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Allied Health & Medical Support

Allied Health & Medical Support

There are 8 allied health & medical support credentials in the TestPrepPilot directory: 8 national certifications awarded by a single body, and 0 licences issued by individual state boards across 0 states.

Imaging, laboratory, EMS, coding, pharmacy technician and clinical support credentials.

Credentials: 8
Specialisms: 7
National: 8

How do the main allied health & medical support credentials compare?

Verified figures for 8 of the national allied health & medical support credentials, drawn from each awarding body's published material. Fees change — confirm with the body before you book.

Credential	Awarded by	Exam fee	Length	Pass mark
AAMA Certified Medical Assistant	American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)	$125 AAMA student member / recent graduate; $250 all other candidates	160 minutes (four 40-minute segments)	Scaled score of 405 on a 200–800 scale
NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant	National Healthcareer Association (NHA)	~$155	180 minutes	Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report
AAPC Certified Professional Coder	AAPC	$425 ($499 with second attempt)	4 hours	70% (70 questions)
DANB Certified Dental Assistant	Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)	$450 for the full CDA (includes a $75 nonrefundable application fee); single component $270; two-component bundle $375. Active military $425.	195 minutes (3 hr 15 min) — 75 min GC, 60 min RHS, 60 min ICE	Scaled score of 400 on a 100–900 scale for each component (computer-adaptive)
NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Certification	National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)	~$104 initial cognitive exam (state fees may apply)	Up to 2 hours (variable by candidate)	Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report
ARRT Radiography Certification	American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)	~$225	~4 hours	Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report
NNAAP Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation	National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) / Pearson VUE	State-set (commonly $60-$120)	State-dependent (typically 2-4 hours including the skills portion)	Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report
PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician	Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)	Varies by location and currency — confirm on the official registration page	2 hours	Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report

Which allied health & medical support credentials lead to the highest published pay?

Ranked by the median annual wage published for the occupation each credential unlocks — the most recent figure per occupation, quoted from the source named in the guide (usually the BLS occupational series). A credential is the entry ticket to an occupation, not a pay guarantee: these are occupation medians, not starting salaries.

ARRT Radiography Certification

Expect radiologic-technologist pay at a May 2024 median of $77,660 (BLS) — the ARRT certification and state licensure gate the occupation, and radiography is the entry certification for the imaging career ladder

ARRT publishes pass rates — recent first-attempt pass rates for radiography have run in the mid-80s percent range, and the exam is 220 questions in about 4 hours with a standard-set passing score

Verified 2026-08
AAPC Certified Professional Coder

$48,890 median for medical records specialists (BLS, May 2024)

AAPC publishes pass rates by year — historically around 50-60% for first-time CPC candidates, with prep courses lifting the pass rate substantially

Verified 2026-08
NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Certification

$46,350 median for EMTs and paramedics (BLS SOC 29-2041, May 2024); EMT-specific about $41,340

NREMT publishes no single national pass rate — program-level first-attempt data runs roughly 65-74%

Verified 2026-08
NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant

$44,200 median for medical assistants (BLS OOH, May 2024) — the role the CCMA credential supports.

NHA-reported CCMA pass rates ran 81.4% in 2024 (78,681 administrations) and 77% in 2023, with a passing scaled score of 390 on a 200-500 scale — though NHA does not maintain a single always-visible public pass-rate page, so we cite these figures with that caveat.

Verified 2026-08
PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician

$41,380 median for pharmacy technicians (BLS, May 2024)

PTCB publishes pass-rate data — the reported first-attempt pass rate for the PTCE is around 70-75% in recent years

Verified 2026-08
NNAAP Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation

$39,530 median for nursing assistants (BLS SOC 31-1131, May 2024)

No single national NNAAP pass rate is published — each state sets its own standard

Verified 2026-08

Medical Office 2 credentials

Coding and HIM 1 credential

AAPC Certified Professional Coder The baseline credential for physician-office and outpatient professional coding. Certification

Dental Support 1 credential

DANB Certified Dental Assistant The NCCA-accredited national dental assistant credential — three component exams (GC, RHS, ICE) that employers and 39 state boards recognize by name. Certification

EMS 1 credential

NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Certification NREMT Emergency Medical Technician Certification — Allied Health credential from National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Certification

Medical Imaging 1 credential

ARRT Radiography Certification ARRT Radiography Certification — Allied Health credential from American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Certification

Nursing Support 1 credential

NNAAP Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation NNAAP Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation — Allied Health credential from National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) / Pearson VUE Certification

Pharmacy Support 1 credential

PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician — Allied Health credential from Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certification

Frequently asked questions about allied health & medical support credentials

How many allied health & medical support credentials are there?

How much do allied health & medical support exams cost?

Across the 8 national allied health & medical support credentials we have verified fee data for, exam fees run from $60–$450. Renewal, membership and study-material costs are additional and vary by awarding body — each guide breaks out its own full cost table.

Do you need a certification to work in allied health & medical support?

None of the 8 credentials in this field is a state-issued licence — all 8 are national certifications awarded by a professional body. That usually means the certification is not legally mandatory, but employers, insurers or clients may require it as a condition of the work.

Which allied health & medical support credential should you start with?

Start with the one your target employer or state board names. The most widely recognised national options in this field are AAMA Certified Medical Assistant, NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, AAPC Certified Professional Coder — each has a full guide with eligibility rules, fees and a week-by-week study plan.

How often do allied health & medical support requirements change?

Fees are revised most years and eligibility rules change whenever a state legislature or awarding body acts. Every guide on TestPrepPilot links to the primary regulatory source it was verified against, and the "Sources" section is the authoritative place to confirm current figures before you book.