diploma, signed transcript or certificate of completion
- Submit all documentation within two years of program completion
Graduates of a postsecondary medical assistant program from an NCCT-authorized school within the past five years:
- Be a U.S. high school graduate or hold equivalent credentials like a GED
- Submit a copy of your medical assistant diploma, signed transcript or certificate of completion
Individuals with one year of full-time experience as a medical assistant within the past five years:
- Submit a copy of a U.S. high school diploma or equivalent
- Submit a Medical Assistant Certification Qualification by Experience form completed by your employer, verifying at least 2,080 hours of employment
Individuals who completed a medical assistant program during U.S. military service during the past five years:
- Be a U.S. high school graduate or hold equivalent credentials like a GED
- Submit a copy of a SMART transcript of DD214 from the past five years demonstrating completion of a formal medical services training program
NCMA exam registration process
Once you meet the NCMA exam eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam. First you must create an NCCT account online. Once you log in, you can submit your required materials which may include a high school diploma and transcripts, depending on your eligibility path. The exam costs $119 to take.
When you register for the exam, you can choose to take it virtually or to go to an in-person testing site. That site might include your current school.
NCCT processes applications within five business days. Once your application is approved, you will receive a confirmation email indicating your test date and location.
NCMA exam content
NCCT provides a test plan for the NCMA exam. “This detailed test plan reflects the results of a national job analysis study that determined the critical job competencies to be tested by NCCT in this certification examination,” the organization writes.
You will have three hours to complete the exam. It consists of 165 questions, including 150 scored questions. There are also 15 questions that are unscored which won’t impact your test results. Those unscored questions are questions that the NCCT is testing out to get more data, and you won’t know the difference between the scored and unscored questions.
The test questions encompass seven topic categories:
- Pharmacology and general medical knowledge
- Infection control and safety
- Patient intake and care
- Phlebotomy
- ECG
- Medical administrative duties
- Laws and ethics
The NCCT also provides an outline of the essential knowledge base needed for the exam. You should have a working understanding of concepts like anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, sterilization techniques, emergency preparedness, medical equipment, specimen collecting, minor procedure assistance and more.
You must earn a score of 70% or more to pass the NCMA exam.
How to prepare for the NCMA certification exam
NCCT practice exams can give you a sense of what it will be like to take the exam so you can better prepare. These exams are valuable preparation materials, and NCCT offers three different exam options:
The Practice Exam includes three practice exam attempts that simulate the experience of taking the NCMA exam. You have an opportunity to review the questions you answered incorrectly, and you can access the correct answers for the questions.
The Practice Exam PLUS includes one attempt. This test includes rationales to help you apply reasoning skills, so you can better understand why the correct choice is best. It can serve as a study aide as well as a practice test.
The Interactive Review System is an even more comprehensive exam. It includes two exam simulations, and you can attempt each exam once. Rationales help you apply reasoning skills, while case scenarios help you explore critical thinking and situational judgment. The system includes flash cards for abbreviations and terminology, as well as an interactive review focused on individual content categories so you can focus on preparing for specific areas of the test.
You can also find NCMA exam preparation materials beyond those offered by NCCT. Your school might offer study groups and resources to help students prepare, and if not, you can always start your own study group with your peers.
Third-party websites also offer practice tests and study guides that you might choose to use. Be sure to frequently refer to the NCMA detailed rest plan to confirm that you’re studying the areas and skills that are likely to be included on the test.
Benefits of NCMA certification
Obtaining NCMA certification offers many benefits, and it may help boost your career. “Becoming certified with NCCT shows employers (and the public) that you have met defined standards for career entry,” writes the NCCT. “Individuals who earn certifications are equipped to bring something more than just a resume or an application to the job search.”
The certification requires that you complete continuing education hours each year, and that requirement also works in your favor. “Since ongoing professional development is part of the recertification process, NCCT certificants who maintain active status will have documented completion of approved continuing education activities annually,” explains NCCT.
How to maintain your NCMA certification
An NCMA certification is good for five years, but to keep your certification active, you will need to pay an annual recertification fee and submit documentation of 12 continuing education hours annually. NCCT offers a complimentary online continuing education library that you can use to complete the requirement. Alternatively, you can submit outside sources of continuing education.
“Maintaining your certification through the completion of continuing education hours helps you stay current with developments in your field and provides learning opportunities that benefit you both professionally and personally,” explains NCCT.
The next steps to your NCMA certification
Earning your NCMA certification can be a valuable step on your journey to becoming a medical assistant. An NCMA certification helps prove that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in this career, and it may make you a more competitive candidate. Keep in mind that many medical certifications exist, so be sure to review all of the options before determining which certification is right for you and your goals.