CMA Practice Test — Massachusetts 2026

Massachusetts does not license medical assistants at the state level. The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine regulates physicians, but medical assistants are not a licensed profession in Massachusetts. MAs work under physician supervision with no state certification requirement. The AAMA CMA credential is voluntary in Massachusetts — but Mass General Brigham (one of the most prestigious academic medical systems in the world, anchored by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital) and Beth Israel Lahey Health both list CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) as a preferred qualification. Massachusetts has some of the highest certified MA salaries in the country, driven by Boston's expensive housing market and the competitive healthcare labor market anchored by the city's concentration of world-class academic medical centers. Certified MAs in Massachusetts earn $6,500–$8,500 more per year than uncertified MAs in comparable roles.

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 Massachusetts through the AAMA candidate portal at aama-ntl.org after eligibility is confirmed. Major Pearson VUE testing center locations in Massachusetts: Boston (multiple sites), Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, Lowell, Brockton. Eligibility: graduate of a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program only. Must be 18+ with a high school diploma or equivalent. Photo ID required.

Massachusetts ranks among the top three states for certified MA compensation, reflecting Boston's extremely high cost of living and the premium that world-class academic medical centers pay to attract qualified staff. The Greater Boston metro commands the highest wages; Worcester, Springfield, and other secondary markets are lower but still well above the national median. The CMA credential adds $6,500–$8,500 per year over uncertified MA pay in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts has one of the most concentrated healthcare markets in the world — Boston has one of the highest concentrations of nationally top-ranked hospitals of any US city. Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Lahey Health are the two dominant health systems, with Boston Medical Center and Tufts Medicine rounding out the academic medical center cluster. Top Massachusetts employers where CMA is listed or accepted: • Mass General Brigham — the largest health system in New England, anchored by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital; CMA (AAMA) listed as a preferred credential across the physician network and outpatient departments. • Beth Israel Lahey Health — second-largest health system in Massachusetts; CMA and CCMA accepted interchangeably in MA postings. • Boston Medical Center — major safety-net academic medical center in Boston; CMA preferred in outpatient clinical MA roles. • Tufts Medicine — academic health system affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine; CMA listed as preferred in most MA postings. • UMass Memorial Health — academic health system in Worcester serving Central Massachusetts; CMA and CCMA accepted. • Southcoast Health — regional health system in the South Coast / New Bedford area; CMA preferred in physician practice MA roles.

No. Massachusetts does not license medical assistants. There is no state board exam, no mandatory certification, and no registration requirement for MAs. You work under the supervision of a licensed physician. Most major Massachusetts employers — including Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Lahey Health — prefer or require CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) certification, but that is an employer standard, not Massachusetts state law.

No. The CMA exam is a national exam administered by AAMA through Pearson VUE. The same 200-question exam is used in all 50 states. Massachusetts has no state-specific MA exam or content. You schedule through aama-ntl.org. Pearson VUE has testing centers in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and Brockton.

Three factors combine to push Massachusetts certified MA salaries well above the national average. First, Boston's cost of living is among the highest in the US — employers must pay more to attract workers. Second, the concentration of world-class academic medical centers (Mass General, Brigham and Women's, Beth Israel, Boston Medical Center, Tufts) creates intense competition for qualified clinical staff, including certified MAs. Third, Massachusetts has a strong healthcare union presence and historically higher baseline wages across all healthcare roles. The result is certified MA salaries that rival California's Bay Area — without California's geographic concentration in a single metro.