Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT)
The Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) exam is based on the AHDI Medical Transcriptionist Job Descriptions and the competencies outlined in the AHDI Core Competencies and the AHDI Model Curriculum. It is a voluntary credentialing exam for individuals who wish to become Certified Medical Transcriptionists. The CMT exam is designed to assess competency in medical transcription by determining if a candidate has the core knowledge and skills needed to practice medical transcription effectively in a multispecialty acute-care facility, where variable specialties, document types, and difficulty of dictation necessitate an advanced level of clinical knowledge and interpretive ability.
Who should take this exam?
- Registered medical transcriptionists (RMTs) with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in acute-care transcription or multispecialty equivalent.
CMT candidates who do not already possess an RMT credential can take the RMT alone or opt for the Credential Qualifying Exam (CQE) . AHDI recommends that candidates possess the knowledge and skills identified as Level 2 in AHDI’s Medical Transcriptionist Job Descriptions and outlined in the CMT Exam Blue Print before attempting to take the exam. Potential candidates for the exam are advised to review the outlines and assess their knowledge and skills to determine their readiness for the exam.
Students, new graduates, and specialty MTs are strongly discouraged from taking the CMT exam unless or until the candidate has acquired the acute-care experience or exposure necessary to demonstrate competency in the domains evaluated on this exam. MTs eligible to take the CMT examination that have not earned an RMT credential are required to demonstrate competency at the RMT Level 1 prior to being eligible to sit for the Level 2 CMT exam. CMT candidates may choose to take the RMT exam first and come back at a later time to take the CMT exam or those candidates may opt to take the combined Level 1/Level 2 Credential Qualifying Exam (CQE)
Individuals who successfully complete this AHDI credentialing process are recognized as Certified Medical Transcriptionists and are entitled to use the CMT designation. The credential is valid for 3 years. CMTs are currently required to recertify by earning a minimum of 30 continuing education credits through applicable professional development activities over their 3-year cycle. Upon passing the initial exam, each CMT receives a wall certificate that shows the date through which the credential is valid (renewal date). CMTs also receive a CMT lapel pin and can purchase a special plaque in lieu of displaying their certificate alone.
The 120-question CMT exam consists of multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank transcription against audio, and SRT editing against audio. These assessment types are used to test candidate knowledge, applied interpretive judgment, and advanced editing skills in both knowledge domains represented on the CMT Exam Blue Print, including: Clinical Medicine and Health Information Technology.
The transcription performance portion of the exam consists of short items employing medical dictation and/or transcription that must be transcribed, proofread, and/or edited. It consists of dictation that is realistic and representative of that encountered under actual working conditions. Dictation is selected for its appropriate medical content. The practical portion of the exam is designed to test a candidate’s knowledge, skill, and ability to practice medical transcription effectively in today’s healthcare environment. Emphasis in the practical portion of the exam is more on critical thinking skills rather than keyboarding, research, or other technical skills.
Interested CMT candidates should download the Credentialing Candidate Guide , which contains all of the following information:
- Eligibility and Requirements
- Content Focus
- CMT Exam Blue Print
- CMT Sample Questions
- CMT Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In addition, the Candidate Guide provides detailed information about exam registration, online proctoring, on-site testing, exam preparation, and requirements for credential maintenance and recredentialing.
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