The RMA exam covers general medical assisting (body systems, terminology, law, ethics and human relations), administrative work (insurance, coding, scheduling and records) and clinical skills (infection control, lab procedures, minor surgery, vital signs, exams, pharmacology, therapeutic modalities and first aid).
Exam format at a glance
| Format | 210 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, computer-based. |
| Cost | AMT lists the exam fee on its website — check AMT for current pricing. |
| Scoring | Scaled score from 0 to 100; 70 is passing. AMT notes this scale is not a percentage of questions correct, so practice scores here are an estimate. |
| Validity | Maintained through AMT's Certification Continuation Program every three years. |
Who this exam is for
- Graduates of medical assisting programs
- Experienced medical assistants qualifying through work experience
- Military-trained medical personnel seeking civilian certification
How to actually study for it
- Clinical medical assisting is 55% of the exam — know infection control, CLIA-waived tests, vital signs and injections.
- Learn word parts and body systems; general medical assisting is almost a third of the test.
- Know syringe parts, injection angles and dosage calculations.
- Review insurance terms, coding systems and scheduling styles for the administrative section.
Where to go next
Start with the free 10-question diagnostic to see where you actually stand, or go straight to the one-page RMA (AMT) cheat sheet. The full RMA (AMT) practice exam covers every domain at the real exam's weighting, with every answer explained.