Written to NHA's CCMA test plan
- Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science 10%
- Anatomy and Physiology 5.3%
- Clinical Patient Care 56%
- Patient Care Coordination and Education 8%
- Administrative Assisting 8%
- Communication and Customer Service 8%
- Medical Law and Ethics 4.7%
Free · 2026 · 10% of the NHA CCMA CCMA Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science practice questions
Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science is 10% of the NHA CCMA. Answer 10 questions (6 on Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science) and see your score by domain, with every answer explained. Free, no sign-up.
A physician tells a patient that, because of a recent seizure, he may not drive until he is cleared. The patient nods quietly to the physician. At checkout, he angrily yells at the front-desk staff about a $20 copay. Which defense mechanism is the patient most likely using?
Tap an answer, or press A to D
Scope of practice, medical terminology, basic pharmacology, nutrition and psychology.
What the NHA CCMA exam tests in Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science
- Health care systems and settings: MA scope of practice and titles; roles and credentials of providers and allied health staff; licensure vs certification; care delivery models (PCMH, ACO, hospice, home health, mobile units); telehealth and patient portals; payment models; general vs specialty care; ancillary and complementary services
- Medical terminology: abbreviations, acronyms and symbols; The Joint Commission 'Do Not Use' list; word building (roots, prefixes, suffixes, plurals); lay vs medical terms; positional and directional terms
- Basic pharmacology: drug classes, indications and common drugs; controlled substance schedules; side vs adverse effects and indications vs contraindications; metric/household measurement and dosage calculations; dosage forms; look-alike/sound-alike drugs; routes; pharmacokinetics (ADME); rights of medication administration; storage and disposal; drug references and FDA rules
- Nutrition: nutrients, dietary guidelines and food labels; diets for diseases (diabetes, kidney disease, celiac); vitamins and supplements; eating disorders
- Psychology: developmental stages; signs of common mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD); environmental and socioeconomic stressors; psychology of disability and illness; defense mechanisms; end of life and stages of grief
High-yield foundational knowledge and basic science facts
- Certification is voluntary and comes from a private body: CCMA (NHA), CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT), NCMA (NCCT). Licensure is mandatory and state-granted (MD, DO, PA, NP, RN, LPN). Registration means being listed on an official registry.
- MAs work under provider supervision. They do not diagnose, prescribe, interpret results for patients or give independent medical advice.
- Care models: PCMH = a primary-care team coordinates all of a patient's care. ACO = providers share accountability for the cost and quality of a population. Hospice = comfort care for a prognosis of about 6 months or less, with curative treatment stopped. Palliative = symptom relief at any stage, and treatment may continue. Home health = skilled care in the home. Mobile units = screenings and vaccines brought to the community.
- Telehealth types: synchronous (live video or phone), asynchronous or store-and-forward (images, portal messages) and remote patient monitoring (home BP cuff, glucometer). Patient portals offer secure messages, results, refill requests and scheduling.
- Payment models: fee-for-service pays per service. Capitation pays a fixed amount per member per month regardless of visits. Value-based or pay-for-performance pays for quality outcomes. Bundled payment is one payment per episode of care.
- General (primary) care vs specialty care (cardiology, dermatology and others, often needing a referral). Ancillary services: lab, imaging, PT/OT, pharmacy. Complementary services: acupuncture, chiropractic, massage.
| Part | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ectomy | surgical removal | appendectomy |
| -otomy | cutting into (incision) | tracheotomy |
| -ostomy | creating a new opening | colostomy |
| -plasty | surgical repair | rhinoplasty |
| -scopy | visual exam | colonoscopy |
| -centesis | puncture to remove fluid | amniocentesis |
| -itis / -algia | inflammation / pain | arthritis / myalgia |
| -emia / -penia | blood condition / deficiency | anemia / leukopenia |
The full CCMA High-Yield Cram Sheet comes with full prep.
Common foundational knowledge and basic science traps
- -ostomy (new opening) vs -otomy (incision) vs -ectomy (removal).
- Proximal/distal describe limbs relative to the trunk; medial/lateral describe position relative to the midline.
- Side effect (expected, mild) vs adverse effect (harmful); indication vs contraindication.
- Convert units (g to mg, lb to kg) before using the dosage formula.
- C-II has no refills; C-III and C-IV allow up to 5 refills within 6 months.
- Never crush ER, XR, SR or enteric-coated tablets.
- Varicella-containing vaccines go in the freezer, not the refrigerator.
- Hospice requires a limited prognosis and stops curative care; palliative care can happen alongside treatment.
