CMAA Exam Content, Study Guide & Practice Exam - New Horizons ...

CMAA Exam Content, Study Guide & Practice Exam
Exam Content
The CMAA Exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions taken over the course of a possible 1 hour and 45
minutes. The information below should help you better understand what the objectives of the exam are.
Minimum competencies for the medical administrative assistant include:
Articulate the main roles and responsibilities of the Medical Office Assistant, including administrative, clinical and
general.
Identify different types of medical institutions and medical offices.
Understand personal/ professional, medical/ legal and bio-ethical standards, and the importance of safeguarding
confidentiality.
Define acceptable office behavior, including proper telephone etiquette and the importance of patient sensitivity
and confidentiality.
Define medical malpractice, abandonment, fraud and abuse to distinguish among the five drug schedules of
controlled substances.
List procedures for scheduling and referring patients, and handling walk-in emergency patients.
Identify and discuss at least three important interpersonal skills
Identify and become familiar with the various types of written correspondence in a medical office.
Create a block-style letter that conforms to all formatting requirements.
Understand what is required to create and submit a medical bill.
Define a Release of Medical Information, Explanation of Benefit, Assignment of Benefit, and Electronic Remittance
Advice.
Develop an understanding of the term HMO, and be able to interpret the information contained on the patient’s
insurance card.
Define terms and distinguish among: Express, Implied and Informed Consents.
Understand the financial terms and procedures involved in operating a medical office, practice, including:
Income, Expense, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Cash and Accrual Accounting, Write-off Adjustments.
Define safety and infection control standards and procedures in a medical office.
Demonstrate awareness of HIPAA Compliance, Confidentiality Laws, PHI.
Create a personal Resume and Cover Letter incorporating the new medical office skills and concepts developed
through this course.
Exam Scoring
The NHA Medical Administrative Assistant Certification Exam is designed to assess the competencies of the medical
administrative assistant and award the NHA Medical Administrative Assistant Certification Exam credential only to
those medical assistants competent in the knowledge and abilities to perform the duties of a medical assistant safely
and effectively.

CMAA Study Guide
The following study guide is meant to assist you in focusing on concepts tested in the certification exam. It is not
intended to replace instruction and/or experience necessary for successfully completing the exam. You will note that
some of the information is given to you –complete– and others are in question format that you must find the answers
to– so that you can test yourself and study the answers.
Appointment Scheduling
What documentation is made and what steps do you take when a patient FAILS TO SHOW for their appointment.
The abbreviation NP (when entering an appointment into the book) would mean?
What information would you request from someone making their first appointment with your office, in order to schedule them?
Know how to “mark out the book” with NON_PATIENT TIME (matrix)
Understand the process for scheduling a surgery and what information should be entered into the appointment book
Authorizations
Authorization for the insurance carrier to pay the physician directly is called? Assignment of Benefits
Know the form used that authorizes one physician to send information to another physician or facility. Release of Information
Bookkeeping
Understand how to calculate simple percentages; such as 80% of an amount or 20% of an amount.
A Fixed Amount collected at the time of the visit is called a Co-Payment.
When discounts are given to clergy or other professionals (such as physicians) it is called a “Professional Discount”
Deductibles are PAID by the PATIENT– not the insurance company.
What does “Bookkeeping in the Medical Office” generally consist of? Charges, payments and adjustments
Understand the difference between a charge, payment and adjustment, what columns they should be placed in, and whether
they are an “addition” or “subtraction” from the patient’s ledger.
What process would you use to show an amount not allowed by an HMO, and not the responsibility of the patient’s ledger? See
practice exam
Know the “Bookkeeping Rule”; this helps you correctly add, subtract (calculate) entries to a patient’s ledger. Old Balance,
Plus Charges, Minus Payments, Minus Adjustments, Equals New Balance
What is the definition of the Accounts Receivables? See practice Exam
CEUs & Associations
What are CEUs and why are they important?
Communication Skills
Know the difference between negative and positive, verbal and nonverbal behavior and expression.
Computer & Computer File Maintenance
Define a “hard copy” when referring to a document. See Practice Exam
How to make a copy of “stored information” on a computer for safekeeping. Back-up copy
Define the components of a Network. Several computers linked and sharing information
Confidentiality
Know how to handle questions from others about a patient’s condition; remember information goes to the patient only unless
there is a release of information signed. See Practice Exam.
What are a few of the methods you can use to avoid a breach of patient confidentiality in the front office? Charts turned
backward on doors; protection of sign-in sheets, computer screens protected from patient view
Correspondence
Correct way to write a doctor’s name on an inside address of a letter. First name, last name, comma M.D. (or MD)
The best format to use for typing reports or letters is the one your physician prefers.
Know ALL parts of a block style letter (correspondence); the format and the order in which information is presented. See
Practice Exam

