CMA Practice Test — Pennsylvania 2026

Pennsylvania does not license medical assistants at the state level. The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine regulates physicians and licensed healthcare professionals, but medical assistants are not among the licensed professions. MAs in Pennsylvania perform clinical and administrative tasks under physician supervision without any state certification requirement. The AAMA CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) credential is voluntary in Pennsylvania — but the state's large healthcare sector, anchored by major Philadelphia and Pittsburgh health systems, means most large employers list CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) as a preferred or required qualification. Penn Medicine, UPMC, and Jefferson Health all treat certification as a baseline expectation for clinical MA candidates. Certified MAs in Pennsylvania earn $4,500–$6,000 more per year than uncertified MAs in comparable roles. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offer the highest certified MA salaries in the state, with notable differences between the two major metros and rural Pennsylvania.

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 Pennsylvania through the AAMA candidate portal at aama-ntl.org after eligibility is confirmed. Major Pearson VUE testing center locations in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia (multiple sites), Pittsburgh, Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Reading, Erie, State College. 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 $4,500–$6,000 per year over uncertified MA pay in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia offers the highest certified MA salaries in the state, followed by Pittsburgh. Both cities have major academic medical centers that set competitive compensation benchmarks. Salaries in Central and Western Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh are noticeably lower than the two major metros.

Pennsylvania has two major healthcare markets — Philadelphia in the southeast and Pittsburgh in the west — each anchored by world-class academic medical centers and large integrated health systems. Central Pennsylvania has a strong regional system in Geisinger. Top Pennsylvania employers where CMA is listed or accepted: • Penn Medicine — University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia; CMA preferred in physician practice and outpatient settings. • UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) — Pittsburgh-based system with hospitals statewide; CMA or CCMA required or preferred in most MA postings. • Jefferson Health — Philadelphia-based academic health system; CMA commonly listed in clinical MA roles. • Main Line Health — suburban Philadelphia system with multiple hospitals; CMA listed as preferred. • Geisinger Health — large integrated system serving Central and Northeast Pennsylvania; CMA or CCMA accepted. • Tower Health — Reading-based system serving Southeastern Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia; CMA preferred.

No. Pennsylvania does not license medical assistants at the state level. There is no state board exam, no mandatory certification, and no state registration requirement for MAs. MAs work under the supervision of a licensed physician or other qualified provider. Most major Pennsylvania employers — including Penn Medicine, UPMC, and Jefferson Health — require or prefer CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) certification, but that reflects employer preference, not Pennsylvania state law.

No. The CMA exam is a national exam administered by AAMA through Pearson VUE testing centers. The same 200-question exam is used in all 50 states. Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania including multiple Philadelphia-area sites, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, and Erie.

The CMA requires completing a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program. Pennsylvania has accredited MA programs at community colleges and vocational schools throughout the state — 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. There is no work-experience path for first-time CMA candidates.

Both are strong markets, with slightly different employer landscapes. Philadelphia offers Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, Main Line Health, and Temple Health — all concentrated in a dense metro area with a high volume of certified MA postings. Pittsburgh offers UPMC, which is one of the largest and most respected health systems in the country with numerous hospitals and outpatient facilities — UPMC alone creates a very large demand for certified MAs. Philadelphia has slightly higher certified MA salaries, but both markets offer significantly better opportunities for certified MAs than rural Pennsylvania. If you are flexible on location, living cost, university hospital access, and personal preference should drive the choice between the two cities.