2025 Edition

Medical Assistant Practice Test

Take this free practice test to see how prepared you are for a medical assistant certification exam.

The three most prevalent certifications for Medical Assistant are offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT).  In most cases, certification by any of these organizations will be accepted nationally. Subject matter for these exams falls into the following three subject areas: General Knowledge, Administrative Knowledge and Clinical Knowledge.

To prepare for the actual exam, we provide a 750 question Medical Assistant Practice Exam written by Melanie Shearer, MS., MT (ASCP), CMA (AAMA), who is an Instructor of Medical Assisting; Dr. David Valte, Professor of Medical Assisting, Bramson ORT College; and Christina Cline, CMA (AAMA).

 
 

Medical Terminology and Anatomy

1. Of the following structures, which would be located in the mediastinum?
2. The point at which an impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another is:
3. Which of the following terms is spelled incorrectly?
4. In a human, urine flows through the urinary system in which order?
5. Which bone is found superior to the patella and inferior to the ischium?
6. Which abdominal region lies just distal to the sternum?
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7. Blood flows from the heart's right ventricle into the:
8. Which of the following terms is spelled correctly?
9. Gas exchange in the lungs occurs in one-celled air sacs called:
10. If a patient has rhinorrhea as a symptom, this means which of the following?
11. What is adipose tissue in the body?
12. Which of the following would be indicated if a patient came in with arthralgia?
13. Which of the following would be considered a part of the large intestine?
14. Adipose tissue is made of:
15. The prefix brady (as in bradycardia) means:

Exam Room Techniques, Patient Preparation and Infection Control

16. Of the following, which would a certified medical assistant typically be able to perform when assisting the physician in the exam room?
17. When washing hands, the three most important factors include:
18. In a healthcare facility, which of the following agencies or organizations work to set the standards for the safety of the employees?
19. When a clinic writes a statement which sets the level of care that is to be provided, it would be considered which of the following?
20. In order for the healthcare facility to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), each patient is to be given which of the following?
21. Typically, in an out-patient situation, which of the following is the main reason for the visit shown in the admission record sheet?
22. Before making rounds, a medical assistant should be sure that they are carrying which of the following on their person?
23. When would Korotkoff sounds be evaluated?
24. For a medical assistant, which aspect of an exam room practice precedes the other listed techniques?
25. Which of the following is important for the medical assistant to do before and after contact with the patient?
26. If an infection is nosocomial, it means which of the following?
27. When pathogenic organisms are killed or destroyed, it is called which of the following terms?
28. If a patient is tested to determine the antibiotics that a pathogen is susceptible to, what type of test is being conducted?
29. A female patient comes into the clinic presenting with pain in the abdomen. The doctor notes that this could be dysmenorrhea. Which of the following best describes this diagnosis?
30. A patient comes into your clinic and is having difficulty breathing unless they are in an upright position. Which of the following is the proper medical term for this condition?
31. If a man comes into the clinic and the doctor observes that he has gynecomastia, it would point to which of the following?
32. Which of the following should a medical assistant do while the patient is explaining their symptoms?

Medical Records and Office Supplies

33. If a paper medical record needs to be corrected, which of the following would be an acceptable way to make the correction?
34. Making a note in one file that a paper is in another file is called ________________.
35. Which of the following abbreviations refer to intracranial pressure that might be seen documented in a patient's chart?
36. Computer ___________ is considered the computer's physical
equipment.
37. If a medical record is problem-oriented (POMR), this means that each medical condition is assigned which of the following?
38. Which of the following would describe a medical record that is categorized by date and time?
39. Which of the following would EMR refer to?
40. Word processing software may be used by a medical assistant to create which of the following?
41. A cystoscope is most commonly used by a specialist in:
42. Which of the following would be used to indicate someone has taken a file from the file cabinet?

Billing Coding and Insurance

43. Before referring a patient to another facility, a medical assistant should be sure to verify the patient's:
44. A client would not be billed in which of the following situations?
45. A _______ must typically be paid by the patient at each visit when services are rendered at a doctor's office.
46. When billing for ambulatory care, it would indicate which of the following?
47. If a patient has end-stage renal disease, which of the following acronyms would be used when coding?
48. A pregnant patient's medical chart states EHR 150 BPM. What does this indicate?

