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AAMA CMA Practice Test

American Association of Medical Assistants: Certified Medical Assistant

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AAMA CMA Information

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Certification

The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification is a credential awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) to individuals who have demonstrated expertise in the medical assisting field. To earn this certification, candidates must complete a medical assisting program accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Following the completion of their education, candidates must pass the CMA Certification Exam, which assesses their knowledge and skills in various areas such as clinical and administrative procedures, medical laws and ethics, and patient care.

Obtaining the CMA certification offers numerous benefits to medical assistants. It serves as a mark of excellence and commitment to the profession, which can enhance job prospects and career advancement opportunities. Certified Medical Assistants are often preferred by employers because they have verified their competency through a rigorous certification process. Additionally, CMAs typically earn higher salaries compared to their non-certified counterparts and may have access to a broader range of job opportunities in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices.

The maintenance of the CMA certification requires ongoing education and professional development. Certified Medical Assistants must recertify every 60 months by either retaking the CMA Certification Exam or earning continuing education units (CEUs). This requirement ensures that CMAs remain current with the evolving practices and advancements in the medical field, thereby maintaining high standards of patient care and professional competency. By committing to lifelong learning, CMAs continue to uphold the integrity and reputation of their certification, contributing to the overall quality of healthcare services.

Free AAMA CMA Practice Test

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  • Questions: 15
  • Time: Unlimited
  • Included Topics:
    Clinical Competency
    General
    Administrative
Question 1 of 15

A patient with a managed care insurance plan arrives at a clinic for a follow-up appointment after receiving orthopedic surgery. Before seeing the physician, which of the following steps should the medical assistant take to ensure the visit is authorized under the patient's managed care policy?

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    Prepare an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) for the patient to sign, indicating potential charges

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    Request a referral from the patient's primary care physician

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    Confirm that the patient's managed care insurance has authorized the post-surgical follow-up appointment

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    Check the patient's account for outstanding balances from previous visits

Question 2 of 15

While performing a speech and word recognition test on a patient who has complained of difficulty understanding conversations in noisy environments, which of the following procedures is appropriate for ensuring an accurate assessment?

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    Whisper words from a standard list and ask the patient to repeat them back to you.

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    Present words at a level just above the patient's threshold for pure tones established during audiometry.

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    Use a normal conversational tone, regardless of the patient's comfortable loudness level.

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    Increase the volume significantly to ensure the patient can hear every word despite the reported difficulty.

Question 3 of 15

A 46-year-old patient presents to the clinic complaining of shortness of breath. The medical assistant performs a physical assessment. Which of the following findings would be considered a normal characteristic of healthy adult lung sounds?

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    Diminished breath sounds bilaterally

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    Vesicular breath sounds throughout the lung fields

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    Stridor heard over the anterior neck

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    Bronchial breath sounds at the lung bases

Question 4 of 15

A patient with a new prescription is at the medical office. The prescription is for a non-formulary medication that requires prior authorization. What is the most appropriate next step for the medical assistant to ensure the medication is covered and dispensed to the patient?

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    Schedule a follow-up appointment for the patient to discuss alternative treatments.

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    Initiate the prior authorization process with the insurance company for the prescribed medication.

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    Contact the healthcare provider to immediately change the prescription to a formulary medication.

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    Inform the patient that the medication is non-formulary and advise them to pay the full cost out-of-pocket.

Question 5 of 15

In a medical office, it is discovered that several patient accounts have not been paid within the required 90-day period. The office manager decides to review the accounts receivable aging report. What is the primary reason for analyzing this report?

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    To determine the amount of credit to extend to new patients

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    To reconcile daily patient appointments with revenue

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    To verify the correct insurance billing codes used for the past year

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    To identify outstanding patient balances that are overdue for payment

Question 6 of 15

A patient with a recent diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is attending a nutrition counseling session. Which type of nutrition advice concerning protein intake is most appropriate for this patient?

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    Encourage a high-protein diet to ensure adequate nutrition.

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    Protein intake does not have to be modified for this patient.

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    The patient should follow a low to moderate-protein diet, with an emphasis on plant-based sources.

