AMT certification gives
you the advantage
you need to advance
your career.
AMT Candidate
Handbook
nationally-recognized, not-for-profit certifying
agency for health practitioners who meet
entry-level education, experience, and
examination requirements.
Compliance with eligibility requirements
results in the issuance of a certificate and
membership in American Medical
Technologists (AMT).
© 1992, Am erican M edical Technologists
Most recent revision: 2009
The information presented in this booklet reflects the policies of American Medical Technologists at the time of publication. The policies are subject to change and procedural modifications may occur without notice.
I
GENERAL INFO RMATION . . . 1
Am erican Medical Technologists . . . 1
Purpose of the Certification Exam inations . . . 1
APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATION . . . 1
The Application Process . . . 1
Non-Discrim ination Policy . . . 2
Application Appeals Procedure . . . 2
EXAMINATION ADMINISTRATION . . . 2
Adm inistration Mode . . . 2
Exam ination Security and Test Adm inistration Regulations . . . 3
COMPUTER-BASED TESTING (CBT) . . . 3
General Inform ation. . . 3
Authorization to Test . . . 3
The Day of the Exam ination . . . 3
Prom ptness . . . 3
Identification . . . 3
Rescheduling Policy . . . 4
Cancellation Policy . . . 4
PAPER-AND-PENCIL TESTING. . . 4
The Day of the Exam ination . . . 4
Prom ptness . . . 4
Identification . . . 4
Tim e Lim it . . . 4
Test Booklet Instructions . . . 4
Pencils . . . 5
Com pleting Answer Sheets . . . 5
Sam ple Answer Sheet . . . 5
IMPO RTANT INFO RMATION FO R ALL EXAM INEES . . . 5
Questionable Test-Taking Behavior . . . 5
Exam inee Agreem ent Regarding Score Cancellations and Confidentiality 6 Special Accom m odations . . . 6
II
EXAMINATION RESULTS . . . 6
Scoring Procedures . . . 6
Scores and Score Reports . . . 6
Processing Tim e . . . 7
Retesting . . . 7
Score Verification . . . 7
Results Appeals Procedure. . . 7
EXAMINATION DEVELOPMENT . . . 8
The Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittees . . . 8
The Com petency Outline . . . 8
EXAMINATION FORMAT AND CONTENT . . . 9
Exam ination Form at . . . 9
Exam ination Content . . . 9
EXAMINATION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . . . 9
Criterion-referenced Exam inations . . . 9
Setting the Criterion (passing score) . . . 9
Passing the Exam ination and Reexam ination . . . 10
MAINTENANCE OF EXAM INATION QUALITY AND TEST SECURITY . . . 11
Collection and Review of Statistical Indices . . . 11
Exam ination Developm ent . . . 11
Exam ination Security . . . 11
CERTIFICATION . . . 11
AM T Certification . . . 11
Certification Continuation Program (CCP) . . . 11
Standards of Practice . . . . . . 12
Disciplinary Process and Revocation of Certification . . . 12
CONTENT OUTLINE FO R RMA CERTIFICATION EXAM INATION . . . 13
SAMPLE Q UESTIONS FO R RMA CERTIFICATION EXAM INATION . . . 14
REFERENCES FO R RMA CERTIFICATION EXAM INATION . . . 16
REG ISTERED MEDICAL ASSISTANT PRACTICE EXAM INATION . . . 18
G ENERAL INFO RM AT IO N American M edical Technologists
Am erican Medical Technologists (AM T) is a national agency that certifies seven prim ary designations of healthcare personnel: m edical technologists, m edical laboratory technicians, office laboratory technicians, m edical assistants, phlebotom y technicians, dental assistants, and m edical office adm inistrative
specialists. The organization's purpose is to help protect the welfare of the public by m aintaining com petency standards in these occupations.
As an accredited m em ber of the National Com m ission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), a division of the National Organization for Com petency Assurance (NOCA), AMT adheres to a num ber of rigorous criteria regarding the conduct of its credentialing program s. All AMT certification exam inations are constructed and adm inistered in accordance with m ethodologies recognized by both psychom etric and credentialing com m unities.
Purpose of the Certification Exam inations
AM T Certification exam inations are intended to evaluate the com petence of entry-level practitioners. The tests address content areas defined and validated by subject-m atter experts, educators, and individuals working in their respective fields. As the tests provide only one source of inform ation regarding exam inee com petence, they are used in conjunction with other indicators of training and experience in the granting of certification.
APPLYING FO R CERT IFICAT IO N The Application Process
1. Obtain the correct application and review the eligibility requirem ents for the designation in which
you seek certification. Applications m ay be downloaded from the AMT website at: w w w .am t1.com . Requests for applications m ay also be directed to the AMT Registrar at:
Am erican Medical Technologists Voice: (847) 823-5169 10700 W est Higgins Road, Suite 150 Fax: (847) 823-0458 Rosem ont, Illinois 60018
2. Review the Candidate Handbook prior to com pleting the application. The Handbook outlines
im portant inform ation and requirem ents to which all applicants m ust com ply.
3. Com plete and m ail the application and application fee to the AM T Registrar (at the address provided above). W hen subm itting an application, candidates m ust pay close attention to the
docum entation required. Also, it is the candidate’s responsibility to keep inform ed of the progress of the application and to assist in the tim ely response of references and em ployers. Candidates should allow sufficient tim e for application review and processing. Candidates are encouraged to subm it applications and required docum entation as early as possible to allow for unanticipated delays. Applicants applying for special accom m odations should allow additional processing tim e and m ust subm it appropriate
docum entation as outlined in a subsequent section of this handbook. Appeals for denied applications m ay be filed according to the stipulations outlined in a subsequent section of this handbook. Application fees are not refundable.
