The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam is administered by AMT to assess the knowledge and skills of those pursuing RMA certification.
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RMA Eligibility
To be eligible to take this exam, you must meet all of the requirements of one of the four following routes:
- Route 1: Graduate from an accredited medical assisting program OR a program within an accredited institution (with 720 hours of training, plus 160 hours of clinical externship).
- Route 2: Graduate from a US Armed Forces medical services training program.
- Route 3: Be employed as a medical assistant for at least 5 out of the last 7 years (clinical and administrative duties).
- Route 4: Have at least 5 years of teaching experience (clinical and administrative duties)
RMA Exam Outline
The RMA exam contains 210 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 2 hours.
The exam is split into three work areas:
I. General Medical Assisting (65 questions)
The questions in this area assess your knowledge of medical terminology and what disorders and diseases affect the various systems of the body.
Body Systems
- Structure and function of the systems of the human body
- Disorders and diseases
- Wellness and nutrition
Medical Terminology
- Word parts
- Definitions
- Spelling
- Abbreviations and symbols
- Terminology
Medical Law and Ethics
- Medical law
- Credentialing
- Terminology
- Medical Assistants’ Scope of Practice
- HIPAA regulations
- Medical ethics
- Ethical conduct
- Advance directives
Human Relations
- Patient relations
- Interpersonal relations
II. Administrative Medical Assisting (30 questions)
The questions in this area assess your knowledge of insurance, clerical duties, medical law and ethics, and human relations.
Insurance
- Terminology associated with various insurance types in the medical office
- Explanation of benefits (EOB)
- Coding systems
Clerical
- Administrative responsibilities
- Scheduling procedures
- Oral and written communication
- Maintenance of healthcare information
- Management of supplies and equipment
- Computer applications
- Office safety procedures
III. Clinical Medical Assisting (115 questions)
The questions in this area assess your knowledge of laboratory procedures, instruments, and terminology.
Infection Control
- Terminology
- Bloodborne pathogens
- Universal Precautions
- Medical and surgical aseptic techniques
- Sanitation, disinfection, and sterilization
Diagnostic Instruments
- Identification
- Instrument uses
Laboratory Procedures
- Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ’88)
- Waived testing
- Terminology
- Laboratory test and quality control program
- Appropriate laboratory testing procedures
- Specimen collection procedures
- OSHA standards
Minor Surgical Procedures
- Supplies
- Procedures
Vital Signs and Measurements
- Terminology
- Blood pressure procedures
- Procedures related to pulse, respiration, blood oxygen saturation, and temperature measurements
Physical Examinations
- Medical history
- Patient positions
- Methods of examination
- Specialty examinations
- Visual acuity
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Routine diagnostic tests
Clinical Pharmacology
- Terminology
- Procedures related to medication administration
- Prescriptions
- Drugs
- Calculating basic pharmacological doses
Therapeutic Modalities
- Modalities
- Alternative therapies
- Patient instruction
First Aid and Emergency Response
- First aid procedures
- Legal responsibilities
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Registration
To register for the RMA exam, you must fill out an application on the AMT website and pay the non-refundable $150 application fee. Once your application is approved, you will receive confirmation of your approval and instructions regarding how to schedule your exam appointment.
If you are taking the exam at your school, all of the scheduling information will be given to you by your instructor. If you are taking the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center, you will need to schedule an appointment with Pearson online or over the phone.
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Test Day
You should arrive 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled appointment time on the day of your exam. Once you arrive, you will be asked to provide your letter of authorization and two forms of valid identification. Once you are approved, you will be asked to sign a digital signature pad, and scan your palm veins for authentication purposes. You will then be asked to leave all personal items in a locker outside the testing room.
Before the exam begins, you may be asked to review and agree to the testing center’s exam rules and nondisclosure agreement.
Scoring
Your final RMA exam score is determined by taking your raw score (the number of RMA questions you answered correctly) and converting it to a scaled score, ranging from 0 to 100. The passing score on this scale is 70.
You will receive a preliminary score report as soon as you finish the exam, and your final score report will be available 1-2 weeks after testing.
Retaking the Exam
If you do not pass the test or you are not satisfied with your score, you may schedule to retake the exam. Keep in mind, you cannot retake the exam sooner than 45 days from your initial attempt at the exam.
If retaking the exam, you must submit the examination retake form and retesting fee.
For this exam, you are allowed up to four attempts.
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FAQs
Q
How many questions are on the RMA exam?
A
There are 210 multiple-choice questions on the exam.
Q
How long is the RMA exam?
A
The time limit for this exam is 2 hours.
Q
What is the passing score for the RMA exam?
A
To pass the exam, you must achieve a scaled score of at least 70.
Q
How much does the RMA exam cost?
A
The application fee is $150.
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