Allied Health

What to expect on an NHA certification exam

The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) certifies a range of allied-health roles, medical assistants, phlebotomy and EKG techs, pharmacy techs, and more, each with its own exam built the same general way.

Scored and unscored items, mixed together

Most NHA exams are multiple choice, delivered at a testing center or online with a proctor, and combine scored questions with a smaller number of unscored, experimental items that NHA is evaluating for future exams. You cannot tell which is which while testing, so there is no shortcut except preparing for the whole content outline.

Results are a scaled score, not a raw percentage

NHA reports results on a scaled score rather than a simple percent-correct, so the passing threshold is not "70%" in the way a classroom quiz might be. The exact scale and passing point are set per certification, check your specific exam's candidate handbook rather than assuming a number that applies to a different NHA credential.

Content areas mirror the job, not a textbook chapter order

Each NHA exam is built from a content outline organized around the actual job duties for that role, front-office and administrative tasks, clinical procedures, patient care, and safety and compliance, rather than chapter-by-chapter from any single textbook. Practicing across the full spread of those areas, instead of over-focusing on the parts that feel most familiar, is what mirrors the real exam mix.

How to actually prepare

Timed, exam-style practice across the full content outline is the most direct prep. Try a free set of NHA CCMA practice questions, and treat a missed question as a pointer to a content area worth reviewing, not just a wrong answer to move past.