4. W ait for w ritten confirmation from the AM T Registrar indicating that you have been approved to test. W hen a candidate’s application is com plete and has been approved by the Registrar, an
Authorization to Test letter will be issued. The correspondence will include all details necessary to
5. Schedule a test adm inistration session. AMT exam inations are offered in either paper-and-pencil or
com puterized form at (or both) depending upon a candidate’s specific situation, application route, and certification designation. Candidates should be sure to schedule adm inistrations as early as possible to ensure am ple exam ination processing tim e.
6. Attend the exam ination adm inistration. Detailed inform ation regarding test adm inistration provisions
and requirem ents is provided in this handbook.
7. Aw ait exam ination results. Paper-and-pencil exam ination results will be issued by the Registrar only
in writing, by m ail. Results will not be issued via telephone or facsim ile transm ission under any
circum stances. Candidates exam ined by com puter-based testing (CBT) receive results im m ediately upon com pletion of the test adm inistration session.
Non-Discrim ination Policy
Qualified applicants are considered for certification without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, m arital status, m edical condition, or handicap.
Application Appeals Procedure
Applicants deem ed ineligible to sit for an AM T certifying exam ination have the opportunity to appeal that decision.
I. Appeal to the Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com mittee
An applicant m ay appeal the decision of the AMT Office Staff to the Education, Qualifications, and Standards (EQS) Com m ittee by writing the Com m ittee within 60 days of notification of the Staff decision. The applicant m ay subm it any docum entation deem ed necessary to support the appeal. The EQS Com m ittee m ay m eet in person or by telephone to discuss the appeal. The Com m ittee m ay allow the applicant to be present at a personal m eeting, if one is held, or m ay talk to the individual by telephone. All of the applicant's expenses pertaining to the appeal will be borne by the applicant. The Com m ittee will notify the applicant in writing of its decision within 120 days of receipt of the original written appeal.
II. Appeal to the AMT Board of Directors
Applicants m ay appeal the decision of the EQS Com m ittee to the AMT Board of Directors by writing to the President of the Board within 60 days of notification of the Com m ittee decision. The applicant m ay subm it any docum entation deem ed necessary to support the appeal. The Board m ay m eet in person or by telephone. The Board m ay allow the individual to be present at a personal m eeting, if one is held, or m ay talk to the applicant by phone. All of the applicant's expenses pertaining to the appeal will be borne by the applicant. The Board will notify the applicant of its decision in writing within 120 days of receipt of the written appeal. The decision of the Board of Directors is final.
III. AMT Board of Directors Options
The fundam ental decision of the Board will be to affirm or overturn the Office Staff decision. However, the Board m ay also opt to m ake other decisions deem ed appropriate.
EXAM INAT IO N ADM INIST RAT IO N Adm inistration M ode
AM T certification exam inations are available in both paper-and-pencil and com puter-adm inistered
Registrar assigned to their discipline to determ ine which adm inistration form at is appropriate and available for their specific case and circum stance. Inform ation pertaining to both paper-and-pencil and
com puterized form ats is presented in separate sections below. Be sure to pay careful attention to the rules pertaining to the adm inistration m ethod appropriate in your case.
Exam ination Security and Test Adm inistration Regulations
To ensure that all AMT candidates are exam ined under com parable conditions em ploying fair and accurate testing m ethods it is essential that testing environm ents be standardized. In addition to other provisions outlined in this booklet, the regulations below seek to achieve test standardization and augm ent test security. No cellular phones, beepers, pagers, cam eras, photographic or video equipm ent,
transm itters, or electronic equipm ent of any type is allowed in the testing room . No papers, books, textbooks, notebooks, notes, unauthorized scratch paper, or food are perm itted in the testing room . Eating, drinking, and tobacco use are prohibited. Any violation of the testing policies and procedures outlined in this booklet m ay result in dism issal from the testing center, invalidation of exam ination results, and forfeiture of eligibility to test and associated fees.
COM PUTER-BASED TESTING (CBT) General Inform ation
All AMT com puter-based testing is adm inistered under contract with Pearson VUE. Pearson VUE testing centers are available at several hundred locations in the United States and its territories. Com plete and current inform ation regarding dom estic Pearson VUE sites can be reviewed at the website:
W W W .PEARSO NVUE.CO M . This site also provides m aps and driving instructions to each testing center. Authorization to Test
Once a candidate’s Application for Certification is com plete and has been officially approved by the AMT Registrar, an Authorization to Test letter is sent to the candidate. At the sam e tim e, AMT sends Pearson VUE an electronic authorization indicating which candidates are approved and eligible for exam ination. Upon receipt of the Authorization letter dom estic candidates m ay logon to W W W .PEARSO NVUE.CO M or call Pearson VUE directly to schedule an exam ination tim e and place. The letter contains the num ber to contact Pearson VUE and other im portant inform ation necessary for testing.
The Day of the Exam ination
Exam inations are adm inistered as scheduled in advance with Pearson VUE. It is advisable to bring a watch. Exam inees are not perm itted to continue taking the test beyond the established tim e lim it. Visitors are not perm itted in the exam ination room . Calculators are not allowed in the exam ination room and are not necessary. The exam ination questions are so constructed that all num erical calculations m ay be perform ed by hand. In addition, scratch paper should not be necessary.
Prom ptness
Exam inees are advised to be at the adm inistration site at least 30 m inutes prior to the scheduled exam ination tim e to allow for check-in. Exam inees arriving late m ay be refused adm ittance by the Pearson VUE proctor. Should this occur, the candidate will be required to pay a reexam ination fee and reschedule another testing appointm ent.
