Exam fact
What is the CCMA passing score?
To pass the NHA CCMA you need a scaled score of 390 on a range of 200 to 500. It's a scaled score rather than a percentage, so it doesn't convert to a number of questions right.
- scaled score to pass
- 390
- score range
- 200–500
- bands per domain on the report
- 3
What score do you need to pass the NHA CCMA exam?
A scaled score of 390 (range 200–500)
The NHA Candidate Handbook, under How an NHA exam is scored
, sets the passing standard at 390 on a 200 to 500 scale. The same scale and the same 390 apply to every form of the exam.
Source: NHA Candidate Handbook, updated 06/01/2026 · https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/candidate_handbook.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
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Where 390 sits on the scale
The scale starts at 200. That's what breaks the quick math people try.
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Why the score is scaled
Different forms, one standard. Scaling keeps that fair.
NHA runs several versions of the exam at once. One form can end up a little harder than another, so a raw count of correct answers wouldn't mean the same thing on both. Scaling puts every form on the same 200 to 500 range, and 390 marks the same level of knowledge whichever form you get.
That's also why you won't find a percentage or a number of questions to aim for: NHA states the scaled score is not a percentage. Only the 150 scored items feed it; the 30 pretest items on the 180-question exam don't.
The practical reading: the score you need is fixed, and the way to reach it is to cover the areas with the most items first.
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How the cut score is set
Four terms from the handbook, in plain words.
- Cut score
The line between pass and fail. For this exam it's 390 on the scaled range.
- Modified Angoff method
Panels of subject-matter experts judge, item by item, how a minimally competent medical assistant would do. Their judgments set the cut score.
- Criterion-referenced
You're measured against that fixed standard. Other candidates' results play no part, and nobody is graded on a curve.
- Scaled score
Your raw result converted to the 200 to 500 range so that every exam form is reported on the same footing.
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What your score report shows
Read the domain bands first. They tell you where the points went.
| Item on the report | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Scaled score | Your result on the 200 to 500 range |
| Pass / fail | Whether you reached 390 |
| Domain performance | For each of the seven test-plan domains: Above, Near or Below the passing standard |
| N/A | Shown for a content area with 5 or fewer questions on your form |
Per the NHA Candidate Handbook. Timing of the report is on the results page.
A domain marked Below is your starting point, whether you passed or not. Six of the seven domains match one study guide area each. The seventh, Clinical Patient Care, carries 84 scored items and spans six areas, from intake and vitals to EKG; the report gives it one band, so use practice sets in those six to find which part pulled it down. Timing at a school site versus a PSI center is covered on the results page, and if you need a second attempt, the retake rules set a 30-day wait.
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Scale, range and the 390 line
What is the highest score on the NHA CCMA exam?
The scaled range tops out at 500.
What is the lowest possible score?
The range starts at 200.
Is 390 the same for every exam form?
Yes. Scaling exists so that 390 means the same standard on every form.
What percentage do I need to pass?
NHA does not express the passing score as a percentage. It's a scaled 390.
How many questions do I need right?
NHA doesn't publish a raw number, and it would differ between forms.
Do the pretest questions count toward the 390?
No. Only the 150 scored items feed your scaled score; the 30 pretest items don't affect it.
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Sources
- NHA Candidate Handbook, updated 06/01/2026 — How an NHA exam is scored; About Cut Scores; Score Reports https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/candidate_handbook.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA CCMA Test Plan (2022 job analysis) — 150 scored items; seven domains https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/nha_ccma_test_plan_2022.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
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