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    Advise the patient to adopt a very low-protein diet without restrictions on the types of protein consumed.

Question 7 of 15

A 45-year-old male patient requires an intramuscular injection of a prescribed medication. You have selected the dorsogluteal site for the injection. Which of the following steps will help you identify the correct location for needle insertion?

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    Divide the buttock with a horizontal and a vertical line intersecting at the coccyx and inject into the quadrant nearest to the greater trochanter.

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    Locate the posterior superior iliac spine and divide the buttock into four equal quadrants, then inject into the lower inner quadrant.

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    Locate the posterior superior iliac spine and the greater trochanter, then inject into the upper outer quadrant above and lateral to an imaginary line between these two landmarks.

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    Palpate the sacrum and inject into the area halfway between the sacrum and the greater trochanter of the femur.

Question 8 of 15

Mrs. Johnson, a 68-year-old patient, presents to the clinic for a routine annual physical exam. She has coverage under a Medicare Advantage Plan. As a medical assistant responsible for billing, what is important to ensure before submitting the claim for the visit?

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    Verify Mrs. Johnson's eligibility and coverage for the annual physical exam under her specific Medicare Advantage Plan for the service date.

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    Automatically submit the claim as all Medicare recipients are entitled to one routine annual physical exam per year without cost-sharing.

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    Assume that the Medicare Advantage Plan follows the same rules as traditional Medicare and requires no verification.

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    Bill the patient directly for the annual physical, as Medicare Advantage Plans do not cover preventive services.

Question 9 of 15

A physician prescribes 250 mg of a medication and the label on the medication states '500 mg per tablet'. How many tablets should you administer to the patient?

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    1 tablet

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    1.5 tablets

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    2 tablets

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    0.5 tablet

Question 10 of 15

A patient presents with a laceration that was sutured three days ago. Upon inspection, you note slight redness and swelling around the wound, but no purulent discharge. What is the best course of action to take next?

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    Cleanse the wound with a mild antiseptic solution and apply a fresh, sterile dressing.

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    Advise the patient to clean the wound at home with hydrogen peroxide.

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    Inform the patient that redness and swelling are normal and to remove the sutures if it bothers them.

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    Apply an antibiotic ointment, assuming no allergy, without cleaning the wound.

Question 11 of 15

A patient with a history of atrial fibrillation comes into the clinic for a routine check-up. The provider requests an evaluation of the most reliable arterial site for assessing the rate and rhythm in this patient. Which pulse point would you select to evaluate the patient's cardiac rhythm most effectively?

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    Temporal pulse

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    Apical pulse

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    Radial pulse

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    Dorsalis pedis pulse

Question 12 of 15

A 68-year-old patient presents to the clinic with complaints of heart palpitations and light-headedness. Upon taking the patient's vital signs, you notice an irregular heart rate with occasional rapid rhythms. Based on these symptoms, which of the following actions should the medical assistant take first?

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    Notify the provider immediately

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    Schedule the patient for a follow-up appointment to discuss palpitations

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    Reassure the patient that heart palpitations are common and not typically urgent

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    Record an EKG and wait for the provider to review it before taking further action

Question 13 of 15

Which of the following scenarios requires a patient's authorization to release their medical information?

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    A nurse shares a patient's status update with other members of the healthcare team for treatment purposes.

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    A lawyer requests a patient's records for a lawsuit unrelated to the patient's care.

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    A physician discards outdated medical records in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

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    A billing department submits a patient's health claim to their insurance company for payment.

Question 14 of 15

When preparing to administer a patch test, which of the following considerations is essential for the medical assistant to relay to the patient to ensure the validity of the test outcomes?

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    The patient should not consume any antibiotics starting three days before the test, as they might affect the results.

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    The patient should avoid applying any creams or ointments on the test site 24-48 hours before the test.

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    The patient should apply sunscreen on the test site the day of the procedure to prevent sun-related reactions.

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    The patient should cover the test site with waterproof bandages 24 hours before the procedure.

Question 15 of 15

During patient registration, a medical assistant is not required to verify the patient's date of birth, as long as the patient provides a valid photo ID.

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    The statement is true.

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    The statement is false.