Identification
a recent photo. Candidates m ust present one of the following as the prim ary form of identification:
Passport, photo-bearing driver’s license w ith signature, photo-bearing em ployee identification card, or m ilitary identification. The secondary form of identification m ay include any of the above or a
credit card. Exam inees not providing acceptable identification w ill be refused adm ittance to test
and w ill be required to pay a reexam ination fee and reschedule another testing appointment. Rescheduling Policy
Exam ination appointm ents m ay be rescheduled without fee by contacting Pearson VUE no later than one business day prior to the scheduled appointm ent. There is no charge for rescheduling if the change is m ade at least one business day prior to the appointm ent.
Cancellation Policy
Exam ination appointm ents m ay be canceled without fee by contacting Pearson VUE no later than one business day prior to the scheduled appointm ent. There is no charge for canceling if the change is m ade at least one day prior to the appointm ent. Candidates canceling appointm ents after one business day prior to a scheduled appointm ent will forfeit their full testing fee.
PAPER-AND-PENCIL TESTING The Day of the Exam ination
Exam inations are adm inistered only on specific days and at tim es scheduled by Am erican Medical Technologists. It is advisable to bring a watch. Exam inees are not perm itted to continue taking the test beyond the established tim e lim it (see below).
Visitors are not perm itted in the exam ination room . Also, calculators are not allowed in the exam ination room . The exam ination questions are so constructed that all num erical calculations m ay be perform ed by hand. Scratch paper is not perm itted. Scratch work should be perform ed on the back of the packet that contains the exam ination booklet.
Prom ptness
Exam inees are advised to be at the adm inistration site at least 15 m inutes prior to the scheduled exam ination tim e.
Identification
Exam inees should be prepared to present two form s of identification to receive an exam ination packet (at least one of these form s should bear a photo and signature of the exam inee). A current driver's license, em ployee identification card, or passport are acceptable form s of identification.
Tim e Lim it
Exam inees have three (3) hours in which to com plete the exam ination. Proctors have been instructed to begin tim ing after prelim inary inform ation has been entered on the answer sheets. All answer sheets and exam ination m aterials will be collected when three hours have elapsed.
Test Booklet Instructions
The test packets that exam inees receive at the proctoring site contain an answer sheet (see sam ple below) and a test booklet. Before beginning the test, exam inees are required to com plete the prelim inary section of their answer sheets by following the instructions printed on the inside front cover of their test booklets. Exam inees are required to read the instruction page carefully, and provide their nam e, address,
and signature as indicated. This inform ation is im portant, as test results are forwarded to the address provided on the inside test booklet cover. If this inform ation is not provided, exam inees m ay experience delays in receiving their exam ination results.
Pencils
Answer sheets m ust be com pleted using a #2 lead pencil. Pencils will NOT be provided at the
exam ination site. It is advisable for all exam inees to bring at least tw o sharpened #2 pencils with them the day of the adm inistration.
Com pleting Answ er Sheets
As the answer sheets are scored using a com puterized optical scanner, all m arks m ust be heavy, dark, and com pletely filled in. The scanning equipm ent will NOT read light m arkings. Sim ilarly, all erasures m ust be com plete. In addition, AMT exam inations are constructed so that questions have only one best answer. Therefore, provide only one response to each question. Multiple responses to a single question are autom atically scored as incorrect.
Sam ple Answ er Sheet
A sam ple answer sheet sim ilar to that used by exam inees is presented below. Detailed instructions for com pleting the answer sheet are provided by the exam ination proctor prior to the start of the
adm inistration. Exam inees should follow the proctor's instructions carefully to ensure the accuracy of the results that they receive.
IM PORTANT INFORM ATION FOR ALL EXAM INEES Questionable Test-Taking Behavior
Proctors have been given specific instructions regarding questionable test-taking behavior, or "cheating." Such behavior includes, but is not lim ited to: exam inees copying from one another, exam inees speaking to one another during the adm inistration, or copying from notes. Proctors have been instructed to im m ediately collect the exam ination m aterials from those individuals in question. Exam inations collected under such circum stances will be invalidated and the exam inee will be subject to the policies outlined in this booklet.
Exam inee Agreem ent Regarding Score Cancellations and Confidentiality
By applying and sitting for an AMT certification examination, all candidates agree to the following policies:
1. Validity Assurance and Score Cancellation - AMT reserves the right to cancel any exam ination
score if, in AMT’s professional judgm ent, there is any reason to question the score’s validity.
Circum stances warranting score cancellation m ay include, but are not lim ited to: copying from notes or from another exam inee’s answers; speaking or otherwise com m unicating with others during the test adm inistration; aiding or receiving aid from other exam inees; consulting study aids of any type during the exam ; copying, transcribing, or otherwise reproducing test m aterials; rem oving test m aterials from the exam ination room ; or having im proper access to AMT exam content prior to the exam adm inistration. Significant score increases upon retesting m ay also be investigated to ensure the authenticity of results. Misconduct m ay disqualify you from all future exam ination attem pts and from AMT certification.
2. Exam Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreem ent - The content of all AMT certification exam s
is copyrighted and is the property of AMT. Exam m aterials will be provided to you on a tem porary basis for the sole purpose of testing your knowledge and com petency in the discipline for which you seek certification. You are required to return any exam m aterials to the test adm inistrator im m ediately after com pleting the exam , and you are prohibited from using or possessing AMT exam ination content for any other purpose or at any other tim e. You agree not to disclose, publish, copy, reproduce, transm it or distribute exam content, in whole or in part, in any form or by any m eans, for any purpose, without the express prior written authorization of AMT’s Director of Testing and Com petency Assurance. The unauthorized disclosure, publication, copying, reproduction, transm ission, distribution or possession of exam content or m aterials in any form is a crim e and m ay subject you to civil liability and/or crim inal prosecution.
