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CMAA Review Practice Test | 100-Question Master Prep
Capella University
Section 1: Scheduling and Patient Intake
1. Which scheduling system assigns a specific time slot to each patient?
A) Wave scheduling
B) Stream scheduling
C) Open hours
D) Cluster scheduling Elaboration: Stream scheduling (also known as time-
specified scheduling) minimizes patient wait times by giving each person a
unique appointment time.
2. A patient arrives 30 minutes late for their appointment. What is the first action the
CMAA should take?
A) Cancel the appointment and charge a fee.
B) Check the schedule to see if the patient can still be seen without
disrupting other appointments.
C) Tell the patient to go home.
D) Send the patient directly to the exam room. Elaboration: The CMAA must
balance policy with patient care by checking the current flow of the office
before making a decision.
3. What is the primary purpose of a "Matrix" in a medical schedule?
A) To track patient payments.
B) To mark out times when the provider is unavailable (e.g., lunch,
meetings, surgery).
C) To list patient names.
D) To record vital signs. Elaboration: Establishing a matrix prevents
appointments from being scheduled when the provider is out of the office.
4. In "Wave Scheduling," how are patients scheduled?
A) One every 15 minutes.
B) Multiple patients arrive at the top of every hour and are seen in the order
they arrive.
, C) All patients arrive at 8:00 AM.
D) Only emergency patients are seen. Elaboration: Wave scheduling helps
the office stay on track if one patient takes longer or arrives late.
5. When a new patient calls to schedule an appointment, which of the following is
most important to obtain?
A) Their occupation.
B) Their insurance information and reason for the visit.
C) Their favorite pharmacy.
D) Their emergency contact's email. Elaboration: Verification of insurance
and the nature of the visit are essential for determining the length of the
appointment and coverage eligibility.
6. What is "Clustering" in medical scheduling?
A) Scheduling patients by their last name.
B) Grouping patients with similar conditions or procedures into specific
time blocks.
C) Scheduling only one patient per hour.
D) Scheduling family members together. Elaboration: Clustering increases
efficiency by allowing the staff to prepare the room for the same type of
procedure multiple times in a row.
7. A CMAA is scheduling a diagnostic test for a patient. What is the first step?
A) Call the laboratory.
B) Verify the provider’s order for the test.
C) Ask the patient for their co-pay.
D) Schedule the follow-up appointment. Elaboration: An order from the
provider is a legal and medical requirement before any test can be
scheduled.
8. Which of the following is an example of an "Inpatient" facility?
A) Urgent Care
B) Skilled Nursing Facility
C) Diagnostic Imaging Center
D) Physical Therapy Clinic Elaboration: Inpatient facilities provide 24-hour
care where the patient stays overnight.
, 9. When a patient cancels an appointment, the CMAA must:
A) Delete the appointment and forget about it.
B) Document the cancellation in the patient's medical record.
C) Call the police.
D) Charge the patient double next time. Elaboration: Documentation of "No-
shows" or cancellations is vital for legal protection and tracking patient
compliance.
10. What is the purpose of an "Advance Directive"?
A) To pay bills early.
B) To outline a patient's wishes for medical treatment if they become
unable to communicate.
C) To schedule surgery.
D) To notify the office of an address change. Elaboration: This legal document
ensures the patient's autonomy in healthcare decisions.
Section 2: HIPAA and Medical Law
11. HIPAA stands for:
A) Health Information Privacy and Access Act.
B) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
C) Healthcare Improvement and Patient Assistance Act.
D) Hospital Information and Provider Authorization Act. Elaboration: HIPAA is
the federal law that protects sensitive patient health information from being
disclosed without consent.
12. A CMAA is sending a fax containing PHI. What is the most important step?
A) Use a colorful font.
B) Use a cover sheet with a confidentiality disclaimer.
C) Send it twice to be sure.
D) Call the patient afterwards. Elaboration: A cover sheet ensures that if the
fax is received by the wrong person, they are informed of its private nature.
13. What does "PHI" stand for?
A) Private Health Insurance.
B) Protected Health Information.
, C) Public Health Initiative.
D) Personal Health Indicator. Elaboration: PHI includes any information that
can be used to identify a patient and relates to their healthcare.
14. A person calls the office asking for their spouse's test results. The CMAA should:
A) Give the results over the phone.
B) Check the patient’s file for a signed release form specifically authorizing
the spouse.
C) Ask the spouse for their ID over the phone.
D) Tell them to call the doctor directly. Elaboration: Without a signed HIPAA
release, sharing information even with a spouse is a violation.
15. What is "Informed Consent"?
A) Signing in at the front desk.
B) The patient's formal agreement to a procedure after being told the risks
and benefits.
C) Paying a co-pay.
D) Verbal agreement to a flu shot. Elaboration: Informed consent is a legal
process, usually involving a signed document, for invasive procedures.
16. A CMAA accidentally sends a patient’s records to the wrong provider. This is a:
A) Felony.
B) HIPAA Breach.
C) Minor error.
D) Case of fraud. Elaboration: Any unauthorized disclosure of PHI is
considered a breach and must be documented and potentially reported.
17. Which of the following is an example of "Battery" in a medical setting?
A) Threatening a patient.
B) Performing a procedure without the patient's consent.
C) Forgetting to schedule an appointment.
D) Asking for a co-pay. Elaboration: Physical contact or procedures
performed without permission constitute legal battery.
18. What is the "Minimum Necessary" rule in HIPAA?
A) Use the smallest font possible.
