NHA CMAA Actual Exam QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026/2027 | Certified Medical
Administrative Assistant Complete Q&A | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Medical Office Reception and Patient Processing
Questions 1-40
Question 1
A new patient arrives for their first appointment. What is the most important document to have
the patient complete and sign?
A. HIPAA privacy practices acknowledgment [CORRECT]
B. Insurance claim form
C. Prescription refill request
D. Laboratory order form
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: New patients must receive and acknowledge receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices
(NPP) as required by HIPAA. Insurance forms (B) are also important but may be completed later.
Options C and D are not first-visit forms.
Question 2
When scheduling a follow-up appointment for a patient, the medical administrative assistant
should:
A. Schedule at the patient's convenience without considering provider availability
B. Confirm the appointment with the patient and document it in the system [CORRECT]
C. Only schedule if the patient pays upfront
D. Refuse to schedule without a referral
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Follow-up appointments should be scheduled considering provider availability and
patient preference, then confirmed and documented. Options A, C, and D are incorrect.
,Question 3
A patient arrives and states they have no insurance and wish to pay cash. What should the
medical administrative assistant do?
A. Refuse to see the patient
B. Inform the patient of self-pay rates and collect payment at time of service [CORRECT]
C. Treat the patient for free
D. Turn them away
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Patients without insurance should be informed of self-pay rates and typically asked to
pay at time of service. Refusing care (A, D) may be appropriate only if the practice does not
accept self-pay. Option C is not standard.
Question 4
When checking in a patient, the medical administrative assistant should verify:
A. Patient's name and date of birth [CORRECT]
B. Patient's favorite color
C. Patient's occupation
D. Patient's social media accounts
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Patient identification should be verified using two identifiers (name and date of birth)
for safety and HIPAA compliance. Options B, C, and D are not relevant.
Question 5
A patient calls to cancel their appointment. The medical administrative assistant should:
A. Document the cancellation and offer to reschedule [CORRECT]
B. Hang up
C. Charge a fee without offering to reschedule
D. Ignore the request
Correct Answer: A
,Rationale: Cancellations should be documented, and the patient should be offered an opportunity
to reschedule. Charging a fee (C) may be per practice policy but should be communicated.
Options B and D are inappropriate.
Question 6
When a patient arrives late for an appointment, the medical administrative assistant should:
A. Automatically reschedule without speaking to the patient
B. Assess the situation, communicate with the provider, and determine if the patient can be seen
[CORRECT]
C. Refuse to see the patient and charge a no-show fee
D. Make the patient wait until the end of the day
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Late arrivals should be assessed case-by-case. The assistant should communicate with
the provider to determine if the patient can be accommodated without disrupting the schedule.
Options A, C, and D are too rigid.
Question 7
A patient requests to see their medical records. Under HIPAA, the medical administrative
assistant should:
A. Refuse the request
B. Provide access within 30 days or explain any delay [CORRECT]
C. Charge $500 per page
D. Require a court order
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA grants patients the right to access their medical records within 30 days (with
one 30-day extension possible). Reasonable fees may be charged, but $500/page (C) is excessive.
Options A and D are incorrect.
Question 8
When verifying insurance eligibility, which information is most critical to confirm?
A. Patient's favorite pharmacy
B. Coverage status, benefits, and prior authorization requirements [CORRECT]
C. Patient's employer name only
, D. Insurance company's stock price
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Eligibility verification must confirm active coverage, covered benefits, co-
pays/deductibles, and any prior authorization requirements. Options A, C, and D are not critical
for eligibility verification.
Question 9
A patient calls requesting an urgent same-day appointment for chest pain. The medical
administrative assistant should:
A. Schedule a routine appointment for next week
B. Instruct the patient to call 911 or go to the emergency department [CORRECT]
C. Tell the patient to take aspirin and wait
D. Ask the patient to drive to the office immediately
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Chest pain may indicate a life-threatening emergency. The assistant should direct the
patient to emergency services (911 or ED) rather than scheduling a routine visit. Options A, C,
and D could delay critical care.
Question 10
The medical administrative assistant is scheduling a new patient appointment. Which
information is NOT typically required?
A. Reason for visit
B. Insurance information
C. Patient's political affiliation [CORRECT]
D. Contact information
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Political affiliation is irrelevant to medical care and should not be collected. Options
A, B, and D are standard required information for new patient appointments.
Question 11
When a patient checks in, the medical administrative assistant notices the patient's address has
changed. What should be done?
