A MedCA certificate is valid for one or two years, depending on the country in which you live. Upon the expiration of the certificate, you will need to take a recertification exam. (See Recertification on the home page.)

You will receive your certificate within ten working days following MedCA’s receipt of the exam.

Study guides can be purchased on MedCA’s home page and downloaded as a PDF file for immediate use. A spiral-bound hard copy may be purchased by calling the MedCA office at 516 868 6800.

You can take an exam at the school you attended, at another school in your area, at a MedCA testing facility, or at your place of employment upon approval by a MedCA associate.

You may take a certification exam if you are at least 18 years of age, possess a high-school diploma or the equivalent, and meet one of the following requirements:

• Graduated from an approved training program (proof of completion required)
• Have at least one year of work experience (two years of experience for medical assistants), and be currently working in the corresponding field (Qualification by Experience form, which can be found on the MedCA website, required)

Each exam consists of either 100 or 120 multiple-choice questions, and the allocated time is either two hours or 2-1/2 hours, depending on the length of the exam.

If you pass your MedCA exam, you will receive your certificate in the mail. If you fail, you will receive a letter that will indicate the next steps for you to take.

Payment may vary depending on the school you attended. Some schools will ask you to provide a money order payable to MedCA for the cost of the exam; this money order will be sent to the MedCA offices for processing with your exam. Some schools prefer their students to pay the school for the exam, so you may need to contact your school to find out the form of payment they require.

Yes. You may reschedule or cancel your exam. You must contact your school to inform them of the cancellation. An email must also be submitted to MedCA using the Quick Contact text box located on the left-hand side of the Student Registration page. If you need to cancel or reschedule your exam, you will need to notify MedCA at least 24 hours prior to the originally scheduled test date in order for a refund to be granted.

No. In order to qualify for an exam, the necessary requirements must be met. For all exam requirements, click on Available Certifications and select the field in which you are interested.

MedCA provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (A.D.A, 1990) for individuals who have documented proof of a disability. The candidate must request and demonstrate the need for accommodation. Special accommodations will be granted on a case-by-case basis, as required by law. The ADA regulations define a person with a disability as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. MedCA requires that individuals with disabilities complete the Special Accommodations Request form available on its website under the Forms tab. This documentation is necessary to allow accommodations to be specifically matched with the identified functional limitation in order to provide equal access to test functions for all examinees. Certain disabilities or conditions may be considered so essential to the professional practice in the field that some accommodations for eligibility or testing may not be available, as determined by MedCA.

Some of MedCA’s certification examinations are available in Spanish. Whereas candidates are not required to provide proof of literacy to take exams, no language assistance will be provided.

Candidates from countries other than the US will need to have those requirements completed outside of the US evaluated by a recognized assessment firm that determines US equivalency. All such analysis will be done at the expense of the candidate.

No. The fee is required to take the exam, regardless of the outcome. In the event that you do fail the exam, you may retake it, but you will be required to pay the exam fee again.

You may use the Quick Contact text box on the website to request information on the schools in your area with which MedCA works. Be sure to include where you are located and the areas to which you are willing to travel.

Yes. You may post your resume to MedCA’s website at no cost. Click on the Employment Opportunities tab, and then choose Post Resume from the drop-down menu. Simply fill out the information required on the form, upload your resume and click Submit.

Contact MedCA four weeks prior to your certificate's expiration. You will be sent three continuing-education articles, along with ten multiple-choice questions corresponding to each article. Just send your responses back to MedCA for evaluation as well as a money order for $129. If you pass, you will receive your new certificate within ten business days from receipt by MedCA. If you fail, you will receive a letter with instructions for recertifying.

Yes. You may return a study guide if you have changed your mind and will not be taking the corresponding allied-health course. Just mail the study guide back to MedCA at your own expense, and we will refund the $39 charge once we have received it. Please note that we cannot issue a refund for an electronic copy, nor may you return a study guide after taking an exam.

Online testing is available, but only at MedCA-affiliated schools that choose to test this way. If your school is testing online, you will be required to register on the MedCA website by clicking on the Student tab and choosing Create Your Profile.

Your certificate number will appear on the full-page certificate you receive. If you would like your number for interviews or job applications before your certificate arrives, you can select Verify Certification at the top of the home page. Your certificate number will be sent to the email address you provide within 24 business hours. Remember to check your SPAM folder if you do not receive a timely response. You may also call MedCA’s offices at 516 868 6800, and one of our associates can provide your certificate number over the phone.

No. If you graduated from an allied-health program but never took the certification exam, you may still be able to do so. You must have graduated no more than five years prior to taking the exam, and you will need proof of graduation from the program. If you did not graduate from a MedCA-affiliated school but would like to take a MedCA exam, we will assist you in finding a school in your area where you can sit for an exam.