Special Accom m odations
Am erican Medical Technologists is com m itted to ensuring that no individual is deprived of the opportunity to take an exam ination solely by reason of a disability. Special accom m odations m ay be provided for candidates with docum ented disabilities. Candidates requesting special provisions m ust state their needs in writing when applying to take the exam ination. Requests should include (but are not lim ited to): 1) docum entation of the disability, 2) accom m odations requested for the exam ination, and 3) descriptions of past accom m odations provided in other cases.
W henever possible, the AMT Office will determ ine applicant eligibility for special provisions. Candidates should allow the AMT Office reasonable tim e to review the request, and if warranted, m ake provisions to provide an accom m odation. The exam ination proctor will be notified if special considerations are granted.
EXAM INATION RESULTS Scoring Procedures
All com puterized exam inations are scored im m ediately by the com puter. All paper-and-pencil answer sheets are scored by m achine (using an optical docum ent scanner and com puter). These scoring m ethods allows for both a high degree of quality control with respect to the accuracy of results, in addition to absolute objectivity with respect to scoring.
Scores and Score Reports
Following exam ination scoring, exam inees receive a letter notifying them of their exam ination
perform ance. Passing exam inees receive a letter indicating the passing score on the exam ination (70) and their obtained scale score only. Failing exam inees receive a letter containing the sam e inform ation, in addition to inform ation regarding the sub-sections of the test in which they obtained low scores. Failing exam inees m ay consider these areas of weakness in preparation for retesting.
Although there are 200-210 questions on the exam ination, the m inim um passing score on the exam ination is translated into the num ber 70, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. It is im portant to note that 70, and the scores that exam inees receive, are neither percentages of questions, nor num bers of questions answered correctly. Rather, these are points on a 0 to 100 scale. Therefore, a score of 99 would NO T indicate that 99% of the questions were answered correctly, or that 99 questions were answered correctly. The system of "scaled scores" is used to provide a com m on scale for reviewing and reporting test results across exam inees, and across different form s of the sam e test.
Processing Tim e
Exam ination results are available im m ediately upon com pletion of com puter-adm inistered exam inations. Test results appear on the screen and a paper copy of the results are provided by the proctor.
Paper-and-pencil exam ination results are forwarded within 6 to 8 weeks following the test adm inistration. Results are not released until the candidate's application file is com plete (with all inform ation,
docum entation, signatures, and fees provided). In addition, results are forwarded to exam inees in writing only, and are not available by telephone.
Retesting
Because perform ance is evaluated with respect to all content areas, failing candidates who choose to retake the test are required to retake the entire exam ination. Candidates are allowed to retake the exam ination three additional tim es after the first failure. After the first failure, candidates m ay retake the exam ination ONE additional tim e without filing a new application. However, candidates m ust file a new application and provide docum entation of additional training or retraining prior to attem pting the
exam ination a third tim e.
Score Verification
Exam inees receiving failing scores m ay request rescoring of the answer sheet that they com pleted. Rescoring requests m ust be subm itted in writing to the AMT Registrar, accom panied by a $25.00 rescoring fee. Upon receipt of a written request and the regrading fee, the exam inee's answer sheet will be scored by hand. The Registrar will notify the candidate of the handscoring results. Rescoring requests
m ust be received no later than 60 days follow ing the original release of results for a particular
exam ination. Requests received after 60 days will not be honored. Sim ilarly, requests for handscoring of
prior exam inations will not be honored (unless they were also adm inistered less than 60 days prior to
request).
The AMT Office does not encourage exam inees with scores close to passing to request handscoring. Quality control procedures are perform ed during the tim e of initial scoring. These control procedures include the handscoring of a sam ple of answer sheets to verify the correctness of the m achine-scored answer key. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that exam ination results will change from fail to pass if rescored by hand.
Results Appeals Procedure
Candidates receiving a validated failing grade have the right to appeal. An unsuccessful candidate wishing to review an exam ination m ust file a written request with the AMT Registrar w ithin 60 days after
the original release of results, or w ithin 30 days after the release of handscoring results, w hichever com es last. Reviews m ay be held at the AMT Office, at the candidate's expense. W hile
there is no charge for the review, any travel, lodging, or other expenses incurred are the responsibility of the candidate. Alternatively, the candidate m ay request a review in the state in which the test was given. W hile AMT cannot guarantee a review in the sam e state, the AMT Office will attem pt to accom m odate such requests. In such cases, the AMT Executive Director m ay seek assistance from the AMT State Society president, and/or the proctoring chair. Sim ilarly, personal expenses incurred for local reviews are
also the responsibility of the candidate. Reviews will be held at a tim e agreed upon by all parties. The candidate m ay not be accom panied during the review by any person other than the AMT
representative. Prior to the review, the candidate will be asked to present photo identification (driver's license, em ployee identification card, passport, etc.). The candidate will receive a test booklet copy and a copy of his answer sheet (original test booklets are not retained and are therefore not available for review). In the presence of the AMT representative, the candidate m ay review the exam ination for a m axim um of 90 m inutes: one-half of the initial adm inistration period. The representative will explain that he or she cannot defend the exam ination, attem pt to answer any question, or refute any question during the review process. The candidate will be provided with a review form on which to offer com m ents, questions, or claim s of error contained in the exam ination. The review form will be presented to the Education,
Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittee for review and com m ent, and will be retained by the AMT Office. Although bound reference books will be perm itted, tape recorders and other reproduction devices are prohibited in the review area. The candidate will be perm itted to write only on the review form , and will not be allowed to rem ove anything from the area (the candidate will also be required to sign an agreem ent to this effect prior to review). Should it be necessary for the candidate to leave the review area at any tim e, all m aterials will be collected and returned to the candidate upon return.
