If you have seen a job posting ask for a "CMA," this is usually what it means: the CMA (AAMA), one specific national credential, not a generic label for any certified medical assistant. Getting the terms straight matters, because a school certificate, a state license, and the CMA (AAMA) credential are three different things, and confusing them is how people waste money. This page is about the CMA (AAMA) specifically; our certification guide compares it with the other credentials.
CMA certification at a glance
- Credential
- CMA (AAMA)
Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA), a national medical assistant certification.
- Issuer
- The AAMA Certifying Board
The Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
- Best for
- Graduates of a qualifying program
Students or graduates whose training route matches current AAMA eligibility rules.
- Not a license
- A credential, not a state license
CMA certification is a professional credential, not a license to practice.
- Scope of practice
- Does not expand your scope
State law, employer policy, training, and supervision still control your duties.
- Main thing to verify
- Your program meets AAMA eligibility
Confirm your program and graduation status meet current AAMA exam eligibility rules before you pay.
What is CMA certification?
CMA (AAMA) stands for Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA). It is one credential among several medical assistant certifications, and it is earned by meeting AAMA's eligibility rules and passing the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, which covers general, clinical, and administrative medical assisting knowledge. Two distinctions are worth locking in:
- It is not the same as a school's certificate of completion. A certificate proves you finished a program; the CMA (AAMA) is a separate national credential you earn by passing the exam.
- It is not a state license. It is a professional certification, and holding it does not by itself authorize you to do anything the law otherwise restricts.
Who is eligible for the CMA (AAMA) exam?
AAMA defines several candidate categories, and the details matter, so treat the list below as the shape and confirm the specifics on AAMA's eligibility page:
- Completing students and recent graduates of a medical assisting program accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES. This is the standard route most people use.
- Non-recent graduates of such a program.
- People who already hold the CMA (AAMA) and are recertifying by exam.
- Medical assisting educators who meet AAMA's teaching-experience criteria.
- An alternative pathway for graduates of certain other postsecondary or apprenticeship programs that meet AAMA's separate requirements.
The practical takeaways: most people qualify through a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program, the exact windows, documentation requirements, and pathway details are set by AAMA and can change, and you should confirm your own eligibility on the AAMA eligibility page before you rely on it or pay for a program.
Does your program need to be accredited?
For the standard route, yes. AAMA's main student and recent-graduate eligibility runs through graduating from a medical assisting program accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES, the two important programmatic accreditors in medical assisting. A few things to keep in mind:
- A school's own marketing language is not proof of accreditation. Verify it in the accreditor's own directory.
- Online or hybrid delivery does not automatically mean a program qualifies. Confirm the accreditation and the eligibility route before paying.
Our accredited programs guide explains how to check accreditation, online medical assistant programs covers the distance-learning angle, and training programs compares the routes.
Is CMA certification required?
Usually not as a blanket national legal rule. The CMA (AAMA) is a credential, not a license, so it is not universally required to work as a medical assistant. What is true is that many employers prefer or require it, and some markets lean on it heavily, so in practice it can decide which jobs are open to you. Whether you need it comes down to your state's rules and your local employers rather than a single national requirement. For the framework on what actually governs your duties, see our scope of practice guide.
CMA vs. RMA vs. CCMA
The CMA (AAMA) is one of several recognized medical assistant credentials, each from a different body with its own eligibility rules:
| Credential | Issuing body | Eligibility note |
|---|---|---|
| CMA (AAMA) | American Association of Medical Assistants | Standard route is a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program |
| RMA (AMT) | American Medical Technologists | AMT publishes its own eligibility routes |
| CCMA (NHA) | National Healthcareer Association | NHA publishes its own eligibility routes |
The right credential depends on your eligibility, your training route, and what your local employers ask for. Our certification guide compares all of them, CMA vs. RMA goes deeper on that specific pairing, and the RMA certification guide covers the RMA (AMT) in depth.
How to prepare for the CMA (AAMA) exam
A practical sequence, without the guesswork:
- Choose a program that meets a current AAMA eligibility route, and confirm its accreditation before enrolling.
- Complete the coursework and any practicum or externship your route requires.
- Review the current AAMA exam content outline so you know what the exam covers.
- Confirm the application steps and deadlines directly with AAMA.
- Keep your documents and transcripts organized, since eligibility often depends on graduation records.
- Do not buy generic exam prep before you know which credential you are targeting, since the exams differ.
How CMA (AAMA) recertification works
Earning the credential is not the end of it. A CMA (AAMA) is current for 60 months, measured from the end of the calendar month of your initial certification or most recent recertification. You recertify within that window in one of two ways:
- By continuing education, by earning the required recertification points, or
- By exam, by retaking the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.
AAMA sets the point and category requirements, and it notes that if a credential has been expired for more than three months, you can no longer recertify by continuing education and must sit the exam. Confirm the current rules on AAMA's recertification page, and see our continuing education guide for how maintenance works in general.
What to verify before choosing a program
If your goal is the CMA (AAMA), check these before you pay:
- Does the program meet a current AAMA eligibility route?
- Is it CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited, confirmed in the accreditor's own directory?
- Does it include the practicum or externship your route requires?
- What credential does the school itself award, and is a school certificate being described as if it were CMA certification?
- Are the exam fees included, and what is the total cost in writing?
- Do local employers ask for the CMA, RMA, CCMA, or another credential?
- What happens if you turn out not to be eligible for the exam?
Red flags
Be cautious of any program or posting that shows these signs:
- "CMA certified" used to mean only a school certificate of completion.
- No clear, verifiable accreditation.
- Vague eligibility claims you cannot confirm with AAMA.
- Guarantees of certification or of a job.
- Pressure to enroll or pay immediately.
- No total cost in writing.
- A program that cannot tell you exactly which exam you would qualify for.
What to read next
- Medical assistant certification, all the credentials compared
- RMA certification, the RMA (AMT) in depth
- CCMA certification, the CCMA (NHA) in depth
- CMA vs. RMA, the two credentials side by side
- Accredited programs, how to verify accreditation
- Continuing education, how recertification maintenance works
- Medical assistant jobs, what employers ask for