Exam prep · Free exam prep course
A complete course for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, built against the NHA test plan from the 2022 job analysis. It starts with the health care system, terminology, pharmacology and the body, then moves to law, ethics and communication before the clinical core: infection control, patient intake and vital signs, the exam room and sterile field, medications and injections, first aid, point-of-care testing, phlebotomy and EKG. It closes with care coordination, scheduling and records, insurance and billing, and the exam itself. Card counts follow the exam's domain weights, so Clinical Patient Care, 84 of the 150 scored items, gets the largest share.
| Questions | 150 scored items plus 30 pretest items |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hours, one continuous session |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 390 on a 200 to 500 scale, the same on every exam form |
| Domains (scored items) | Clinical patient care 84; foundational knowledge and basic science 15; care coordination and education 12; administrative assisting 12; communication and customer service 12; anatomy and physiology 8; medical law and ethics 7 |
| Eligibility | A high school diploma or equivalent, plus a medical assistant training program within the past 5 years or 1 year of supervised work experience in the last 3 years (or 2 in the last 5) |
| Retakes | Retake after 30 days; after a third unsuccessful attempt you wait 1 year |
| Renewal | Every two years with 10 continuing education credits; 2 hours of CE equals 1 credit |
Source: NHA CCMA Test Plan (2022 job analysis), NHA Candidate Handbook (updated 10/05/2026) and the NHA CCMA certification page (nhanow.com), read 2026-10-21.
Copied straight from the course. In the app, each wrong option also gets its own explanation.
Card 1The MA uses a BP cuff that is too small for the patient's arm. What happens to the reading?
It reads falsely high. Too small a cuff reads falsely high; too large a cuff reads falsely low.
Card 2The medical assistant leaves the room of a patient on Airborne Precautions. When should the N95 respirator come off?
After leaving the room and closing the door. A respirator is the one item removed after leaving the room and closing the door.
Card 3What is the needle angle for an intramuscular injection?
90 degrees. ID 10-15 degrees, SC 45 degrees, IM 90 degrees.
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Study a little each day to build a streak. A streak freeze forgives a missed day.
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Yes. Create a free Encodr account and all 20 units and 2,272 cards are yours to study, with spaced repetition scheduling your reviews.
The NHA test plan lists 150 scored items and 30 pretest items, with 3 hours of exam time. The pretest items are mixed in and do not count toward your score.
NHA reports scaled scores from 200 to 500, and the passing score is 390 or higher on every exam form. It is a scaled score, not a percentage. Check NHA's current candidate handbook before your exam date.
Clinical Patient Care: 84 of the 150 scored items, split across patient intake and vitals, general patient care, infection control and safety, point-of-care testing, phlebotomy and EKG. Units 8 to 16 of the course cover it.
The CCMA course has its own phlebotomy unit written to CCMA depth, since phlebotomy is 12 of the 150 scored items. If you are also sitting the NHA CPT, the separate phlebotomy course goes deeper.