When making an application for medical assistant certification from the AAMA you want to read the Applicant Application and Manual for the CMA (AAMA) Ratification/Recertification Examination from the AAMA website: http://www.aama-ntl.org/becomeCMA/how.aspx. This can supply you with the necessary information including classes in which to apply, documentation needed, the payment of fees, exam format, study recommendations, examination date scheduling, test centres and conditions, pass/fail notification and medical assistant certification. This also includes the form which you need to mail with the mandatory fee and documentation and keep a photocopy for your records. This should be sent in one envelope to:

AAMA Certification

7999 Eagle Way

Chicago, IL 60678-1079.

After your request has been approved and processed (which ought to be within 30 days of the date that you mailed your claim) you will receive a scheduling permit with directions for making an appointment at a Prometric test center in your area. You need to guarantee all of the information on the permit is correct. If it has changed or is inaccurate you want to contact AAMA instantly at 1-312-899-1500.

Give yourself enough time to study for the medical assistant certification exam. You can review the content outline for the examination and take a medical assistant certification practice test supplied by the AAMA. Examinations for a medical assistant certificate vary depending on the certifying body selected but will generally cover the subjects of patient care, ethics and relations, physiology and anatomy, medical law and terminology, clinical and diagnosing procedures, laboratory techniques, first aid including CPR and AED training, as well as executive topics such as record keeping, keyboarding and computer applications, accounting and insurance filing. The medical assistant certification exam is composed of 200 multiple-choice questions on the PC and can be completed in four 40 minute sections with a maximum of 20 minutes break between.

When sitting the exam you want to report 30 minutes before the prepared testing time and bring your scheduling permit along with a current kind of government-issued identification like a driver’s license or passport. Candidates will be informed immediately if they have passed or failed and official reports will be mailed ten weeks after the examination. Successful candidates will receive an official medical assistant certification and card to prove they have achieve the Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) certificate, 9 weeks after receiving their official score report.

You need to recertify your medical assistant certification each 5 years, either thru examination or by acquiring points thru education, to ensure you are in the best position to offer quality experience to patients and employers and advance your own professional development.

Jill Anderson works in conjuction with diverse medical assistant schools helping in their net courses. Read about her medical assistant training tips at her website.