NCPA members may take a special type of examination that requires the use of a computer. It is similar to the simple test, the American Board of Medical Assistants uses, but is a much more difficult test.
This type of test is used to update federal standards for school and youth health aides, as well as for the state boards of medical assistants. After it is administered, the State Board of Medical Assistants can accept or reject the exam without reference to federal standards.
If the exams do not meet the federal standards, the states will reject them as well. In such cases, they may be used to assess the performance of certified school and youth health aides, allowing them to learn from their mistakes.
Taking these exams is much easier than they were in the past. Today, most websites offer easy-to-use software that you can use right on your home computer. These courses may take as little as thirty minutes per day to complete.
Before this change, courses required only a few weekends to complete. Before being able to take online courses, you must first find a school that offers one. The best way to locate them is to check your local area by contacting your local state board of medical assistants.
You should only contact the local board in order to learn about the different local offices. If you want to receive help, find out how to apply for assistance or, if you already know of someone who has recently completed an online course, ask for recommendations.
Once you have contacted the local office, you should determine how long it will take to complete the course. This may vary from office to office, but most will give you an estimated completion time.
The board of medical assistants may require a minimum number of college credits before you can take the online exam. It may also require you to have a higher level of education before taking the exams on paper.
Regardless of what requirements you have met, you will still need to complete some type of classwork before taking online classes. You should speak with your local director of online education to find out how long you will need to complete the online classes.
After reviewing your individual requirements, the program director may suggest some types of online programs that meet your needs. If you already have some college coursework, you can take advantage of the lower cost and convenience of taking these classes online.
To become a licensed medical assistant, you will need to take and pass at least one exam for state licensure. It is important to contact your local state board of medical assistants to determine if your exam needs to be retaken or if your course has been accepted by your state.
