Below you can find a comparison table of four major certification agencies. There are more of them and new organizations are coming up all the time but we zeroed in on the most renowned ones to help you get going.
| AAMA | AMT | NHA | NCCT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link | www.aama-ntl.org | americanmedtech.org | www.nhanow.com | www.ncctinc.com |
| Founded | 1956 | 1939 | 1989 | 1989 |
| Currently Certified | around 70,000 | around 60,000 | around 190,000 | around 70,000 |
| Credential | CMA | RMA/CMAS | CCMA/CMAA | NCMA |
| Issuer of other credentials | ||||
| Nationwide Recognition | ||||
| Eligibility criteria | ||||
| Accredited training program | ||||
| No training, only work experience | 3 years | 1 year | 2 years | |
| If guilty of felony [1] | n/a | |||
| Examination | ||||
| Exam lifetime attempts [2] | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| Application fee (non-members) | $125 | $150 | $165 (CCMA) / $129 (CMAA) | $119 |
| Computer based | ||||
| Online examination | ||||
| Multiple Choice | 4 option items | 4 option items | 4 option items | 4 option items |
| Test Duration | 160 min | 120 min | 180 min | 180 min |
| Number of Questions | 200 | 200 | 150 | 150 |
| Avg. Pass Rate | 76% | 72% | 77% | 53% |
| Maintain Certification | ||||
| Recertification Cycle | every 5 years | every 3 years | every 2 years | every year |
| By examination [3] | ||||
| By continuing education (CE) | ||||
| Recertification exam fee (non-members) | $125 | $280 | ||
| Recertification by CE fee (non-members) | $65 | $280 | $185 | $89 |
- Generally, individuals who have been found guilty of a felony or pleaded guilty to a felony are not eligible for certification exam. However, the certification agency may grant a waiver based upon mitigating circumstances.
- If not passed within the allowed amount of attempts the examinee is no more eligible for the credential.
- Certification holders have the option to keep their certification current by retaking the exam.