Certification can be a valuable credential for medical assistants. Not only is it an indicator of your skills and knowledge, it can also help you stand out among other candidates and appear more marketable to future employers. You may be required to earn certification depending on your employer.
There are a few different bodies that offer medical assistant certifications, such as the National Center for Competency Testing and American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). For the purposes of this blog, however, we’ll focus on the RMA exam issued by the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
Passing the RMA won’t be easy. It will test your general knowledge, administrative knowledge and clinical knowledge of the medical assisting profession. Here are some helpful tidbits to know for when you’re preparing to earn your RMA certification from AMT.
Exam structure
AMT’s RMA exam consists of anywhere between 200 and 230 questions, all multiple choice. The questions on the exam are weighted depending on their difficulty. It is also in your best interest to eliminate options you know to be incorrect, as picking an answer that is the second-best will still help your score more than the worst answer.
For example, if the answer to a question is “femur” and you choose another leg bone, perhaps “tibia,” you are likely to be rewarded more than someone who answers “scapula.” The scoring system can be confusing, so you’ll want to read up on it prior to taking the exam. For this, AMT’s Candidate Handbook is a great resource.
Exam timing
The AMT’s RMA exam has a time limit of two hours. With at least 200 items on the exam, you’ll have to pace yourself to make sure you have enough time to answer them all. Taking practice exams is a good way to learn how to effectively budget your time over the course of the exam. Managing your time spent on questions will help you save more time for the harder ones while you breeze through those you know like the back of your hand.
Subject matter
AMT’s RMA exam is designed to test your general knowledge of medical assisting across many areas of the discipline. The exam covers four major subject areas: anatomy and physiology, administrative medical assisting, clinical medical assisting and clinical patient interaction.
The RMA exam is not divided into subjects, so you need to be prepared for a question from any of these categories at any time. You can find a more complete rundown of material that is on the exam in AMT’s RMA exam outline.
Study resources available
AMT offers an abundance of resources to help guide you in your studies for the RMA exam. These include a list of suggested readings and references, as well as online review courses that are available for a fee.. AMT’s website is full of other helpful study resources as well. These handy resources can help you make the most of your time spent preparing to ace the RMA exam and earn your RMA certification.
Practice exams
Speaking of resources, some of the most helpful ones available are online practice exams. These are also available through the AMT for a fee. Medical assistant practice tests give you a feel for what the real exam will be like and can help you figure out which subject areas you need to focus on most in your preparation. Depending on your medical assisting school, practice exams may be available for free or at a discounted rate.
Before you get ready to take the RMA, you need to learn the skills. There’s no better place in Chicagoland to do that than Coyne College.
Launch your medical assisting career at Coyne
Coyne College’s Medical Assistant program is your first step to becoming a medical assistant. Coyne’s medical assisting program will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge you need to succeed in a booming profession.
You’ll take courses in subjects like medical terminology, pharmacology and medical billing, taught by our experienced instructors. We’re so dedicated to your success that our curriculum includes a 6-week portion on electronic health records and a required externship.
You can complete our program in as soon as 54 weeks, meaning you can be ready for an entry-level role in a little over one year. We offer day options at our campus in the heart of the Chicago Loop.
Learn more about the medical assisting program at Coyne College in Chicago by calling us at 800-720-3990 or visiting coynecollege.edu today!
