How can I become a certified medication aide in Massachusetts?

Learn more about the application process as well as the training and testing requirements to become certified as a medication aide (CMA) in Massachusetts.

What do I need to become certified?

1. Who can apply?

• A certified nurse aide (CNA) with a current certification.
• Currently employed by a long-term care facility.
• At least 18 years of age. 
• A high school graduate or holder of a general education development (GED) certification.

 MassCMA: Learn More | MassCMA 

2. What are the training requirements?

• The CMA program consists of 60 mandatory training hours over 8 weeks:
• 8 hours - Virtual synchronous (Live online instruction)
• 24 hours - Asynchronous learning (independent online modules and skills)
• 24 hours - Clinical training (supervised by an LPN or RN preceptor)
• 4 hours - Practice questions and exam preparation
• The course is led by skilled nursing instructors hired by UMass Chan Medical School. 
• The instructor will meet with students each week virtually on a video conference call to assess progress, reinforce learning, and  ensure that students can apply the knowledge they have gained from the assigned sections of the LMS.
• Once you have completed the approved training program, you will be required to pass a test in order to be certified. 

Link to CDDER CMA student guide here

3. What do I need to apply?

• Your name, home address, date of birth, and social security number.
• A copy of a government issued photo ID that includes the applicant’s full name. 
• The name and address of the long-term care facility where you work, and the name and email address of a facility contact. 

MassCMA: How to Become a CMA | MassCMA

4. What are the fees?

The non-refundable initial application fee including the cost of the training program: $640.

• The fee for the test is $150 per attempt and is paid directly to the test vendor. 
• Certification is valid for 2 years from the date the certificate is issued.
• The non-refundable renewal fee is $180.

5. What is the pre-test?

Important! The fee for training is non-refundable. Applicants are advised to take the pre-test to assess their suitability and necessary competency for further training.

If you are not confident answering the sample questions in the link below, please do not apply.

• Pretest Guide and Sample Questions (PDF)

6. How do I schedule a test?

• Once you have completed the approved training program, you will be required to pass a test in order to be certified.  Your trainer will forward your information to the testing vendor, D&S Technologies.  Students will receive an email notification to complete test registration and schedule the certification exam.  You may take the knowledge portion of the test up to 4 times. You may take the clinical portion of the test up to 3 times.
• Please allow at least three weeks to receive your test results and for your name to appear on the license verification website.  A copy of your certification will be emailed to you directly. 
• The Department cannot share test results with individuals by phone.

7. How do I become a preceptor?

• The preceptor course is designed to prepare licensed nurses (RNs or LPNs) to mentor, supervise, and evaluate certified medication aides (CMA) students during their clinical training. 
• All students enrolled in the CMA training program must have a corresponding preceptor on record. Students will not be able to schedule their training course until there is a corresponding preceptor on record as having completed the preceptor course.

Link to CDDER preceptor pdf here.