Free CCMA foundational knowledge and basic science practice questions
Question 1
While rooming a patient, the medical assistant is asked by the patient, "My hemoglobin A1c came back at 7.2%. Does that mean I have diabetes?" Which response is within the medical assistant's scope of practice?
- A"Yes, anything above 6.5% is in the diabetic range, so you do have diabetes."
- B"The provider will review your results with you and explain what they mean during today's visit."
- C"No, that is only slightly high, so there is nothing to worry about."
- D"Let me pull up the reference range and walk you through what your number means."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Interpreting test results and making a diagnosis belong to the licensed provider. The MA appropriately refers the question to the provider.
Why not A: Telling the patient they have diabetes is a diagnosis, which is outside the MA's scope.
Why not C: This interprets the result and gives false reassurance, both of which are outside the MA's scope.
Why not D: Explaining what a result means is still interpretation. That responsibility belongs to the provider, not the MA.
Remember: Medical assistants do not diagnose or interpret test results; they refer those questions to the provider.
Question 2
A medical assistant is entering a provider's verbal medication order into the EHR. Which entry complies with The Joint Commission's official 'Do Not Use' list?
- ALisinopril 10 mg daily
- BLisinopril 10 mg qd
- CLisinopril 10 mg Q.O.D.
- DLisinopril 10.0 mg daily
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The frequency is spelled out as "daily" and the dose has no trailing zero, so the entry uses no prohibited abbreviation or notation.
Why not B: QD, in any form, is on the Do Not Use list because it can be misread as QID (four times daily). The word "daily" should be written out.
Why not C: QOD is on the Do Not Use list because it can be misread as QD or QID. "Every other day" should be written out.
Why not D: A trailing zero is prohibited because a missed decimal point turns 10.0 mg into 100 mg, a tenfold overdose.
Remember: The Joint Commission prohibits U, IU, QD, QOD, trailing zeros, missing leading zeros, and MS/MSO4/MgSO4, so write "daily" and "every other day" in full.
Question 3
A family practice signs a contract with an insurer. Under the contract, the insurer pays the practice $45 per member per month for every enrolled patient, whether that patient has zero visits or ten visits that month. Which payment model is this?
- ACapitation
- BFee-for-service
- CBundled payment
- DPay-for-performance
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Capitation pays a fixed amount per enrolled patient for a set period, regardless of how many services the patient actually uses.
Why not B: In fee-for-service, the provider is paid separately for each visit or service performed. Payment would therefore rise with the number of visits.
Why not C: A bundled payment is one combined payment for all services in a defined episode of care, such as a knee replacement. It is not a monthly fee per enrolled member.
Why not D: Pay-for-performance gives providers bonuses or penalties based on meeting quality measures. It does not by definition pay a flat monthly amount per patient.
Remember: Capitation means a fixed per-member-per-month payment, no matter how many services the patient uses.
Question 4
Before an abdominal examination, the provider tells the medical assistant to place the patient in the supine position. Which instruction should the MA give the patient?
- A"Please sit up on the table with the head of it raised to about 45 degrees."
- B"Please lie flat on your back, face up, with your legs straight out."
- C"Please lie flat on your stomach, face down, with your head to one side."
- D"Please lie on your back, face up, with your knees bent and feet flat."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Supine means lying flat on the back, face up, with the legs extended.
Why not A: This describes a semi-sitting position (Fowler's/semi-Fowler's, with the head raised about 45 degrees), not a flat supine position.
Why not C: This describes the prone position, which is the opposite of supine.
Why not D: This is the dorsal recumbent position. It is face up, but the bent knees make it different from supine.
Remember: Supine is flat on the back, face up, legs extended; prone is face down; dorsal recumbent is face up with knees bent.
Question 5
A patient taking warfarin asks whether he needs to change his diet. The provider wants him to keep a steady intake of leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale rather than suddenly increasing or cutting them. Which vitamin in these foods affects warfarin's action?
- AVitamin D
- BVitamin B12
- CVitamin C
- DVitamin K
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Vitamin K is needed to make clotting factors and works against warfarin, so sudden changes in intake alter the INR.
Why not A: Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and bone health and does not cause significant warfarin interactions.
Why not B: Vitamin B12 is needed for red blood cell formation and nerve function, not clotting factor production.
Why not C: Vitamin C supports immune function and wound healing but does not directly counteract warfarin.
Remember: Patients on warfarin should keep vitamin K intake (leafy greens) consistent rather than avoid it, because changes in intake affect clotting.
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- 300+ CCMA practice questions, every answer choice explained
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- Order of Draw Sequencer and EKG Strip & Artifact Reader: all 15 rounds
- Full 23-page printable High-Yield Cram Sheet (PDF)
100% Pass Guarantee + 7-day money-back. How it works