The NHA CCMA Exam, Explained (2026)
The Certified Clinical Medical Assistant credential is awarded by the National Healthcareer Association. Here is every number that matters, current to the test plan built on NHA's 2022 job analysis.
Exam facts
| Scored questions | 150 (plus 30 unscored pretest questions — 180 total on screen) |
| Time limit | 3 hours |
| Passing score | Scaled 390 out of 200-500 — roughly 78% correct, about 117 of 150 |
| Exam fee | $165 per attempt, paid to NHA every attempt |
| Retake rule | 30-day wait after a failed attempt; 3 attempts total, then a one-year wait |
| First-time pass rate | 81.4% (NHA published 2024 data — 78,681 exams administered) |
| Scoring method | Item response theory, equated across forms so difficulty differences are adjusted for |
| Prerequisite | A training program or one year of supervised work experience (this site is supplemental practice, not a training program) |
Official content outline — where the points are
Clinical Patient Care is 56% of the exam on its own. We split it into its six official sub-domains below so you can see — and drill — exactly where the weight sits, instead of treating half the exam as one bucket.
See where you stand before you pay
Take the free practice examCommon questions
How hard is the CCMA exam?
81.4% of candidates pass, which sounds easy until you look at the bar: you need about 78% correct, higher than most licensing exams. The people who fail usually underestimate Clinical Patient Care, which is 56% of the exam by itself.
What is a scaled score of 390?
NHA does not report a raw percentage. It converts your correct answers into a 200-500 scaled score using item response theory, which adjusts for how hard your particular form was. 390 is the cutline, and it corresponds to roughly 78% of the scored questions.
What happens if I fail the CCMA?
You wait 30 days, pay the $165 again, and retest. You get three attempts; after a third failure you must wait a full year before testing again. That makes the third attempt genuinely expensive to waste.
Which domain should I study first?
Clinical Patient Care, without question — 84 of the 150 scored items. Within it, General Patient Care alone is 28 items and Infection Control and Safety is 15. Those two are worth more than every non-clinical domain combined.