Study guide
CCMA study guide: the 12 areas of the NHA test plan
The NHA's 2022 test plan is the spine of this CCMA study guide: 150 scored questions across 12 areas, from general patient care at 28 items down to EKG at 6, with a page and a question set for every area.
- test-plan areas
- 12
- scored items
- 150
- items in the largest area
- 28
- concept pages
- 15
§01
How the test plan is built
Uneven weights. Start where the items are.
Everything on the exam traces back to one public document, the NHA CCMA test plan. The current version rests on a job analysis completed in 2022 and splits the 150 scored items into seven domains. Domain 3, Clinical Patient Care, holds 84 of them, 56%, and is divided into six subdomains. Count those six separately and you get the 12 areas this guide uses, in the test plan's order.
The other 30 of the 180 questions are pretest items. They're mixed in, unmarked and unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. After the exam, the score report rates each domain Above, Near or Below the passing standard. That's why the pages here follow the test plan: a weak band on your report points straight at one of them.
§02
Weights by area
Share of the 150 scored items. Click a bar to open the area.
§03
One page per area
What each area asks, where people slip, and its own question set.
- Study guide · categoryFoundational knowledgeTerminology, agencies, pharmacology basics, nutrition, psychology.
- Study guide · categoryAnatomy & physiologyBody systems, heart flow and directional terms at recall depth.
- Study guide · categoryIntake & vitalsRanges, BP technique and staging, temperature routes, orthostatics.
- Study guide · categoryGeneral patient carePositioning, injections, sterile technique, wound care, emergencies.
- Study guide · categoryInfection control & safetyChain of infection, precautions, PPE, sterilization, OSHA rules.
- Study guide · categoryPoint-of-care testing & labCLIA-waived tests, QC, specimen handling, glucose and A1c.
- Study guide · categoryPhlebotomyOrder of draw, tubes and additives, veins, complications.
- Study guide · categoryEKG & cardiovascular testingLead placement, standardization, artifacts, rhythms to report.
- Study guide · categoryCare coordination & educationTeach-back, health literacy, referrals, care transitions.
- Study guide · categoryAdministrative assistingScheduling, records, code sets, insurance and billing terms.
- Study guide · categoryCommunication & customer serviceTherapeutic techniques, blockers, interpreters, phone etiquette.
- Study guide · categoryMedical law & ethicsScope, consent, HIPAA, malpractice, reporting, charting.
§04
The rule that costs the most points, area by area
One line each. The linked concept pages take the mix-ups one at a time.
| Area | Scored items | Know this cold |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational knowledge | 15 | The FDA regulates drugs and vaccines; the CDC tracks disease and writes guidelines. Word parts carry points: brady- slow, tachy- fast, -ectomy removal, -otomy incision, -ostomy new opening. Dosage math is in here too. |
| Anatomy & physiology | 8 | Recall depth only. Blood runs right atrium → right ventricle → lungs → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta, and the aorta is the largest artery. |
| Intake & vitals | 14 | Normal oral temperature is the range 97.8–99.1°F; 98.6°F is only the average. A cuff that's too small reads falsely high, and 136/74 is already Stage 1. |
| General patient care | 28 | Intradermal 10–15°, subcutaneous 45°, intramuscular 90°. Sims' (left lateral) for rectal exams, lithotomy for pelvic exams. |
| Infection control & safety | 15 | Gloves go on last and come off first. C. diff needs soap and water, because alcohol gel does not kill spores. TB needs a fit-tested N95. |
| Point-of-care testing & lab | 9 | If quality control is out of range, patient results are not reported. Let a serum tube clot about 30 minutes before it goes in the centrifuge. |
| Phlebotomy | 12 | Venous order of draw: blood culture → light blue → red → gold → green → lavender → gray. Capillary order puts EDTA first among the additives. |
| EKG & cardiovascular testing | 6 | V1 at the 4th intercostal space, right sternal border; V4 at the 5th, left midclavicular. Regular fuzz is AC interference; irregular, jagged lines are muscle tremor. |
| Care coordination & education | 12 | Teach-back means the patient explains or shows it back in their own words. Check readiness to learn before teaching. |
| Administrative assisting | 12 | ICD-10-CM codes the diagnosis, CPT the procedure, HCPCS Level II the supplies and drugs. An EOB explains how a claim was paid; the bill comes separately. |
| Communication & customer service | 12 | Reflection names the feeling; restatement repeats the content. For a patient with limited English, use a qualified interpreter, never a family member. |
| Medical law & ethics | 7 | An MA doesn't diagnose or prescribe, and may witness a signature but does not obtain informed consent. |
§05
Concepts people mix up
Fifteen short pages, each on one confusion, each with its own questions.