CMAA Review Practice Test | 100-Question Master Prep
Capella University
Section 1: Scheduling and Patient Intake
1. Which scheduling system assigns a specific time slot to each patient?
A) Wave scheduling
B) Stream scheduling
C) Open hours
D) Cluster scheduling Elaboration: Stream scheduling (also known as time-
specified scheduling) minimizes patient wait times by giving each person a
unique appointment time.
2. A patient arrives 30 minutes late for their appointment. What is the first action the
CMAA should take?
A) Cancel the appointment and charge a fee.
B) Check the schedule to see if the patient can still be seen without
disrupting other appointments.
C) Tell the patient to go home.
D) Send the patient directly to the exam room. Elaboration: The CMAA must
balance policy with patient care by checking the current flow of the office
before making a decision.
3. What is the primary purpose of a "Matrix" in a medical schedule?
A) To track patient payments.
B) To mark out times when the provider is unavailable (e.g., lunch,
meetings, surgery).
C) To list patient names.
D) To record vital signs. Elaboration: Establishing a matrix prevents
appointments from being scheduled when the provider is out of the office.
4. In "Wave Scheduling," how are patients scheduled?
A) One every 15 minutes.
B) Multiple patients arrive at the top of every hour and are seen in the order
they arrive.
, C) All patients arrive at 8:00 AM.
D) Only emergency patients are seen. Elaboration: Wave scheduling helps
the office stay on track if one patient takes longer or arrives late.
5. When a new patient calls to schedule an appointment, which of the following is
most important to obtain?
A) Their occupation.
B) Their insurance information and reason for the visit.
C) Their favorite pharmacy.
D) Their emergency contact's email. Elaboration: Verification of insurance
and the nature of the visit are essential for determining the length of the
appointment and coverage eligibility.
6. What is "Clustering" in medical scheduling?
A) Scheduling patients by their last name.
B) Grouping patients with similar conditions or procedures into specific
time blocks.
C) Scheduling only one patient per hour.
D) Scheduling family members together. Elaboration: Clustering increases
efficiency by allowing the staff to prepare the room for the same type of
procedure multiple times in a row.
7. A CMAA is scheduling a diagnostic test for a patient. What is the first step?
A) Call the laboratory.
B) Verify the provider’s order for the test.
C) Ask the patient for their co-pay.
D) Schedule the follow-up appointment. Elaboration: An order from the
provider is a legal and medical requirement before any test can be
scheduled.
8. Which of the following is an example of an "Inpatient" facility?
A) Urgent Care
B) Skilled Nursing Facility
C) Diagnostic Imaging Center
D) Physical Therapy Clinic Elaboration: Inpatient facilities provide 24-hour
care where the patient stays overnight.
, 9. When a patient cancels an appointment, the CMAA must:
A) Delete the appointment and forget about it.
B) Document the cancellation in the patient's medical record.
C) Call the police.
D) Charge the patient double next time. Elaboration: Documentation of "No-
shows" or cancellations is vital for legal protection and tracking patient
compliance.
10. What is the purpose of an "Advance Directive"?
A) To pay bills early.
B) To outline a patient's wishes for medical treatment if they become
unable to communicate.
C) To schedule surgery.
D) To notify the office of an address change. Elaboration: This legal document
ensures the patient's autonomy in healthcare decisions.
Section 2: HIPAA and Medical Law
11. HIPAA stands for:
A) Health Information Privacy and Access Act.
B) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
C) Healthcare Improvement and Patient Assistance Act.
D) Hospital Information and Provider Authorization Act. Elaboration: HIPAA is
the federal law that protects sensitive patient health information from being
disclosed without consent.
12. A CMAA is sending a fax containing PHI. What is the most important step?
A) Use a colorful font.
B) Use a cover sheet with a confidentiality disclaimer.
C) Send it twice to be sure.
D) Call the patient afterwards. Elaboration: A cover sheet ensures that if the
fax is received by the wrong person, they are informed of its private nature.
13. What does "PHI" stand for?
A) Private Health Insurance.
B) Protected Health Information.
, C) Public Health Initiative.
D) Personal Health Indicator. Elaboration: PHI includes any information that
can be used to identify a patient and relates to their healthcare.
14. A person calls the office asking for their spouse's test results. The CMAA should:
A) Give the results over the phone.
B) Check the patient’s file for a signed release form specifically authorizing
the spouse.
C) Ask the spouse for their ID over the phone.
D) Tell them to call the doctor directly. Elaboration: Without a signed HIPAA
release, sharing information even with a spouse is a violation.
15. What is "Informed Consent"?
A) Signing in at the front desk.
B) The patient's formal agreement to a procedure after being told the risks
and benefits.
C) Paying a co-pay.
D) Verbal agreement to a flu shot. Elaboration: Informed consent is a legal
process, usually involving a signed document, for invasive procedures.
16. A CMAA accidentally sends a patient’s records to the wrong provider. This is a:
A) Felony.
B) HIPAA Breach.
C) Minor error.
D) Case of fraud. Elaboration: Any unauthorized disclosure of PHI is
considered a breach and must be documented and potentially reported.
17. Which of the following is an example of "Battery" in a medical setting?
A) Threatening a patient.
B) Performing a procedure without the patient's consent.
C) Forgetting to schedule an appointment.
D) Asking for a co-pay. Elaboration: Physical contact or procedures
performed without permission constitute legal battery.
18. What is the "Minimum Necessary" rule in HIPAA?
A) Use the smallest font possible.
