CMA Practice Test — Virginia 2026

Virginia does not license medical assistants at the state level. The Virginia Board of Medicine regulates physicians and certain licensed providers, but medical assistants are not a licensed profession in Virginia. MAs work under physician supervision with no state certification requirement. The AAMA CMA credential is voluntary in Virginia — but Inova Health System in Northern Virginia, Sentara Healthcare on the coast, and VCU Health in Richmond all list CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) as a preferred qualification. Northern Virginia (NoVA), anchored by Inova and bordered by Washington DC, consistently offers the highest MA wages in the state — often rivaling Maryland and DC pay due to proximity to the capital metro. Certified MAs in Virginia earn $5,000–$7,000 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 Virginia through the AAMA candidate portal at aama-ntl.org after eligibility is confirmed. Major Pearson VUE testing center locations in Virginia: Richmond, Virginia Beach, Arlington (NoVA), Roanoke, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Lynchburg. 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.

Virginia's certified MA salaries vary significantly by region. Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria) offers the highest pay in the state due to DC proximity and the Inova Health System's competitive benchmarking. Richmond and coastal Virginia Beach/Norfolk are mid-range; Southwest Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley are lower. The CMA credential adds $5,000–$7,000 per year over uncertified MA pay statewide.

Virginia's healthcare market is split between the Northern Virginia (NoVA) healthcare corridor anchored by Inova, the Richmond academic medical center market anchored by VCU Health, and Sentara Healthcare serving coastal Virginia and the Hampton Roads region. Top Virginia employers where CMA is listed or accepted: • Inova Health System — dominant health system in Northern Virginia with five hospitals; CMA (AAMA) preferred in most outpatient MA postings; highest MA wages in the state. • Sentara Healthcare — largest health system in Southeast Virginia; hospitals across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the Hampton Roads area; CMA and CCMA accepted interchangeably. • VCU Health — Richmond-based academic medical center affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University; CMA listed as preferred in outpatient specialist practices. • Carilion Clinic — integrated health system in Roanoke serving Southwest Virginia; CMA preferred in physician practice MA roles. • HCA Virginia Health — HCA's Virginia division with hospitals in Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Northern Virginia; CMA and CCMA both accepted. • Bon Secours Mercy Health (Virginia) — Catholic health system with major presence in Richmond and Hampton Roads; CMA accepted in most MA postings.

No. Virginia 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 Virginia employers — including Inova, Sentara, and VCU Health — prefer or require CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) certification, but that is an employer standard, not Virginia 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. Virginia has no state-specific MA exam or content. You schedule through aama-ntl.org. Pearson VUE has testing centers in Richmond, Arlington, Virginia Beach, Roanoke, and Charlottesville.

Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria, Loudoun, Prince William counties) is economically part of the Washington DC metro area — one of the highest-cost-of-living regions in the country. Healthcare wages in NoVA track DC and Maryland benchmarks rather than the Virginia statewide average. Inova Health System, the dominant employer in the region, sets competitive wages that anchor the entire NoVA healthcare labor market upward. Certified MAs in Arlington and Fairfax can earn $8,000–$12,000 more per year than certified MAs in Roanoke or Southwest Virginia doing equivalent work.