§06
How to use this guide
One loop: test, read, test again.
Get a baseline
Take the practice test without notes. It follows the plan's proportions, so the areas you miss there are the ones to open first.
Read the area page
Each of the 12 pages covers what the area asks and where people slip, then gives you its own questions with every option explained.
Fix the mix-ups
Where two things keep swapping places, such as venous and capillary order of draw, Elevated and Stage 1 blood pressure, or ICD-10-CM and CPT, the concept pages handle one confusion at a time.
Time yourself
Sit the timed mock exam in your last week of study, at least 3–4 days before the exam, at the real pace of one minute per question.
Spread it over weeks
The study plan lays the 12 areas over 4, 8 or 12 weeks, the heaviest areas first.
§07
Exam facts
Every number about the exam, one page each, with its source.
- Exam factNumber of questions180 questions: 150 scored, 30 pretest.
- Exam factExam length3 hours for 180 questions.
- Exam factPassing score390 on a 200–500 scaled score.
- Exam factGetting resultsRight away at a school site; within 48 hours at PSI or online.
- Exam factRetake policy30-day wait, 3 attempts, then one year.
- Exam factExam costOne fee per attempt; prep is optional.
- Exam factTaking it onlineLive remote proctoring, PSI centers or a school site.
- Exam factIs it hard?What the format, the breadth and the cut score tell you.
§08
Getting certified
Eligibility, renewal and how the credential compares.
- Certification pathBecoming a CCMAEligibility, prep, registration, exam, certificate.
- Certification pathEligibilityTraining pathway, experience pathway, provisional route.
- Certification pathRenewalEvery 2 years: 10 CE credits, a fee, a grace month.
- Certification pathLicense or certification?A national certification, not a state license.
- Certification pathSalary dataBLS median pay and outlook for medical assistants.
- Compare certificationsCCMA vs CMANHA vs AAMA: eligibility, exam, fees, renewal.
- Compare certificationsCCMA vs RMANHA vs AMT: exam, scoring, fees, renewal cycle.
- Compare certificationsCCMA vs CMAASame board, different scope: clinical vs front office.
§09
Comparing prep options
What else is out there, compared on checkable facts.
§10
Questions about this guide
Is there a CCMA study guide PDF?
There's no download. Every page here is plain HTML, so your browser can print it or save it as a PDF. NHA sells its own CCMA study guide, from $74 for the online version as of 5 October 2026; prep options compared lists it next to other products.
Is this the NHA study guide?
No. This guide is independent and free. It follows the published NHA test plan, but NHA has not reviewed it. NHA itself notes that buying its prep materials isn't required to sit the exam.
Which area should I study first?
The one where your practice-test misses cluster. With no data yet, start with general patient care (28 items), then foundational knowledge and infection control (15 each).
How long should I study for the CCMA?
It depends on where you start, which is why the study plan comes in 4-, 8- and 12-week versions. Take the practice test first; your misses by area tell you which version fits.
How many questions are on the exam?
180 in 3 hours: 150 scored and 30 unscored pretest items. Number of questions has the domain split.
§11
The short version
§12
Sources
Read on 5 October 2026.
- NHA CCMA Test Plan (2022 job analysis) — domains, subdomains and item counts https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/nha_ccma_test_plan_2022.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA Candidate Handbook (updated 06/01/2026) — pretest items, score report bands https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/candidate_handbook.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA store, CCMA study guide — price from $74 https://store.nhanow.com/certified-medical-assisstant-ccma-study-guide.html · as of 2026-10-05