The candidate will not be perm itted to review any single form of the exam ination m ore than once. Reexam ination will not be perm itted within 30 days of the date upon which a review took place.
EXAM INATION DEVELOPM ENT The Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittees
Exam inations are developed by the Education, Qualifications, and Standards (EQ S) Com m ittees of Am erican Medical Technologists. Each certification designation has a respective com m ittee of subject-m atter experts that is responsible for constructing exasubject-m inations within its discipline. In addition to generating and updating specifications on which the exam inations are based, the Com m ittees write test questions and review questions subm itted from other sources (questions are subm itted by instructors, experts, practitioners, and other individuals associated with a specific occupation). The Com m ittees also determ ine certification requirem ents and address standard-setting issues related to their respective credentials. After construction by the expert com m ittees, exam inations are subsequently reviewed and approved by the prim ary EQS Com m ittee under the auspices of the Am erican Medical Technologists Board of Directors.
The Com petency Outline
Am erican Medical Technologists adm inisters "com petency-based" certification exam inations. A
com petency-based testing strategy involves assessing whether or not exam inees possess the skills and knowledge required for successful perform ance in a particular job role.
The first step in the developm ent of this type of test is to define the work role by listing the areas in which a certificant m ust be com petent. Such a list m ay include a variety of aspects addressing knowledge of procedures, knowledge of theories, and application of theories, in addition to a num ber of other knowledge and skill-related statem ents.
In the developm ent of exam inations, the Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittee begins by constructing a draft of the com petency (or task) inventory. The prelim inary list is then circulated to a random sam ple of practitioners to obtain their input. The com petency outline presented for each discipline represents the consensus of experts and practitioners regarding the com position of the respective work role. (The outline is actually a sum m ary of a m ore detailed task inventory.)
Once the list of com petencies required for successful practice is developed, test questions are written to address each com petency. The item s are then classified in term s of several dim ensions and entered into a com puterized item bank. As the num ber of written test questions far exceeds the num ber of questions allowable on a particular test, exam inations contain only a sam ple of item s (therefore referencing only a sam ple of com petencies). However, during test construction, the item s are drawn from the bank in such a way as to ensure that representative sam ples of com petencies are assessed.
The sum m ary content outline presented for each certification describes the knowledge and task areas considered by Am erican Medical Technologists to com prise the practitioner work role. Given the
developm ent of thorough and appropriate com petency lists, and the selection of item sam ples adequately representing requisite com petencies, valid tests for practitioner certification m ay be constructed. Through the em ploy of subject-m atter experts, practitioner input, and extensive test validation research, Am erican Medical Technologists continually strives to m aintain sound, updated exam inations.
EXAM INATION FORM AT AND CONTENT Exam ination Form at
AM T certification exam inations consist of 200-210 four-option, m ultiple-choice item s (sam ple questions are included in a subsequent section of this booklet). Exam inees are required to select the single best answer from am ong the four alternatives. Multiple answers for a single item are scored as incorrect. Test item s m ay require exam inees to recall facts, interpret graphic illustrations, interpret inform ation presented in case studies, analyze situations, or solve problem s.
Exam ination Content
The general content outline for the certification exam ination is presented in a subsequent section of this booklet. The percentages of questions indicated for each content area should be considered reliable, but approxim ate.
EXAM INATION PERFORM ANCE STANDARDS Criterion-referenced Exam inations
AM T certification exam inations are com petency-based, criterion-referenced exam inations. As such, they m ay be different from typical tests that m ost exam inees m ay have taken.
Traditionally, m any tests are scored or graded "on the curve." To obtain an "A" an exam inee is only required to perform better than the rest of the people in the group who take the test. Criterion-referenced exam inations (including those em ployed by AMT) do not use the group for determ ining perform ance, but rather an external standard called the "criterion." Exam inee perform ance is evaluated against this
standard to determ ine if an individual's score is sufficiently high to indicate com petence to begin working in the field as a professional.
Setting the Criterion (passing score)
To determ ine the criterion or "passing score," each exam ination item is reviewed independently by qualified, experienced individuals in the field. The experts in the Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittee then apply the m ethod described below to determ ine the passing score. The interested exam inee m ay consult the following reference for a m ore detailed discussion of the m ethod: Livingston, S.A., & Zieky, M.J. (1982). Passing Scores: A Manual for Setting Standards of Perform ance on
Educational and Occupational Tests. New Jersey: Educational Testing Service.
Item raters begin by identifying which answer choices the m inim ally-com petent, entry-level individual should be able to elim inate as clearly incorrect. The num ber of rem aining answer choices determ ines the probability of choosing the correct answer. The average of all reviewers' judgm ents determ ines the
Minim um Passing Level (MPL) of each test item .
For exam ple, if it is determ ined that the m inim ally-com petent exam inee could elim inate one of the answer choices as clearly incorrect, he would then be selecting from am ong the three rem aining choices. His chances of selecting the correct answer would be 1 out of 3, or .33. This num ber is the MPL for the question. If he could elim inate two answer choices as clearly incorrect, he would then be selecting from the two rem aining choices. His chances (the"odds") of selecting the correct answer then becom e 1 out of 2, or .50. For exam ple:
The bone in the thigh is the * A) fem ur.
B) tibia. C) radius. D) hum erus.
For exam ple, the m inim ally com petent m edical assistant should be able to im m ediately recognize C) and D) as arm bones, thus elim inating those choices as being clearly incorrect. He m ight then need to m entally review his knowledge of anatom y to recall the positions of the leg bones, thus m aking his final selection of the correct answer from either A) or B). In this case, his odds are 1 in 2. The MPL for this item would be .50.