Understand the “spacing” requirement for various parts of a letter (correspondence).
Documentation
Know the SOAP method of documentation. See Practice Exam
Know the difference between Subject complaints and Objective Findings in the SOAP documentation. See Practice Exam
All entries in a medical record, or notations on a ledger, must be initialed by the person making the entry.
Entries in the medical record should be made with black ink.
Filing
What are 3 most common filing methods? Alpha, Numeric, and Terminal Digit
Know your filing Indexing orders so that you can correctly file alphabetically. See Practice Exam
Know the format for TERMINAL DIGIT filing. See Practice Exam
Understand the need for “Cross– Referencing” information for those with hyphenated names or more than one “last name”
Understand NUMERICAL filing. See Practice Exam
Know what a “Tickler File” is.
Law/ Ethics
What is the meaning of arbitration (in medical environment). See Practice Exam
Know the Good Samaritan Law and what it is for.
What must a physician do to terminate care of a patient so that he is not charged with abandonment? See Practice Exam
Know the difference between Implied Consent and Informed Consent. See Practice Exam
Mail
What is the advantage of using Certified Mail? See Practice Exam.
Understand what BULK MAILING is and how it is sorted. See Practice Exam
What is the Progress Note Sheet and what are the duties of the Medical Assistant to be sure it is prepared for the doctor for
each visit? Room to write documentation, date stamped
The tab of a patient chart usually contains what information?
The Progress Not Sheet, in the patient’s chart, generally is kept on the TOP RIGHT side of the charge– with the most recent
information always on top.
Reception
Greeting the patient ( as the receptionist)
Receptionist should review all new patient information forms to be certain the patient has completed all necessary
information.
Protocol for notifying patients in waiting room that the doctor is running behind schedule. Notify aand allow them to wait or
reschedule for another time
What is the protocol for appearance as a medical assistant (in the front office setting)?
What information is contained in the Patient Information Sheet?
Which portion of the insurance card will you make a copy of for the patient’s file? See Practice Exam.
How can you verify a patient’s insurance coverage?
Reference Books
Which book contains all prescription medication approved by the FDA with correct spelling and a lot of other information
regarding the drug? See Practice Exam
Telephone
Know what type of information should and SHOULD NOT be given out to patients and other callers.
Know proper greetings when answering the phone in a medical office.
Understand methods for dealing with angry callers (on the phone), in the medical office
Understand the services provided by the Answering Service (or Exchange) in a medical office
Understand how to handle emergency calls
Know the content of information required for a complete telephone message

Understand the information needed and documentation needed when a prescription refill is completed by phone
Terminology/ Word Parts
Another word for throat is, See Practice Exam
Brady
Chief Complaint, See Practice Exam
MI means?
Neuro
-ologist
-oscopy means
-pathy
STAT means?
Sub
Suffix meaning inflammation
The part of the urinary system that filters blood is called the
How many chambers does the heart have? What are they?
How many layers does the skin have and what are they?
Another word for “skin” (as a system) is Integumentary
CXR is a common abbreviation for Chest X-ray
What is the common abbreviation for “cancer”?
What is the common abbreviation for “diagnosis”?
What does the combining form “hepato” mean?