Free NHA CMAA practice questions with answers

Twenty-five original, source-verified NHA CMAA questions with full answers and rationale below, free to read, no account required. A new set every day.

1. Question 1

   A patient asks for an estimate of fees before an upcoming visit. What should the medical assistant explain along with the estimate?

   • That fees vary depending on the patient's condition and the tests orderedCorrect
   • That fee information cannot be shared under any circumstances
   • That the estimate applies only to patients with no insurance
   • That the estimate given is a fixed, guaranteed final price

   Why: An estimate is only a starting point, so Kinn's calls for explaining that the final fee depends on the patient's condition and whatever tests the physician orders. Presenting the estimate as a fixed, guaranteed price would mislead the patient about how billing actually works. Refusing to discuss fees at all, or claiming the estimate applies only to uninsured patients, does not match the guidance to give an estimate with this explanation attached. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 8, PDF p. 9.

2. Question 2

   A patient owes a flat $25 charge at every office visit regardless of the service provided, separate from her annual deductible. What is this $25 charge called?

   • Deductible
   • Premium
   • Coinsurance
   • CopaymentCorrect

   Why: A copayment is a fixed dollar amount the policyholder owes for each office visit, which is why it stays the same no matter what was billed that day. Coinsurance is instead a percentage split of costs that applies after the deductible has been satisfied, a deductible is an annual threshold rather than a per-visit charge, and a premium is what the patient or employer pays to keep the policy active, not a charge tied to a single encounter. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 12, PDF p. 1.

3. Question 3

   When scheduling an appointment by phone and a patient's first choice of time is unavailable, why is it good practice to offer two alternative times rather than just one?

   • It gives the patient a sense of control over the decisionCorrect
   • It is required by federal telehealth regulations
   • It lets the scheduler avoid saying the original time is full
   • It guarantees the patient will accept the first option offered

   Why: Letting the patient pick between two options instead of being told a single fixed time makes the patient an active participant in the decision, which is more likely to end in a time that actually works for them. There is no federal telehealth rule requiring this practice, offering choices does not guarantee acceptance of either one, and the purpose is not to avoid stating that the original request is unavailable. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 9, PDF p. 7.

4. Question 4

   A piece of equipment needs repair, and the practice is deciding between having a technician come on-site or shipping the machine to the manufacturer's service center. Which option is usually more expensive?

   • Neither option has an associated cost
   • Having the technician repair it on-siteCorrect
   • Shipping the machine to the service center
   • Both options typically cost the same

   Why: An on-site repair visit is usually more expensive than shipping the equipment to the service provider, because the practice is paying for the technician's travel in addition to the repair itself. Shipping the equipment removes that travel cost, which is why it is typically the cheaper option. The two options are not typically equal in cost, since travel time and mileage add expense to the on-site visit. Both options carry a cost, since repairs and shipping both involve fees. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 11, PDF p. 5.

5. Question 5

   A paper chart organizes its forms and progress notes into separate sections labeled by where the information came from, such as the provider, the laboratory, radiology, and outside consultations, with each section's entries filed newest on top. What organizational approach does this describe?

   • Numeric filing
   • SOAP-formatted records
   • Problem-oriented records
   • Source-oriented recordsCorrect

   Why: Sorting entries into sections by where the data originated, such as the lab or radiology, with the newest entries on top, is exactly what this organizational approach involves. Problem-oriented records instead organize content around a patient's specific problems using a database, problem list, treatment plan, and progress notes, and SOAP format structures individual notes rather than the whole chart's sections. Numeric filing is a naming scheme for folders, not a way of organizing chart content by source. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 10, PDF p. 8.

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7. Question 6

   As part of obtaining informed consent for a proposed surgery, which of the following must the patient understand before agreeing to proceed?

   • The provider's malpractice insurance coverage limits
   • The proposed treatment and the risks associated with itCorrect
   • The billing codes that will be submitted for the surgery
   • Only the expected benefits, since risks may cause anxiety

   Why: Informed consent requires that the patient or guardian understands the proposed treatment and the risks that come with it before agreeing. Billing codes are an administrative matter and are not part of what a patient must understand to consent. The provider's malpractice coverage limits are not a required disclosure for consent. Sharing only the benefits and holding back risks defeats informed consent, because the patient cannot weigh a decision without knowing the risks. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 3, PDF p. 8.

