Exam fact
CCMA retake policy: how soon can you test again?
After a failed CCMA attempt you can retest in 30 days. You get three attempts, each at least 30 days apart; after a third unsuccessful one, you wait a year before each further try.
- wait after a fail
- 30 days
- attempts, then a 1-year wait
- 3
- for every attempt
- Full fee
How soon can you retake the CCMA exam?
30 days after a failed attempt
The NHA Candidate Handbook, Retaking the Exam
: three attempts at least 30 days apart; after the third, a one-year wait before each further attempt. Every retake is a fresh application at the full exam price.
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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First, the honest part
Thirty days is enough to fix one or two domains.
Missing the cut on a first try happens to plenty of people who go on to certify, and the rules are built around it. Thirty days is short enough to keep what you studied and long enough to rework one or two weak domains. How you use that month decides the next attempt, so the rest of this page is about the month.
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How the attempts are spaced
Three tries inside about two months, if you need them.
Attempt 1
First sitting
Below 390 on the scaled score means a retake.
+ 30 days
Attempt 2
New application, new payment, new appointment.
+ 30 days
Attempt 3
Same rules again.
+ 1 year
Attempt 4 and after
After a third unsuccessful attempt, each further attempt needs a one-year wait.
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Using the 30 days
Start from the score report. It already tells you where to look.
Open your score report
Each of the seven test-plan domains is marked Above, Near or Below the passing standard. Write down every Below and Near.
Weigh them by item count
A Below in Clinical Patient Care (84 scored items) costs far more than one in Medical Law and Ethics (7). The item split shows every count.
Narrow a big domain down
The report gives Clinical Patient Care one band, but our study guide follows its six test-plan subdomains, from intake and vitals to EKG. Run practice sets in all six and you'll see which ones pulled the band down.
Follow a short plan
The four-week version of the study plan fits a 30-day gap. Read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right.
Rehearse at full length
One timed mock exam in the final week, then re-register.
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Before you re-register
How many times can you take the CCMA exam?
Three attempts at least 30 days apart, then a one-year wait before each further attempt.
Do I pay again for a retake?
Yes. You re-register and pay the full exam fee each time: $169 as of October 2026.
Can I retake sooner than 30 days?
The handbook sets 30 days after a failed attempt as the waiting period.
Will a failed attempt show up publicly?
NHA's public Verification Tool doesn't show failed attempts or scores.
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Sources
- NHA Candidate Handbook, updated 06/01/2026 — Retaking the Exam; Score Reports https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/candidate_handbook.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA store, CCMA exam application — $169 per attempt https://store.nhanow.com/medical-assistant-ccma-exam-application.html · as of 2026-10-05
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