The "odds" of answering an item correctly can be thought of as the item 's difficulty. Each item has its own difficulty value (MPL). Therefore, a com plete exam ination is com posed of item s of various difficulties. After the Com m ittee has reviewed each item , indicating which of the four responses to each item the m inim ally com petent exam inee should be able to perceive as incorrect, the judges' ratings are pooled to obtain the m inim um passing level (MPL) for each test item . The MPL settings for all item s appearing on a particular exam ination then are totaled to determ ine the m inim um passing level (MPL) for the entire exam ination. This procedure is done before the adm inistration of an exam ination.
All AMT exam inations have 200-210 item s, but consider the following hypothetical 5-item test: Item Minim um Passing Level (MPL) Item A .50 Item B .33 Item C .25 Item D 1.00 Item E .50
2.58 = Passing score or MPL for the test (rounds to 3 out of 5).
An exam inee's "raw score" is determ ined by sum m ing the num ber of item s answered correctly.
Exam inees with scores exceeding the test MPL pass the test. Exam inees with scores falling short of the MPL fail the test.
All raw scores (and the MPL) are then converted to standard scores through a linear transform ation. This statistical procedure provides a com m on scale for reviewing and reporting results.
The advantage of a criterion-referenced exam ination is that the focus changes from the question: "Is this individual better (or worse) than the rest of the group being tested?" to: "Is this individual sufficiently com petent, based on this exam ination, to be allowed to practice in the profession?"
Passing the Exam ination and Reexam ination
0 to 100). To pass the exam ination, a candidate m ust obtain a scaled score of 70 or greater. Although the exam ination consists of several distinct content areas, evaluation of test perform ance is based on the total score that a candidate obtains, com bined across all content sections. Because perform ance is evaluated with respect to all content areas, failing candidates who choose to retake the test are required to com plete the entire exam ination. Candidates are allowed to retake the exam ination three additional tim es after the first failure. After the first failure, candidates m ay retake the exam ination ONE additional tim e without filing a new application. However, candidates m ust file a new application and provide docum entation of additional training or retraining prior to attem pting the exam ination a third tim e.
M AINTENANCE OF EXAM INATION QUALITY AND TEST SECURITY Collection and Review of Statistical Indices
After each answer sheet is scored, statistical reports are generated that show how each question in the test perform ed. The results of these analyses are reviewed by m em bers of the Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittee. The Com m ittee or its designate m akes a final determ ination regarding the suitability of a particular question, and the answer to the question.
Exam ination Development
Test item s retained in the AMT item bank are regularly reviewed and evaluated. Necessary changes or deletions are m ade to update content and relevance. New item s added to the bank proceed through num erous reviews and evaluations before approval and acceptance. Certification exam ination developm ent is the direct responsibility of the Education, Qualifications, and Standards Com m ittees. In constructing different form s of a test, a change in an individual item does not alter the balance of the com plete exam ination. The subject m atter, MPL setting, and other data for each item are considered when constructing an exam ination. This provides all exam inees with consistent and com prehensive exam inations. Candidates m ay be assured that the content of the exam ination and the required level of perform ance will be sim ilar in all adm inistrations. Test validation research is periodically conducted to ensure that the content of exam inations is current and relevant to each certification designation. Furtherm ore, com prehensive statistical sum m aries are prepared annually to assess the perform ance outcom es of all exam inations adm inistered.
Exam ination Security
All exam inations adm inistered by AMT are processed with the highest degree of security allowable. All exam ination adm inistrations are conducted under strict direction of proctors. Test docum ents are handled at the AMT Office under secure conditions.
CERT IFICAT IO N AM T Certification
Candidates who m eet all application requirem ents, pass the certification exam ination, and com ply with policies and provisions for their respective disciplines m ay becom e certified by AMT. New certificants receive m aterials and inform ation describing the benefits and responsibilities of being certified by AMT, in addition to a m em bership certificate and wallet card. Candidates should be aware of several key policies that are relevant following the granting of certification to include: the Certification Continuation Program (CCP), The Standards of Practice, and the Disciplinary Policy.
Certification Continuation Program (CCP)
The Program requires all new certificants to participate in, and docum ent activities supporting the continuation of AMT certification every three years. In m eeting this requirem ent, certificants are required to accrue a com bination of em ploym ent experience, continuing education, professional leadership
experience, experience in presenting educational instruction, and/or experience in the authorship of written woks, in addition to com plying with the AMT Standards of Practice. Certificants will receive a “Com pliance Evaluation W orksheet and Attestation” used for assessing com pliance with the Program , every three years. Certificants m ust com ply with required program elem ents to rem ain certified. Individuals not in com pliance with the CCP policy are not considered by AMT to be certified.
Standards of Practice
AM T seeks to encourage, establish, and m aintain the highest standards, traditions and principles of the practices which constitute the profession of the Registry. Mem bers of the AMT Registry m ust recognize their responsibilities, not only to their patients, but also to society, to other health care professionals, and to them selves. The following standards of practice are principles adopted by the AMT Board of Directors, which define the essence of honorable and ethical behavior for a health care professional:
1. W hile engaged in the Arts and Sciences, which constitute the practice of their profession, AMT professionals shall be dedicated to the provision of com petent service.
2. The AMT professional shall place the welfare of the patient above all else.
3. The AMT professional understands the im portance of thoroughness in the perform ance of duty, com passion with patients, and the im portance of the tasks, which m ay be perform ed.
4. The AMT professional shall always seek to respect the rights of patients and of health care providers, and shall safeguard patient confidences.
5. The AMT professional will strive to increase his/her technical knowledge, shall continue to study, and apply scientific advances in his/her specialty.