8. Question 7

   What is a primary effect of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) on health coverage and employment?

   • It allows health plans to set premiums based on an applicant's genetic test results
   • It prohibits discrimination based on a person's genetic information in health coverage and employmentCorrect
   • It requires employers to collect genetic information from every job applicant
   • It applies only to genetic information involving minor children

   Why: GINA's central protection is barring genetic discrimination in both health coverage and employment decisions. It does not require employers to collect genetic information; the law instead limits how such information may be used. Allowing premiums to be based on genetic test results is exactly the kind of practice GINA prohibits, and the protection is not limited to information about minors. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 4, PDF p. 5.

9. Question 8

   After a claim is processed, the patient receives one document from the insurance company summarizing what was paid, while the provider's office receives a similar document along with the actual payment or an electronic transfer notice. What is the document sent to the provider called?

   • A patient ledger
   • A Special Report
   • A Remittance AdviceCorrect
   • An Explanation of Benefits

   Why: A Remittance Advice covers the same ground as an Explanation of Benefits, but it goes to the office that filed the claim rather than to the patient, and it arrives paired with the actual reimbursement, whether that is a paper check or an electronic deposit. The Explanation of Benefits is instead the version the patient receives, a Special Report is paperwork that accompanies an unlisted procedure code rather than a payment notice, and a patient ledger is the practice's own internal account record rather than something the payer sends out. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 15, PDF p. 12.

10. Question 9

    A patient's provider estimates that the patient has about six months or less to live, and the patient is referred to a specific type of palliative care built around that end-of-life timeframe. What is this type of care called?

    • POLST
    • Palliative medicine
    • Advance directive
    • Hospice careCorrect

    Why: Hospice care is a type of palliative care specifically for people who have about six months or less to live, matching a patient referred to end-of-life care built around that timeframe. Palliative medicine is the broader category focused on relieving symptoms of serious illness generally, without being tied to a specific six-month prognosis. A POLST is a one-page physician order sheet indicating the care a person should receive, not the name of the care model itself. An advance directive is a written instruction about future healthcare decisions, not a specific type of end-of-life care tied to a six-month prognosis. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 5, PDF p. 6.

11. Question 10

    When documenting a patient's chief complaint, whose wording should be used to describe the symptoms?

    • A standardized diagnostic term chosen by the medical assistant
    • The wording used in the patient's most recent lab report
    • The wording the provider expects to eventually diagnose
    • The patient's own wordsCorrect

    Why: Recording symptoms as the patient actually describes them preserves the patient's own account rather than substituting a clinical interpretation before the provider has evaluated the patient. Choosing a standardized diagnostic term, borrowing wording from an unrelated lab report, or anticipating what the provider will eventually diagnose would all replace the patient's own account with someone else's framing. The patient's own words are what should be documented. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 10, PDF p. 6.

12. Question 11

    What is an advantage of an electronic health record system over a paper record system, in terms of how many staff members can use the record at once?

    • Only one staff member can view the record at any given time
    • The record automatically deletes itself after a set period
    • Only the provider is permitted to open the record
    • Multiple users can access the same record at the same timeCorrect

    Why: One advantage of an electronic record is that more than one authorized user can open and work in it simultaneously, which a single paper chart cannot support. A paper record is the one that only one person can physically hold and review at a time, and neither format automatically deletes itself or restricts access to the provider alone. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 10, PDF p. 1.

13. Question 12

    Word processing software used to type referral letters belongs to which general category?

    • Application softwareCorrect
    • An output device
    • System software
    • Secondary storage hardware

    Why: Word processing software is a program a user runs to accomplish a specific task, such as typing a referral letter, which places it in the application software category. System software is the category that operates and controls the computer itself, secondary storage is a hardware category for keeping data permanently rather than a type of software, and an output device is hardware such as a monitor or printer, not software at all. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 6, PDF p. 6.

14. Question 13

    A provider is going on vacation for two weeks. What should already be established regarding the office's incoming mail during this time?

