A 12-lead ECG is complete and clear of artifact. What should the medical assistant do next?

Diagnose the rhythm for the patient

Free NCMA (NCCT) Practice Test 2026

200 original questions on the NCCT NCMA test plan: pharmacology, infection control, patient intake and care, phlebotomy, ECG, administrative duties, and law and ethics. Four 50-question practice tests. Tuned for mobile. Free to start, no account needed.

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The NCMA (NCCT) exam at a glance

The National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam is the National Center for Competency Testing's (NCCT) certification exam for medical assistants. NCCT's detailed test plan, effective January 2024, gives it 125 scored questions plus 25 unscored pretest questions, with three hours to finish; about 92% are four-option multiple choice and 8% are alternative items such as drag and drop, multi-select and hotspot. Scores run from 200 to 720 and a scaled 575 passes, which is not a fixed percentage. The plan has four content categories: Pharmacology and General Medical Knowledge 18 items, Clinical Medical Procedures 72 (Infection Control and Safety 15, Patient Intake and Care 32, Phlebotomy 15, ECG 10), Medical Administrative Duties 15, and Law and Ethics 20. It is taken on a computer at a test site or by remote proctoring, in English only.

Tigertest has 200 NCMA (NCCT) practice questions with explanations, free to start with no account required.

Questions: 150 (125 scored, 25 pretest)
Time: 3 hours
Passing score: 575 on a 200 to 720 scale
Largest areas: Patient Intake and Care 32, Law and Ethics 20, Pharmacology and General Medical Knowledge 18
Eligibility: NCCT-authorized medical assistant program (student or graduate within 5 years), 1 year of full-time work as a medical assistant within the past 5 years, or military training
Where: Computer based, at a test site or by remote proctoring; English only
Retakes: After 30 days for a 2nd and 3rd try, 90 days for a 4th, then 180 days with an appeal
Given by: NCCT

Updated November 2026 by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow NCCT's NCMA Detailed Test Plan (effective January 2024) and Candidate Handbook (revised January 2026), checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with NCCT: NCMA Detailed Test Plan.

How It Works

Train by Category

Four training sets cover every content category of the NCCT test plan: pharmacology and infection control; patient intake and care; phlebotomy and ECG; and administrative duties and law. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.

Weighted Practice Tests

Four practice tests of 50 questions, each weighted like the 125 scored questions on the real exam. Aim for 70% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.

Built on the NCCT NCMA Test Plan

NCCT publishes how many of the 125 scored questions come from each content category, and every practice test here keeps that balance, scaled to 50 questions. Clinical procedures make up 72 of the 125, and patient intake and care is the largest single area. Medical assistant program instructors can set Tigertest as NCMA review at tigertest.io/teach and see which topics the class misses most.

Patient Intake and Care32 items

Law and Ethics20 items

Pharmacology and General Medical Knowledge18 items

Infection Control and Safety15 items

Phlebotomy15 items

Medical Administrative Duties15 items

ECG10 items

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How to Pass the NCMA Exam

1. Master patient intake and care

Intake and care is 32 of the 125 scored questions, the largest area. Know identification, vital signs and normal ranges, vision screening, exam positions, injections and their sites, wound care, specimen instructions and CLIA-waived tests.

2. Learn the law and ethics rules

Law and ethics is 20 items. Know scope of practice, advance directives, HIPAA and HITECH, consent, terminating care, OSHA rules, CLIA certificates and the DEA rules for ordering, storing and recording controlled drugs.

3. Drill phlebotomy and ECG

Phlebotomy is 15 items and ECG is 10. Learn tube additives, the order of draw, special handling, site restrictions, electrode placement and how to spot and fix artifact and lead errors.

4. Fix your misses, then retest

Tigertest tracks your accuracy by category. Aim for 70% or better on every practice test before your exam date. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest category.

NCMA Exam Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCMA exam?

It is the certification exam for the National Certified Medical Assistant credential from the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT). It covers clinical and front office work: pharmacology and medical knowledge, infection control, patient intake and care, phlebotomy, ECG, administrative duties, and law and ethics. Candidates qualify through an NCCT-authorized medical assistant program, formal military medical training, or a year of verified full-time work as a medical assistant within the past five years.

How many questions are on the NCMA exam?

NCCT's detailed test plan lists 125 scored questions and 25 unscored pretest questions, with three hours to finish. About 92% are four-option multiple choice and 8% are alternative items such as drag and drop, multi-select and hotspot. The exam is on a computer, at a test site or by remote proctoring, and is offered in English only.

What score do you need to pass the NCMA exam?

NCCT reports scores from 200 to 720, and the pass point is a scaled 575, set by a panel of subject matter experts. It is not a fixed percentage, so the 70 percent line on these practice tests is a readiness target. After a failed attempt you wait 30 days for a second or third try, 90 days after a third failure, and 180 days with an appeal after that.

What is on the NCMA exam?

The test plan has four content categories: Pharmacology and General Medical Knowledge 18 questions, Clinical Medical Procedures 72 (Infection Control and Safety 15, Patient Intake and Care 32, Phlebotomy 15, ECG 10), Medical Administrative Duties 15, and Law and Ethics 20. Each practice test here keeps that balance.

Are these the real NCMA exam questions?

No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from NCCT's published test plan and the laws and standards it names, such as HIPAA, OSHA, CLIA and DEA rules, so it covers the same knowledge without copying the exam. Tigertest is not affiliated with the National Center for Competency Testing.

I teach a medical assistant program. Can my students use Tigertest?

Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.

NCMA (NCCT) sample questions and answers

6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.

1. A plan authorized six physical therapy visits, and the patient has used all six. What should the medical assistant do?
- A.Refer her to a new therapist
- B.Ask the plan for more visits
- C.Book more visits anyway
- D.Bill the plan for the extras
Answer: B. Visits past the approved number may not be paid, so a new authorization is requested before more are given.
2. A 12-lead ECG is complete and clear of artifact. What should the medical assistant do next?
- A.Discard it after viewing
- B.Diagnose the rhythm for the patient
- C.Send the patient home first
- D.Label it for review
Answer: D. The tracing is labeled with the patient's name, date and time and given to the provider, who interprets it. Interpreting is not in the medical assistant's scope.
3. The medical assistant cleans a stethoscope between patients. Which product is appropriate?
- A.A disinfectant wipe
- B.Dry paper towels
- C.A wet cloth with tap water
- D.Alcohol-based hand rub
Answer: A. Noncritical equipment such as a stethoscope is wiped with an EPA-registered disinfectant, leaving it wet for the label's contact time.
4. Using the USDA's MyPlate guide, what share of the plate should fruits and vegetables fill?
- A.About three quarters
- B.About one tenth
- C.About half
- D.About one quarter
Answer: C. MyPlate shows half the plate as fruits and vegetables, with grains and protein in the other half.
5. The office finds a theft of controlled substances. How soon must the DEA be told in writing?
- A.At the next inventory
- B.Only if the police ask
- C.Within one business day
- D.Within 60 days
Answer: C. 21 CFR 1301.76 requires written notice to the DEA field office within one business day of discovering a theft or significant loss, followed by DEA Form 106.
6. What information must be on every blood tube label?
- A.Name, ID, date and time
- B.Only the patient's first name
- C.The insurance plan name
- D.The room number only
Answer: A. Each tube is labeled at the patient's side with two identifiers, the date and time of collection, and the collector's initials.

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