6. The AMT professional shall respect the law and will pledge to avoid dishonest, unethical or illegal practices.
7. The AMT professional understands that he/she is not to m ake or offer a diagnosis or
interpretation unless he/she is a duly licensed physician/dentist or unless asked by the attending physician/dentist.
8. The AMT professional shall protect and value the judgm ent of the attending physician or dentist, providing this does not conflict with the behavior necessary to carry out Standard Num ber 2 above.
9. The AMT professional recognizes that any personal wrongdoing is his/her responsibility. It is also the professional health care provider’s obligation to report to the proper authorities any knowledge of professional abuse.
10. The AMT professional pledges personal honor and integrity to cooperate in the advancem ent and expansion, by every lawful m eans, of Am erican Medical Technologists.
Disciplinary Process and Revocation of Certification
AM T certificants will be disciplined, if necessary, under Articles IX and XI of the AMT National Bylaws and the standing Disciplinary Policy approved by the AMT Board of Directors.
CONTENT OUTLINE FOR REGISTERED M EDICAL ASSISTANT (RM A) CERT IFICAT IO N EXAM INAT IO N
Approxim ate Percentage of Content Area Total Test I. General Medical Assisting Knowledge 41% A. Anatom y and physiology
B. Medical term inology C. Medical law
D. Medical ethics E. Hum an relations F. Patient education
II. Administrative Medical Assisting 24% A. Insurance
B. Finance and bookkeeping
C. Medical receptionist / secretarial / clerical
III. Clinical Medical Assisting 35% A. Asepsis
B. Sterilization C. Instrum ents
D. Vital signs and m ensurations E. Physical exam inations F. Clinical pharm acology G. Minor surgery
H. Therapeutic m odalities I. Laboratory procedures J. Electrocardiography (ECG) K. First aid and em ergency response
SAM PLE QUESTIONS FOR REGISTERED M EDICAL ASSISTANT CERT IFICAT IO N EXAM INAT IO N
General M edical Assisting Know ledge Anatom y and Physiology (diseases,
conditions, syndrom es, body parts)
1. The descending aorta below the diaphragm is the
A) arch of aorta. B) thoracic aorta. C) abdom inal aorta. D) com m on iliac aorta.
M edical Term inology (definitions, prefixes,
suffixes, abbreviations) 2. "Cardiac arrest" is
A) sudden cessation of the heartbeat. B) variation of rhythm of the heartbeat. C) ischem ic necrosis of the heart m uscle. D) rapid, irregular electrical activity of the heart.
M edical Law
3. The consent to begin treatm ent on a m arried m inor m ust be from the
A) m inor him self. B) m inor and parent. C) spouse of the m inor. D) m inor's parents or guardian.
M edical Ethics
4. A telephone call to a patient regarding an overdue account should
A) be m ade by a lawyer. B) begin with apologies. C) be handled in private. D) be m ade by a physician.
Patient Education (nutrition, m edications,
treatm ent procedures)
5. The m ost im portant function of protein is to A) provide energy.
B) aid in digestion.
C) build and repair body tissues. D) aid in defense against disease.
Adm inistrative M edical Assisting
Insurance (term inology, plans, claim form s)
6. In which one of the following cases is a bill never sent to the patient?
A) Blue Cross B) Blue Shield
C) W orkers' Com pensation D) indem nity insurance plan
Finance and Bookkeeping (billing, collections,
payroll, taxes)
7. The record of a patient's financial account is called a
A) charge slip. B) m onthly statem ent. C) ledger or ledger card. D) day sheet or daily log.
M edical Receptionist / Secretarial / Clerical
(scheduling, com m unications, filing, charts, inventory)
8. W hich one of the following nam es represents two indexing units?
A) O'Dell B) Mae Masters C) Los Angeles D) de la Guardia
Clinical M edical Assisting
Instrum ents (identification, sterilization, usage)
9. A transfer forceps is used to A) grasp skin.
B) grasp sutures.
C) grasp other instrum ents. D) separate the edges of a wound.
Clinical Pharm acology (classification,
schedules, adm inistration, effects, dosage com putation)
10. In which of the following locations are subcutaneous injections given? A) Into a vein
B) Into a m uscle C) Under the skin D) Under the tongue
Laboratory Procedures (venipuncture,
urinalysis, blood chem istry, hem atology, m icrobiology, safety)
11. The specim en of choice for the uric acid procedure is
A) urine. B) serum . C) platelets. D) whole blood.
First Aid and Em ergency Response (CPR,
hem orrhage, burns, wounds, shock) 12. The correct im m ediate first aid for a chem ical burn of the skin is to A) apply ice water.
B) flush area with water. C) wash with soap and water. D) apply an antiseptic solution.
Clinical Pharm acology (classification,
schedules, adm inistration, effects, dosage com putation)
13. The pharm aceutical abbreviation "ii gtt OD bid" reads
A) 2 tablets with m eals.
B) 2 capsules every other hour. C) 2 drops in right eye twice per day.
D) 2 teaspoons as necessary, four tim es a day. KEY 1. C 8. B 2. A 9. C 3. A 10. C 4. C 11. B 5. C 12. B 6. C 13. C 7. C
Com petency-based, criterion-referenced exam inations are not based solely on textbook inform ation, but on the skills and com petencies required for safe and successful perform ance as a healthcare practitioner. Nevertheless, the following resources m ay be useful in reviewing inform ation required for the exam ination and for organizing the m aterial for study purposes.
W hen selecting books, always confirm that you have the m ost recent editions. The references provided here m ay or m ay not represent the current editions.
In addition, do not lim it your study to the resources provided here. Although the references listed below present useful inform ation, there are a num ber of additional or alternative sources that are also suitable for study. The list, therefore, should be considered illustrative rather than exhaustive. The references should be available from bookstores or by contacting the publisher.