    • A rule that all incoming mail is returned to sender until the provider is back
    • A requirement that mail delivery be suspended entirely during the absence
    • A procedure the provider has set for handling mail while awayCorrect
    • An expectation that mail is left unopened in a pile until the provider returns

    Why: Having a procedure ready in advance keeps important mail from being neglected while the provider is unavailable, which is why Kinn's notes that the provider will have a plan for handling mail during time away. Returning all mail to sender or suspending delivery entirely are not the described response to a provider's absence. Leaving mail unopened in a pile until the provider returns defeats the purpose of having a procedure in place at all. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 7, PDF p. 7.

15. Question 14

    In one common modified-wave scheduling pattern, how are patient arrivals staggered within each hour?

    • Patients are simply told they may arrive at any time during the office's regular business hours
    • One patient is scheduled to arrive every fifteen minutes with no other variation in the pattern
    • Two patients are scheduled to arrive at the top of the hour and one more thirty minutes later, repeating through the dayCorrect
    • All of the patients scheduled for that hour are told to arrive at exactly the same starting minute

    Why: This pattern blends the flexibility of grouping arrivals with some of the predictability of set time slots, staggering a pair of patients at the start of the hour and a single patient at the midpoint before the cycle repeats. Having everyone arrive at once describes plain wave scheduling instead, a fixed quarter-hour interval describes ordinary time-specified booking, and telling patients to come anytime describes open office hours. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 9, PDF p. 6.

16. Question 15

    A clinic is setting up a workstation next to equipment that produces a strong magnetic field. Which storage device is the better choice because it will not be disrupted by that magnetism?

    • A tape backup drive
    • A solid-state driveCorrect
    • A traditional hard disk drive
    • A portable external hard disk drive

    Why: A solid-state drive stores data electronically with no moving parts, so nearby magnetism cannot disturb the stored information. A hard disk drive is vulnerable to magnetic interference because it relies on magnetized platters to hold data. A portable external hard disk drive uses the same magnetic platters, so moving it outside the computer gives it no protection. A tape backup drive actually depends on magnetic media and would be even more vulnerable than a hard disk drive. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 6, PDF p. 3.

17. Question 16

    A patient needs a series of follow-up appointments over several weeks. How should these typically be scheduled to help the patient remember them?

    • At the same day and time each weekCorrect
    • All on the same calendar day, back to back
    • Only when the patient calls to request the next one
    • At a different day and time each week to avoid conflicts

    Why: A consistent day and time each week builds a routine the patient can remember without checking a calendar, lowering the odds of a missed visit. Deliberately varying the day and time removes that routine, stacking every visit onto one day defeats the purpose of a spaced series, and waiting for the patient to initiate each booking shifts responsibility away from the practice. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 9, PDF p. 11.

18. Question 17

    A healthcare provider that transmits protected health information electronically in connection with standard transactions is classified, under HIPAA, as what?

    • A covered entityCorrect
    • A business associate
    • A public health authority
    • A limited data set

    Why: HIPAA classifies healthcare providers, health plans, and clearinghouses that electronically transmit protected health information as covered entities. A business associate instead performs a service for a covered entity and is a separate category from the provider itself. A limited data set is a type of information, not an organization, and a public health authority is a government body rather than the classification used for a treating provider. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 4, PDF p. 3.

19. Question 18

    Besides offering appointment times, what should a medical assistant discuss with a new patient by phone before the first visit?

    • The balance the patient will owe after the insurance claim is paid
    • A requirement to fax proof of insurance before any appointment is set
    • Options for how the first payment will be madeCorrect
    • A plan to put off any talk of payment until after the third visit

    Why: Discussing how the first payment will be handled before the first visit avoids surprises at check-in. Requiring faxed proof of insurance before any appointment can be set would turn away patients unnecessarily, since insurance details can be gathered at scheduling or check-in. Putting off any mention of payment until after several visits leaves the patient unprepared. The balance owed after an insurance claim cannot be known before the visit has even taken place. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 9, PDF p. 8.

20. Question 19

    A patient is finishing an appointment and approaching the front desk to leave. What should the medical administrative assistant look at before the patient departs, to decide whether a follow-up visit needs to be booked?

    • The provider's personal calendar for the following week
    • Only whether the patient signed the original sign-in sheet
    • The chart entry showing whether the provider wants to see the patient againCorrect
    • Only whether a copay receipt printed successfully

    Why: Looking for the provider's follow-up instruction in the chart at checkout is how the office makes sure any needed return visit actually gets booked before the patient leaves. A printed copay receipt or the original sign-in sheet does not indicate whether a follow-up is needed, and the provider's personal calendar is not the tool used for this check. The chart entry noting the provider's wishes is what gets reviewed at checkout. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 9, PDF p. 21.

