To better ensure continuing competency and knowledge and thus better protect patients, CMAs (AAMA) are required to recertify every 60 months.

Current status is required to use the CMA (AAMA) credential.

All newly certified and recertifying CMAs (AAMA) will be current for 60 months from the end of the calendar month of initial certification or most recent recertification.

• For example: If you certify or recertified in February 2020, you must be recertified by the last day of February 2025.

To ensure that no lapse in current status occurs, the exam application must be received at least 30 days prior to the certification or recertification expiration.

Recertifying Early

If you choose to recertify by continuing education and have accumulated all 60 recertification points, you can recertify before the expiration date. Your new 60-month certification term begins on your date of recertification.

CMAs (AAMA) have many crucial reasons for maintaining their CMA (AAMA) credential:

• Demonstrate your continued expertise and commitment to the profession.
• Keep abreast of the latest developments, trends, and advancements in the field.
• Enhance and advance in the core competencies and skills of your profession.
• Show patients, providers, and coworkers that you continue to hold yourself to the highest standards of your profession.

Want to share this advice with others? Download, print, and/or share "The Importance of Maintaining Your Credential" flyer.

You may reactivate your expired credential (not recertified on or before the expiration date) by passing the exam or submitting an application to recertify by continuing education. If your credential has been expired for more than ​three months you must take the exam to restore your credential. 

For example: If your CMA (AAMA) certification expiration date is 1/31/2025, your last day to apply to recertify by continuing education is 4/30/2025.

If you do not pass on the third attempt, the candidate is no longer eligible for the exam or to recertify the CMA (AAMA) credential. 

No. Points toward recertification are valid only if earned after the most recent recertification. Additionally, credits must be earned in the 60 months prior to which the application is submitted.

The AAMA will accept a program for recertification if its subject matter is relevant to your profession, and formal credit was issued (e.g., CEU, CME, contact hour). Minimum program length: A minimum of one contact hour is required to earn one point toward recertifying the CMA (AAMA) credential. A contact hour is defined as a typical 50-minute classroom instructional session, or its equivalent. However, it is up to you to determine if a program topic is relevant before you choose to attend it.

Use these documents as guidelines for approvable topics:

• The Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam is a comprehensive list of everything that a CMA (AAMA) has to know for the exam, organized by topic category.
• The AAMA Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants is based on an AAMA survey in which medical assistants listed the tasks that they performed on a daily basis and expected to perform in the future.
• The Advanced Educational Topics for Medical Assisting sets forth advanced medical assisting skills and areas of knowledge.

You may submit documentation for qualifying programs to the AAMA for review using the "Non AAMA CEUs Submission" tool under "My Account." 

To earn CEU credit for non-AAMA courses, documentation must meet the following requirements:

1. The documentation is a PDF, Word document, or JPEG file.
2. The documentation verifies full completion of the course or seminar with your name printed.
3. The course is a minimum of one contact hour (50 minutes) for 1 CEU credit.
4. If no contact hours are available, the documentation verifies that the course was issued at least 1 credit. (No CEUs will be awarded for fractions of CEUs.)
5. The course is relevant to the medical assisting field. For examples, see the topics listed on the Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, Occupational Analysis of the CMA (AAMA), or the Advanced Educational Topics for Medical Assisting.
6. The documentation verifies the date of completion and falls within your current five-year CMA (AAMA) certification period.
7. The documentation verifies the name of the sponsor issuing the credit.
8. Optional: a course description or content outline for each educational activity can be included with the documentation to determine which category it is being counted for (e.g., administrative, clinical, or general) if it is not discernable from the course title.

Examples of non-AAMA CEU documents with this information include certificates of completion, workplace or unofficial college transcripts, or a letter provided by your program director or practice manager.

Submit Your Documentation

Some common reasons for non-AAMA CEUs being rejected include the following:

• The course is less than 50 minutes in length or less than 1 credit, or this information is missing.
• The documentation does not verify course completion.
• The course was completed outside the CMA (AAMA) certification period.