Worksheets Answer Keys – Medical Assisting:
Administrative & Clinical Competencies, 9th Edition
(All Chapters 1–58 Complete, Verified Update) –
Michelle Blesi [NCLEX | CMA | Medical Assisting
Exam Prep]
1. The term "medical assistant" can best be described as:
a) A physician's unlicensed personal secretary
b) A multi-skilled allied health professional who performs administrative and clinical duties
c) A licensed practical nurse working in a clinic
d) A specialist limited to phlebotomy only
Answer: b) The medical assistant is a multi-skilled professional trained to perform both
administrative (front office) and clinical (back office) tasks under the supervision of a licensed
physician or other provider.
2. Which organization credentials medical assistants as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)?
a) American Medical Technologists (AMT)
b) National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
c) American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
d) American Red Cross
Answer: c) The AAMA administers the CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) certification exam.
AMT offers the RMA (Registered Medical Assistant), and NHA offers the CCMA (Certified
Clinical Medical Assistant).
,3. The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential is offered by:
a) AAMA
b) AMT (American Medical Technologists)
c) NCCT
d) NHA
Answer: b) AMT (American Medical Technologists) offers the RMA credential. The AAMA offers
CMA, and NCCT offers NCMA.
4. Which of the following is NOT an administrative duty of a medical assistant?
a) Scheduling appointments
b) Processing insurance claims
c) Administering an intramuscular injection
d) Managing patient records
Answer: c) Administering injections is a clinical duty, not administrative. Administrative duties
include scheduling, billing, records management, and correspondence.
5. A medical assistant who commits a negligent act that causes harm to a patient may be charged
with:
a) Assault
b) Malpractice
c) Battery
d) Fraud
Answer: b) Malpractice is professional negligence. Assault is the threat of harm; battery is actual
harmful/offensive contact without consent.
,6. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily protects:
a) Physician salaries
b) Patient privacy and health information security
c) Insurance company profits
d) Hospital accreditation
Answer: b) HIPAA established national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other
personal health information (PHI), including privacy, security, and breach notification rules.
7. Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?
a) Patient name and date of birth
b) Medical record number
c) Diagnosis and treatment history
d) All of the above
Answer: d) PHI includes any demographic information that can be used to identify a patient,
including names, dates, contact info, SSN, medical record numbers, diagnoses, and treatment
history.
8. The "minimum necessary" standard under HIPAA means:
a) Share all patient information with family members
b) Only share the least amount of PHI needed to accomplish the intended purpose
c) Keep all records for a minimum of 10 years
d) Charge the minimum fee for record copying
Answer: b) The minimum necessary rule requires covered entities to make reasonable efforts to
limit access to PHI to the minimum needed to achieve the purpose of the request or task.
, 9. A patient's written authorization is required before releasing PHI for:
a) Treatment purposes
b) Payment purposes
c) Marketing or research (non-consented)
d) Healthcare operations
Answer: c) Authorization is required for uses not related to TPO (Treatment, Payment, Healthcare
Operations). Marketing, psychotherapy notes, and research without IRB approval require specific
patient authorization.
10. Which of the following is a violation of patient confidentiality?
a) Discussing a case with another physician for consultation
b) Discussing a patient's lab results with the patient's spouse without patient consent
c) Faxing records to a specialist with patient consent
d) Billing an insurance company with patient consent
Answer: b) Disclosing patient information to a family member without patient authorization
violates confidentiality, unless the patient is present and does not object or an emergency exists.
11. A medical assistant overhears a coworker discussing a patient's HIV status in the elevator. The
MA should:
a) Join the conversation
b) Report the coworker to the office manager for a HIPAA violation
Administrative & Clinical Competencies, 9th Edition
(All Chapters 1–58 Complete, Verified Update) –
Michelle Blesi [NCLEX | CMA | Medical Assisting
Exam Prep]
1. The term "medical assistant" can best be described as:
a) A physician's unlicensed personal secretary
b) A multi-skilled allied health professional who performs administrative and clinical duties
c) A licensed practical nurse working in a clinic
d) A specialist limited to phlebotomy only
Answer: b) The medical assistant is a multi-skilled professional trained to perform both
administrative (front office) and clinical (back office) tasks under the supervision of a licensed
physician or other provider.
2. Which organization credentials medical assistants as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)?
a) American Medical Technologists (AMT)
b) National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
c) American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
d) American Red Cross
Answer: c) The AAMA administers the CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) certification exam.
AMT offers the RMA (Registered Medical Assistant), and NHA offers the CCMA (Certified
Clinical Medical Assistant).
,3. The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential is offered by:
a) AAMA
b) AMT (American Medical Technologists)
c) NCCT
d) NHA
Answer: b) AMT (American Medical Technologists) offers the RMA credential. The AAMA offers
CMA, and NCCT offers NCMA.
4. Which of the following is NOT an administrative duty of a medical assistant?
a) Scheduling appointments
b) Processing insurance claims
c) Administering an intramuscular injection
d) Managing patient records
Answer: c) Administering injections is a clinical duty, not administrative. Administrative duties
include scheduling, billing, records management, and correspondence.
5. A medical assistant who commits a negligent act that causes harm to a patient may be charged
with:
a) Assault
b) Malpractice
c) Battery
d) Fraud
Answer: b) Malpractice is professional negligence. Assault is the threat of harm; battery is actual
harmful/offensive contact without consent.
,6. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily protects:
a) Physician salaries
b) Patient privacy and health information security
c) Insurance company profits
d) Hospital accreditation
Answer: b) HIPAA established national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other
personal health information (PHI), including privacy, security, and breach notification rules.
7. Under HIPAA, which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?
a) Patient name and date of birth
b) Medical record number
c) Diagnosis and treatment history
d) All of the above
Answer: d) PHI includes any demographic information that can be used to identify a patient,
including names, dates, contact info, SSN, medical record numbers, diagnoses, and treatment
history.
8. The "minimum necessary" standard under HIPAA means:
a) Share all patient information with family members
b) Only share the least amount of PHI needed to accomplish the intended purpose
c) Keep all records for a minimum of 10 years
d) Charge the minimum fee for record copying
Answer: b) The minimum necessary rule requires covered entities to make reasonable efforts to
limit access to PHI to the minimum needed to achieve the purpose of the request or task.
, 9. A patient's written authorization is required before releasing PHI for:
a) Treatment purposes
b) Payment purposes
c) Marketing or research (non-consented)
d) Healthcare operations
Answer: c) Authorization is required for uses not related to TPO (Treatment, Payment, Healthcare
Operations). Marketing, psychotherapy notes, and research without IRB approval require specific
patient authorization.
10. Which of the following is a violation of patient confidentiality?
a) Discussing a case with another physician for consultation
b) Discussing a patient's lab results with the patient's spouse without patient consent
c) Faxing records to a specialist with patient consent
d) Billing an insurance company with patient consent
Answer: b) Disclosing patient information to a family member without patient authorization
violates confidentiality, unless the patient is present and does not object or an emergency exists.
11. A medical assistant overhears a coworker discussing a patient's HIV status in the elevator. The
MA should:
a) Join the conversation
b) Report the coworker to the office manager for a HIPAA violation