21. Question 20

    A medical assistant suspects a coworker of stealing supplies from the practice. What is the appropriate course of action?

    • Say nothing unless the coworker is caught in the act
    • Follow the practice's chain of command to report the concernCorrect
    • Post about the suspicion on social media to warn other staff
    • Confront the coworker directly and demand repayment

    Why: Because theft carries legal and personnel consequences beyond an individual assistant's authority to resolve alone, it calls for following the practice's formal reporting structure rather than acting independently. Confronting the coworker directly risks escalation and could compromise a proper investigation. Staying silent until direct proof appears could allow the situation to continue and may itself raise concerns about the assistant's own judgment. Publicizing an unproven suspicion on social media could constitute defamation and violates basic workplace conduct expectations. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 1, PDF p. 9.

22. Question 21

    A patient presents with a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and are associated with a particular condition, but no single specific illness with a clear, defined cause has been identified. Which term best describes this presentation?

    • SyndromeCorrect
    • Disease
    • Prognosis
    • Disorder

    Why: A syndrome is defined as a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and are associated with a particular condition, which matches a presentation without one clearly identified specific illness. A disease, by contrast, is a specific illness with a recognizable group of signs and symptoms and a clear cause, which is not yet established here. A disorder refers more broadly to a disruption of body function or structure and is a less precise match than the grouped-symptom description given. A prognosis is a predicted outcome, not a way of classifying the presentation itself. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 18, PDF p. 8.

23. Question 22

    Which of the following is an example of an adaptive coping mechanism for stress?

    • Hostility
    • Drug use
    • ExercisingCorrect
    • Aggression

    Why: Exercising is grouped with eating healthy and talking with others as an adaptive way of coping with stress. Hostility and aggression are instead grouped as maladaptive responses that do not resolve the underlying stress. Drug use is likewise grouped as a maladaptive coping response rather than a healthy one. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 2, PDF p. 7.

24. Question 23

    A facility is mapping out its evacuation exit routes. Which of the following would make a proposed route unacceptable?

    • The route passes through an area where flammable products are storedCorrect
    • The route is kept clear of debris and obstructions
    • The route is wide enough for several people to use at once
    • The route is clearly marked and well lit

    Why: An exit route that passes through an area where flammable products are stored fails the requirement that routes avoid such hazards, since a fire could block or ignite the escape path. A route that is wide enough for several people is a required feature, not a problem. Being clearly marked and well lit is likewise a required feature of an acceptable exit route. Keeping a route clear of debris and obstructions is also a requirement, not a flaw. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 11, PDF p. 12.

25. Question 24

    A patient is taking a photo of the office waiting room with a personal mobile device while waiting for an appointment. What is a specific concern this scenario raises in a healthcare facility?

    • Mobile devices cannot receive incoming calls in a clinical setting
    • The camera could capture confidential information in the frameCorrect
    • Photographs always violate the facility's fire code
    • Cameras are the only feature of a mobile device that cause office issues

    Why: A camera pointed anywhere in a clinical space risks catching a chart, screen, or another patient in the frame, which is the specific confidentiality concern Kinn's raises about cell phones in the office. Mobile devices function normally for calls in most clinical settings, so that is not an accurate concern. Fire-code violations and other device features are unrelated to the camera-specific privacy risk being described. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 8, PDF p. 2.

26. Question 25

    A worried patient calls the office after hours with an urgent concern. Why might routing this call to a live answering service, rather than a recorded machine, work better for the patient?

    • It automatically books a new appointment for the caller
    • It removes any need for staff to return the patient's call later
    • It costs less to staff than a recorded machine
    • A live operator can offer reassurance that a recording cannotCorrect

    Why: Reaching a live operator gives a worried caller a human response in the moment, something a scripted recording is not built to provide, which is the advantage Kinn's describes for a staffed answering service. Cost is not the comparison this guidance draws between the two options. Neither option removes the need for the office to follow up with the patient later, and an answering service is not described as booking new appointments on its own. Primary reference: Kinn's The Medical Assistant, 15th Edition, Chapter 8, PDF p. 17.