Medical Transcription Test

Taking and passing the medical transcription test and obtaining certification does have certain advantages. First, only someone who has passed the medical transcription exam has the right to call themselves either a registered or certified medical transcriptionist, and has earned the privilege of putting the designation RMT or CMT after their name. There are also some companies that will require their transcriptionists be certified, or they may pay their certified transcriptionists a premium rate for having taken the exam. Passing the medical transcription test has the potential to open more doors of opportunity in your medical transcription career.

However, those benefits do come at a price. The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) offers the certification exam and charges you for the opportunity to take it. First you pay an application fee of $10. For the CMT portion of the test, the cost of taking the test is $195 for AHDI members and $275 for nonmembers. The fee for the RMT portion of the test is $120 for AHDI members and $200 for nonmembers. Then there is the recurring fee required every 3 years for recertification as well as costs which may be associated with getting the continuing education required to keep your certification valid.

The certification exam is divided into two parts, a written test and a transcription test. The test is proctored, which means that a third party provides a location in most major cities where you are able to take the exam, and they guarantee it to be fair and monitored. They will probably be giving many other professionals the opportunity to take their respective certification exams as well such as nurses, physical therapists, Realtors, cosmetologists, perhaps at the same time as you.

You will register online, pay the testing fee, and then report to the testing location on the day specified. You are usually given several different days on which you can test and should be able to choose the day most convenient for you. When you arrive at the testing center, you will show photo identification and then be admitted in to the testing area. You will not be allowed to take in any study materials, reference books or dictionaries. In fact, nothing but you and the clothes you are wearing will be allowed in the testing area. If you have brought your purse or car keys in with you, you will be required to put them in a secure box or a locker which the proctor will provide.

The test is taken on computers provided by the proctor, and no two tests will be completely alike. The questions each individual is given are drawn at random by a computer from an extensive pool of test material. Not even the proctors know which test questions you will receive on any given day.

The written part of the test is multiple choice and covers subjects such as medical terminology and anatomy and physiology, as well as English language-related subjects such as grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and composition. The practical portion of the test requires transcription of actual medical dictation.

Each applicant is allowed 6 hours to complete the entire test, although it should not take the entire 6 hours. This amount of time is allowed so that every person feels they have plenty of time and no one feels rushed. You may leave as soon as you have completed the test and feel you do not want to review it. If you are stuck on a question, you will usually have the opportunity to skip it for the time being and go on to another question. Then at the end of the test you will be given the opportunity to go back and answer anything you chose to skip earlier.

The test covers all areas of the field, and many transcriptionists choose to take a formal prep or review course and/or purchase a review guide (see below) to prepare themselves for taking the test. Taking the review course and purchasing the guide requires an additional fee which increases the overall cost of the medical transcription exam, however, the test is quite extensive and many people feel the cost of the review guide or prep test is well worth it as you know just what material to study and the type of questions to expect.

Though passing the medical transcription certification test comes with certain benefits, it is certainly not necessary to succeed as a medical transcriptionist. It will not guarantee you a job, nor will it automatically entitle you to a higher salary. There are many highly paid and experienced medical transcriptionists who are not certified, and have no plans to be.

However, if you have the time required and the money to spare, taking the medical transcription test could be a wise move. By doing so you will have proof of your skill and knowledge as a medical transcriptionist. This can be particularly valuable if you are just starting out in the field as it does show your prospective employer that you have the skills and knowledge level needed to take and pass this rigorous certification exam.

Regardless of your motivation for taking the test, passing the medical transcription certification exam will definitely be a great personal achievement and may very well help you advance your career.