Psychology and Communication

49. Of the following, which would not be considered to be a part of effective communication?
50. Which of the following is the center of the brain that controls fear, aggression and anxiety?
51. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs includes which of the following?
52. If a patient acts extremely rude to a medical assistant because their insurance does not cover their visit to the clinic, it would be considered which of the following?
53. When a medical assistant is able to listen to a speaker's problem and understand the speaker's personal point of view, it is called:
54. When someone listens for particular things and blocks out what they do not want to hear:
55. Which cranial nerve is related to the sense of smell?

Law, Ethics and Professionalism

56. A medical procedure cannot be performed on a patient until the doctor obtains __________________.
57. A medical assistant is at a bar with her close friend and they get to talking about work. The medical assistant infoms her friend that the friend's teacher was in the doctor's office getting checked out for kindey stones. This would be considered which of the following?
58. Of the following, which would the HIPAA requirements apply to in a healthcare facility?
59. A 17 year old woman who is married arrives at the emergency department of a hospital with an injured arm. Who must consent to any treatment since this patient is a minor?
60. If a medical assistant touches a patient with the intention of harming them, it would be considered which of the following?
61. If a clinic charges a patient's insurance for treatments that were not done, it would be considered which of the following?
62. If a medical assistant is __________, it means that the medical assistant performs her duties in compliance with the standards of her job description.
63. When hiring a new employee which of the following forms is needed when they are choosing tax exemptions?

Bookkeeping and Collections

64. If a patient's bill has been unpaid for more than 90 days, which of the following would call the patient?
65. If a medical assistant managing patient payments learns that a patient's check has been returned due to insufficient funds, what step should the medical assistant take first?
66. What financial record in a clinic is typically the most active?

Scheduling and Office Management

67. Good team members ____________.
68. Once an employee is hired, within how many days does the employer have by Federal law to have the I-9 form completed and verified?
69. When checking the identity of a patient, most health care facilities require that the patient present __ forms of identification.
70. If an individual is going to be using a computer for long periods of time, they should do which of the following?
71. A patient is always late for their scheduled appointments. The office manager spoke to the patient about the issue, but it has not changed the patient's behavior. Which of the following is an appropriate next step?
72. What type of booking or scheduling is used if a medical assistant brings multiple patients into the office at the top an hour to see their health care professional and they are seen on a first come, first served basis?
73. Call screening in a medical office is important because it allows a medical assistant to do which of the following?
74. As a medical assistant, when a patient calls to cancel an appointment you should do which of the following?
75. Which of the following treats a patient that has diseases of the blood?

Office Laboratory Procedures

76. Calcium, potassium, and sodium are all classified as:
77. Which is the term for an abnormally low white blood cell count?
78. In the periodic table, K is the symbol for:
79. Which blood type would be considered the "Universal Donor?"
80. ___________ is a protein in plasma which forms blood clots and stops excessive bleeding during tissue or vascular injury.
81. A condition of insufficient blood-clotting cells is referred to as:
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Emergency Procedures and First Aid

82. Of the following, which would be considerd the first step in treating a patient with a chemical burn of the skin?
83. If a patient has severe burns over more than half of the body and the burning process has been stopped, which of the following should be the next step in their treatment?
84. If a patient is admitted with a cut that is still bleeding, which of the following should be done first?
85. If an elderly patient suddenly has an onset of confusion, with no previous disorders or symptoms, what would be the most likely explanation?
86. Which of the following symptoms would a patient exhibit that could be indicative of cerebral edema?
87. A paramedic informs the medical assistant that a patient has had a cardiac arrest. What does this mean?

Pharmacology

88. The pharmaceutical abbreviation "qid" means ____________________.
89. If medication has been orderd by a physician to be taken "pc", it should be given:  
90. The pharmaceutical abbreviation "bid" means _____________________.
91. If medication of a patient or resident is indicated as PRN, it is given:
92. All of the following are narcotic or narcotic-like analgesics, except:
93. Which of the following classifications of medications would be helpful in treating the patient that is complaining of heartburn?
94. If a patient is prescribed a diabetic agent such as Metformin, which of the following reactions should the patient expect to experience?
95. Of the following, which medication would typically be ordered to help a patient to get rid of excess fluid in their lungs?
96. A patient is diagnosed with a blood clot in their left lower leg and is hospitalized. Which of the following would more than likely be prescribed for the patient per intravenous solution?
97. Which of the following would be considered a muscle relaxant that might be ordered for a patient with back pain?

Pathophysiology and Nutrition

98. If the physician prescribes a low-fat diet for a patient, which of the following should they be able to eat?
99. Of the following, which would be considered the correct percentage of nutrient intake by the Dietetic Association for a person's protein intake every 24 hours?
100. Of the following, which describes the body's ability to maintain its normal state?