Textbooks
Applegate, E.J. (2006). The Anatomy & Physiology Learning System (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. ISBN-10: 1416025863
Bonewit-West, K. (2008). Clinical Procedures for Medical Assistants (7th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. ISBN-13: 978-1-4160-3475-9
Chabner, Davi-Ellen. (2007). The Language of Medicine (8th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. ISBN-13: 978-1-4160-3492-6
Cohen, B.J. (2007). Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-7667-7
Cohen, B.J. (2008). Memmler’s The Human Body in Health and Disease (11th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-6577-0
Davis, B.K. (2001). Phlebotomy: A Customer-Service Approach (2nd. ed.). Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-0-7668-2518-5
Erlich, A., & Schroeder, C.L. (2009). Medical Terminology for Health Professions (6th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-7252-0
Fordney, M.T. (2007). Insurance Handbook for the Medical Office (10th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. ISBN-10: 141-6036600
Fordney, M.T., French, L.L., & Follis, J.J. (2007). Administrative Medical Assisting (6th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-6411-2
Fremgen, B.F. (2008). Medical Terminology: A Living Language (4th. ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0-1315-8998-8
Fremgen, B.F. & Frucht, S. (2002). Medical Terminology: An Anatomy & Physiology Systems Approach (2nd. ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0-1303-1182-5
Garza, D., & Becan-McBride, K. (2005). Success! In Phlebotomy: A Q & A Review (6th. ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0131183265
Garza, D., & Becan-McBride, K. (2009). Phlebotomy Handbook: Blood Specimen Collection from Basic to Advanced. (8th. ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-1052-2
Green, M.A., & Rowell, J.C. (2007). Understanding Health Insurance (9th. ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-6706-9
Keir, L., Wise, B.A., Krebs, C. & Kelley-Arney, C. (2007). Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies (6th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-3266-1 Kinn, M.E., & Woods, M. (1999). The Medical Assistant: Administrative and Clinical (8th ed.).
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. ISBN: 072167299X
Krager, D. & Krager, C. (2008). HIPAA for Health Care Professionals.
Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4180-8054-9
Kronenberger, J., Durham, L.S., & Woodson, D. (2008). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Comprehensive Medical Assisting (3rd. ed.). Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-7004-0
Lewis, M.A., & Tamparo, C.D. (2007). Medical Law, Ethics, and Bioethics for Ambulatory Care (6th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. ISBN-10: 0803617305
Lindh, W., Pooler, M., Tamparo, C., & Dahl, B.M. (2009). Delmar’s Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies (4th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4354-1914-8
Lindh, W., Pooler, M., Tamparo, C., & Dahl, B.M. (2009). Delmar’s Administrative Medical Assisting (4th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4354-1923-0
Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4354-1926-1
Marieb, E.N. (2008). Anatomy & Physiology Coloring Workbook: A Complete Study Guide (9th. ed.). Benjamin Cummings. ISBN-13: 978-0-8053-4778-4
Martini, F.H., & Bartholomew, E.F. (2007). Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology (4th. ed.). Benjamin Cummings. ISBN-10: 0805373039
McCall, R.E., & Tankersley, C.M. (2007). Phlebotomy Essentials (4th. ed.) Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co. ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-6138-3
Rowell, J.A., & Green, M.A. (2003). Understanding Medical Insurance: A Guide to Professional Billing (7th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. ISBN: 1401837913
Scanlon, V.C., & Sanders, T. (1997). Understanding Human Structure and Function. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. ISBN: 0803602367
Sormunen, C. (2003). Terminology for Allied Health Professionals (5th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. ISBN: 0766862925
Woodrow, R. (2007). Essentials of Pharmacology for Health Occupations (5th. ed). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-4018-8925-8
Zakus, S.M. (2001). Mosby’s Clinical Skills for Medical Assistants (4th ed.). St.Louis: Mosby (Elsevier). ISBN-10: 032300766X
Dictionaries
Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary (31st ed.). (2007). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN-13: 978-1-4160-2364-7
Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions (8th ed.). (2008). St. Louis: C.V. Mosby. ISBN-13: 978-0-3230-4937-5
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (21st ed.) (2009). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. ISBN-13: 978-0-8036-1559-5
Review Books
Hardy, Kathleene. (2009). Preparing for the RMA Certification Exam. White Plains, NY: The MGI Management Institute. 1-800-932-0191
Houser, H.J., & Sesser, J.R. (2008). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins’ Medical Assisting Exam Review for CMA and RMA Certification. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-6535-0
Lane, K. (2000). The Medical Assistant Examination Guide: A Comprehensive Review for Certification. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. ISBN-13: 978-0-8036-0534-3
9/09
REG IST ERED M EDICAL ASSIST ANT PRACT ICE EXAM INAT IO N
Candidates planning to take the AMT certification exam ination for Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) often express interest in the form at and content of that test. In addressing that interest, AMT has developed a partial-length practice exam ination designed to fam iliarize candidates with the style of the certification exam ination.
The Practice Exam ination booklet contains inform ation regarding the developm ent, content, scoring, and form at of the certification test, in addition to answering other questions often asked by candidates. In com pleting the test, the participant will answer questions sim ilar to those appearing on an actual certification exam ination. A key is provided so that the exam ination m ay be self-scored. A brief answer explanation and a reference citation for the correct answer accom pany each item key.
Although com pletion of the Practice Exam ination should fam iliarize candidates with the form at of the test, it does not assure that a passing score will be achieved on the actual certification exam ination. Practice questions will not appear on future exam inations. The practice test is designed m erely as an exercise to fam iliarize candidates with the style of the certification exam ination.
RMA Practice Exam inations are available for order at w w w .am t1.com or by contacting the AM T Registrar.
