CMA Practice Test — Illinois 2026

Illinois does not license medical assistants at the state level. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation licenses dozens of healthcare professions, but medical assistants are not among them. MAs in Illinois perform clinical and administrative tasks under physician supervision without any state certification requirement. The AAMA CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) credential is voluntary in Illinois — but the state's healthcare market, anchored by Chicago's major academic medical centers and integrated health systems, means most large employers list CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) as a preferred or required qualification. Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health, and Rush University Medical Center all use certification as a standard credential filter. Certified MAs in Illinois earn $5,000–$7,000 more per year than uncertified MAs in comparable roles. Chicago salaries are the highest in the state, driven by the concentration of large, well-funded academic medical centers and the city's cost of living.

CertPrepAcademy offers a free CMA practice test in AAMA style — 35 questions for a quick warm-up or 70 questions for a full simulation — with detailed explanations for every answer. No account required. Start immediately — your progress is saved automatically. For targeted prep, use the topic quizzes to drill individual domains: Clinical Patient Care, Pharmacology, Administrative, Anatomy & Physiology, and more.

The CMA exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of AAMA. Schedule at any Pearson VUE testing center in Illinois through the AAMA candidate portal at aama-ntl.org after eligibility is confirmed. Major Pearson VUE testing center locations in Illinois: Chicago (multiple sites), Schaumburg, Aurora, Naperville, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign. Eligibility: • Graduate of a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program (there is no work-experience path for first-time CMA candidates). Must be 18+ with a high school diploma or equivalent. Photo ID required. Score reports are released through the AAMA portal typically within a few business days after testing.

The CMA credential adds $5,000–$7,000 per year over uncertified MA pay in Illinois. Chicago and its suburbs offer the highest certified MA salaries in the state, with Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health, and Rush setting the competitive benchmarks. Salaries in downstate Illinois cities like Peoria and Springfield are lower but still reflect the certification premium.

Illinois's healthcare market is dominated by Chicago, which is home to some of the country's most prominent academic medical centers and integrated health systems. Downstate Illinois has regional health systems serving a more dispersed population. Top Illinois employers where CMA is listed or accepted: • Northwestern Medicine — Chicago-based academic medical system affiliated with Northwestern University; CMA preferred in physician practice and outpatient settings. • Advocate Health — one of the Midwest's largest health systems with hospitals throughout Chicagoland; CMA or CCMA required or preferred in MA postings. • Rush University Medical Center — Chicago academic medical center; CMA commonly listed in clinical MA roles. • University of Chicago Medicine — Hyde Park-based academic medical center; CMA preferred. • OSF HealthCare — large downstate system based in Peoria with hospitals throughout Central and Southern Illinois; CMA or CCMA accepted. • Loyola Medicine — Maywood-based academic medical center in the Chicago suburbs; CMA listed as preferred.

No. Illinois does not license medical assistants at the state level. There is no state board exam, no mandatory certification, and no state registration requirement. MAs work under physician supervision. Most major Illinois employers — including Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health, and Rush University Medical Center — require or prefer CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) certification, but those are employer requirements, not a state law.

No. The CMA exam is a national exam administered by AAMA through Pearson VUE testing centers. The same 200-question exam (180 scored, 20 unscored pretest) is used in all 50 states. Illinois has no separate state MA exam or state-specific content. You schedule through the AAMA candidate portal at aama-ntl.org after receiving eligibility confirmation. Pearson VUE has testing centers across Illinois including multiple Chicago-area sites, Schaumburg, Aurora, Naperville, Peoria, and Springfield.

The CMA requires completing a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program. Illinois has accredited MA programs at community colleges throughout the Chicago area and downstate. Most certificate programs run 9–12 months. After graduating, you apply through AAMA and schedule at a Pearson VUE center — most candidates sit within 30–60 days of application. Study time is typically 4–8 weeks. Total time from program start to credential: approximately 10–14 months.

Yes — Chicago is a highly competitive market for MA positions, which makes the CMA credential especially important for standing out. Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health, and Rush University Medical Center are among the largest and most prestigious employers in Illinois, and they use certification as a standard filter when reviewing MA applications. The good news is that Chicago also has the highest certified MA salaries in the state — the certification premium is worth more in dollar terms in Chicago than in downstate Illinois cities. If you are studying for the CMA in Illinois and planning to work in the Chicago area, prioritizing certification before job searching will significantly improve your application outcomes.