A. Ignore the change
ANSWERS 2026/2027 | Certified Medical
Administrative Assistant Complete Q&A | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Medical Office Reception and Patient Processing
Questions 1-40
Question 1
A new patient arrives for their first appointment. What is the most important document to have
the patient complete and sign?
A. HIPAA privacy practices acknowledgment [CORRECT]
B. Insurance claim form
C. Prescription refill request
D. Laboratory order form
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: New patients must receive and acknowledge receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices
(NPP) as required by HIPAA. Insurance forms (B) are also important but may be completed later.
Options C and D are not first-visit forms.
Question 2
When scheduling a follow-up appointment for a patient, the medical administrative assistant
should:
A. Schedule at the patient's convenience without considering provider availability
B. Confirm the appointment with the patient and document it in the system [CORRECT]
C. Only schedule if the patient pays upfront
D. Refuse to schedule without a referral
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Follow-up appointments should be scheduled considering provider availability and
patient preference, then confirmed and documented. Options A, C, and D are incorrect.
,Question 3
A patient arrives and states they have no insurance and wish to pay cash. What should the
medical administrative assistant do?
A. Refuse to see the patient
B. Inform the patient of self-pay rates and collect payment at time of service [CORRECT]
C. Treat the patient for free
D. Turn them away
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Patients without insurance should be informed of self-pay rates and typically asked to
pay at time of service. Refusing care (A, D) may be appropriate only if the practice does not
accept self-pay. Option C is not standard.
Question 4
When checking in a patient, the medical administrative assistant should verify:
A. Patient's name and date of birth [CORRECT]
B. Patient's favorite color
C. Patient's occupation
D. Patient's social media accounts
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Patient identification should be verified using two identifiers (name and date of birth)
for safety and HIPAA compliance. Options B, C, and D are not relevant.
Question 5
A patient calls to cancel their appointment. The medical administrative assistant should:
A. Document the cancellation and offer to reschedule [CORRECT]
B. Hang up
C. Charge a fee without offering to reschedule
D. Ignore the request
Correct Answer: A
,Rationale: Cancellations should be documented, and the patient should be offered an opportunity
to reschedule. Charging a fee (C) may be per practice policy but should be communicated.
Options B and D are inappropriate.
Question 6
When a patient arrives late for an appointment, the medical administrative assistant should:
A. Automatically reschedule without speaking to the patient
B. Assess the situation, communicate with the provider, and determine if the patient can be seen
[CORRECT]
C. Refuse to see the patient and charge a no-show fee
D. Make the patient wait until the end of the day
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Late arrivals should be assessed case-by-case. The assistant should communicate with
the provider to determine if the patient can be accommodated without disrupting the schedule.
Options A, C, and D are too rigid.
Question 7
A patient requests to see their medical records. Under HIPAA, the medical administrative
assistant should:
A. Refuse the request
B. Provide access within 30 days or explain any delay [CORRECT]
C. Charge $500 per page
D. Require a court order
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA grants patients the right to access their medical records within 30 days (with
one 30-day extension possible). Reasonable fees may be charged, but $500/page (C) is excessive.
Options A and D are incorrect.
Question 8
When verifying insurance eligibility, which information is most critical to confirm?
A. Patient's favorite pharmacy
B. Coverage status, benefits, and prior authorization requirements [CORRECT]
C. Patient's employer name only
, D. Insurance company's stock price
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Eligibility verification must confirm active coverage, covered benefits, co-
pays/deductibles, and any prior authorization requirements. Options A, C, and D are not critical
for eligibility verification.
Question 9
A patient calls requesting an urgent same-day appointment for chest pain. The medical
administrative assistant should:
A. Schedule a routine appointment for next week
B. Instruct the patient to call 911 or go to the emergency department [CORRECT]
C. Tell the patient to take aspirin and wait
D. Ask the patient to drive to the office immediately
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Chest pain may indicate a life-threatening emergency. The assistant should direct the
patient to emergency services (911 or ED) rather than scheduling a routine visit. Options A, C,
and D could delay critical care.
Question 10
The medical administrative assistant is scheduling a new patient appointment. Which
information is NOT typically required?
A. Reason for visit
B. Insurance information
C. Patient's political affiliation [CORRECT]
D. Contact information
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Political affiliation is irrelevant to medical care and should not be collected. Options
A, B, and D are standard required information for new patient appointments.
Question 11
When a patient checks in, the medical administrative assistant notices the patient's address has
changed. What should be done?
A. Ignore the change
