Recertify Your CMA (AAMA) Certification

Recertifying your CMA (AAMA) credential demonstrates your commitment to ongoing learning, staying up-to-date with the latest medical assisting practices and effective patient care.

medical assistant at computer

CMAs (AAMA) must recertify every 60 months. Recertification standards for the CMA (AAMA) credential help you provide evidence of your continued competency and knowledge. There are two ways to recertify: by continuing education or by exam.

You will need to have 60 continuing education units (CEUs) to recertify by continuing education. If you do not have 60 CEUs, you will need to pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.

Recertify by Continuing Education

Recertifying by continuing education requires earning 60 continuing education units (CEUs). To get started

Meeting CEU Requirements

You will need to have 60 CEUs total and meet all requirements:

  • 30 of the 60 recertification points must be AAMA CEUs.
  • 10 administrative
  • 10 clinical
  • 10 general
  • 30 from any combination of the above 

View the CEUs on Your Transcript.

About Non-AAMA CEUs

A maximum of 30 non-AAMA CEUs may be applied towards your recertification application. You can upload non-AAMA CEUs at any time during your certification period for review and approval. 

  • How soon can I submit my non-AAMA CEUs?
    Once you earn your CMA (AAMA) certification, you may upload your non-AAMA CEUs.

Once non-AAMA CEUs have been reviewed and approved, the CEUs will be posted to your transcript. Review of non-AAMA CEUs can take up to 30 days.

  • Expedited Review
    If non-AAMA CEUs have been submitted and are pending review, review and processing can be expedited by submitting a $30 processing fee. Your application and recertification status will be reviewed and updated online within 5 to 7 business days. If problems need to be rectified, processing may take up to 30 days.

Upload Non-AAMA CEUs

Submit Your Application

You may submit your application for recertification by continuing education, documentation and the recertification fee online or by mail. The AAMA member fee is $80. The nonmember fee is $160. If your credential has expired, you will pay an additional $50 reactivation fee. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

If you're applying with all AAMA CEUs, instant processing is available online or by phone. 

Recertify Online

Applicants for online recertification do not need to fill out the Recertification by Continuing Education Application.

Recertify by Phone

If your AAMA CEU Transcript displays all 60 CEUs and CEU requirements have been met, you may call the AAMA Continuing Education Department at 800/228-2262, Option 1, and pay the fee to receive instant processing. Pro tip: Have your payment information handy. 

Recertify By Mail

Review of mailed application can take up to 30 days.

  1. Review and complete the Recertification by Continuing Education Application.
  2. Attach your documentation.
  3. Mail with payment included. 

 

 

The Importance of Maintaining Your Credential

Obtaining a certification in any field is a significant achievement. It shows that you are committed to your profession and have the knowledge and skills to perform your job safely and effectively. A great deal of time and effort goes into the certification process, and because of this, maintaining the certification you worked so hard for is equally important.

As such, the key motivations for maintaining your credential are detailed below:

  • 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.

Reasons for Staying Certified

  • Every accredited certification program has recertification requirements. Failure to meet the recertification requirements in the established timeframe will result in an expired certification.
  • Once your certification expires, you are no longer certified and; therefore, not allowed to put the initialism after your name.
  • CMAs (AAMA)® whose credentials have been expired for more than three months can no longer recertify by continuing education and must take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam again.
  • Be aware that certification requirements can vary significantly between states. While many states have no legal requirements for being certified, others require proof of certification for employment.
  • Similarly, employers can have different certification requirements. While certification may not be required by one employer, it may be required by another.
  • Research these requirements and understand the benefits and critical importance of keeping your certification current.

Recertify by Exam

Recertifying by exam requires passing the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam again. Candidates for recertification take the same exam as candidates for initial certification.

  1. Learn about the exam. 
  2. Submit your application, which includes providing documentation and enrollment fee. AAMA members pay $125. All others pay $250. If your credential has expired, you will pay an additional $50 reactivation fee. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
  3. Study for the exam.
  4. Take and pass the exam!
Find CEUs

First Time Recertifying?

If you're recertifying for the first time, you can apply a maximum of 20 recertification points (AAMA-approved points or non-AAMA-approved points) earned in the three months prior to initial certification. Course credits earned and required for graduation from a medical assisting program may not be used towards initial recertification.

All recertification policies remain in effect. For example, 30 of the 60 recertification points must still be AAMA-approved CEUs, and at least 10 recertification points must be from each of the general, administrative, and clinical categories.

View the Recertification by CEU Application

Frequently Asked Questions about Recertification

When can I recertify?

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.

 

What if my credential expired?

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. 

Can I roll over extra recertification points?

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.

 

How do I determine if a non-AAMA program will be accepted?

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:

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

What do I need to submit to earn credit for non-AAMA CEUs?

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

Why are my non-AAMA CEUs being rejected?

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.

 

My non-AAMA CEUs have been approved. What is my next step for recertification?

If you have met all CEU requirements, you may finalize your recertification by completing the Recertify by CEU application online or via the mail.