Your Guide to Studying for the Medical Assistant Certification Test

You’ve come this far and there’s only one thing left to do before becoming a medical assistant, and that’s passing the CMA exam. While the idea of taking such a big, important exam leaves many people feeling scared and anxious, the more prepared you are for the exam, the less intimidating the testing process will be.

Use the AAMA Study Guide

If you’re unsure of where or how to get started studying for your CMA exam, some of the best study guides can be found on the American Association of Medical Assistants website. This guide contains a detailed description of the exam content as well as all of the important information you need to know to prepare for it. 

In addition to the AAMA website, there are also plenty of other websites that can be found online that offer practice tests for the CMA exam. While the practice test likely won’t give you the actual questions and answers from the official test, they will help get you acclimated to the type of questions that will be on the test and give you a better idea of what to expect. 

Review and Research 

Make sure to use your notes and class materials to help refresh your knowledge. If you attended a quality accredited training program, then you already know the material that will be on the exam, you just need to study and review it so it will be fresh in your mind. 

Identify Your Weak Areas 

As you look over the list of topics that will be found in the exam, put a check mark next to or highlight any subject or topic you don’t feel overly confident about. You’ll still want to review everything on the list but identifying your weak areas will give you a chance to spend some additional time studying up on those topics that need some extra review.  

Schedule Study Time 

Much like you did when you were studying for tests in your medical assisting program, it’s crucial to schedule designated study time prior to the exam. Pace yourself by spreading out study time to allow for ample focus on all test subjects. The last thing you want to do is procrastinate until the last minute, and then try and cram in several days or weeks’ worth of studying into one or two days. 

Learn Multiple Choice Strategies 

When it comes to test taking, there is definitely a strategy involved in successfully passing a multiple-choice test. Understanding how the multiple-choice process works is another useful tool in helping you perform your best on the exam. 

Find a Quiet Place 

You can spend hours studying, but if you study in an uncomfortable place, or a noisy place with tons of distractions, it will be much harder to achieve success. Try and find a quiet study space that makes you feel happy and relaxed and is free of as many distractions as possible. 

Take Care of Yourself 

Getting plenty of rest and eating nutritious food may not give you the answers on test day but taking proper care of yourself before the big day will help you remain alert and focused while you’re taking the test. 

Relax! You Got This! 

You already made a smart decision in attending college to become a medical assistant, so relax and have confidence in yourself and your abilities. 

For more information on becoming a medical assistant, contact Athena Career Academy today.