AMT MT Certification - Medical Technologist
Search For Schools
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
Certification by the American Medical Technologists (AMT) gives medical technologists (MT) and other allied health professionals numerous advantages.
First and foremost, certification offers individuals opportunities to validate their skills and competencies learned in their degree programs and laboratory work experience. Secondly, allied health professionals can stay informed of best practices through continuing education and engage in professional development through certification. Lastly, AMT certification upholds professional quality standards in both national and international allied healthcare fields. The National Commission accredits AMT’s competency-based exams for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Applicants for the medical technologist certification exam must have completed an accredited medical technology program to be eligible for certification. Once eligibility has been verified, applicants must complete an online application, pay the fees, and prepare for and take the examinations. Test preparation materials are available on the American Medical Technologists website to help students prepare for and successfully pass their examinations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), applicants for medical technologist positions must have earned a baccalaureate in medical technology and completed their academic program within the past five years. Alternatively, applicants who have previously taken and passed a generalist MT examination given by another certification organization or state licensure agency may apply and prove that the AMT Board has approved the examination of Directors. In most cases, a minimum of one year of full-time paid clinical laboratory experience is required for eligibility to sit for the AMT exam.
In addition to national certification, an individual’s state of residence may have its own certification examinations, registration, and licensing requirements for medical technologists. States may recognize components of the national exam for some of their standards and may have additional requirements for specific certifications for licensure in allied health professions.
Read on for a complete guide to medical technologists and other associated allied health positions, including medical laboratory technician (MLT), medical laboratory assistant (CMLA), and registered medical assistant (RMA) certification. Pearson Vue administers the AMT exams for the certifications mentioned above.
Medical Technologist – AMT MT Certification
The American Medical Technologies (AMT) Medical Technologist (MT) Exam covers a comprehensive list of medical knowledge areas, including general laboratory procedures, blood bank and immunohematology, chemistry, hematology, immunology, microbiology, parasitology, phlebotomy, and urinalysis.
There are four pathways of eligibility to sit for the AMT MT exam:
- The first pathway is obtaining a baccalaureate degree in medical technology from an accredited institution. Applicants must have graduated from their degree program within the past five years and have approved full-time and paid clinical laboratory experience.
- Secondly, an applicant may apply if they have obtained a baccalaureate degree in medical technology from an accredited institution and have previously completed a medical laboratory technician (MLT) certification or a 50-week US MLT through a military training program, in addition to a minimum of one year of approved clinical laboratory experience.
- Thirdly, an applicant with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution who has completed 35 credits of coursework related to clinical laboratory sciences may apply. Additionally, applicants must have completed an accredited medical technology training program or completed at least one year of approved clinical laboratory experience through blood banking, microbiology, chemistry, and hematology.
Applicants who have successfully met all the eligibility requirements and passed the AMT exam for medical technologists are automatically registered and certified in the AMT database. A $235 fee is required at the time of application for MT certification.
Remember that applicants with baccalaureate degrees from regionally or nationally accredited institutions in the United States who hold an active MT certification from another agency are eligible for this credential without taking an exam. In addition, foreign transcripts are suitable so long as the transcript is certified by a foreign transcription evaluation agency approved by AMT.
To maintain certification, medical technologists must pay an annual fee of $110, comply with the certification continuation program set forth by AMT every three years, and abide by the AMT standards of practice.
Medical Laboratory Technician – AMT MLT Certification
The American Medical Technologies (AMT) Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Exam covers standard clinical laboratory tests, including hematology/coagulation, immunology/serology, immunohematology/blood banking, microbiology, clinical microscopy/urinalysis, and chemistry.
There are three possible routes to sit for the AMT MLT certification exam:
- The first route is for applicants to obtain an associate’s degree in medical technology from an accredited institution. The educational programs must include clinical laboratory experience in blood banking, microbiology, chemistry, and hematology. Applicants must have graduated from their degree program within the past five years and must have at least six months of clinical full-time and paid laboratory experience.
- The second route option to apply for MLT certification is to have at least two years (or 60 semester-hours) of courses earned from an institution accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting agency. Twenty-five of the hours mentioned above must be related to various subjects in clinical laboratory sciences (e.g., chemistry, biology, mathematics, or computer science). Applicants may apply no more than six mathematics or computer science semesters toward the 25-hour requirement. A minimum of six months of approved full-time clinical laboratory experience is also required for this eligibility option. In addition, applicants must have obtained laboratory experience within the previous five years.
- The third route of eligibility for the MLT exam is completing a 50-week U.S. military medical laboratory training program by an accredited institution. The curricula for acceptable educational programs must include clinical experience in a laboratory’s blood banking, microbiology, chemistry, and hematology sections. In addition, as with the last two options, applicants must have completed their laboratory experience within the past five years and have a minimum of six months of full-time paid laboratory work experience.
Once applicants have proven eligibility requirements and passed the AMT exam for medical laboratory technician (MLT), they are automatically registered and certified in the AMT database. A $310 fee is required at the time of application for MLT certification.
As mentioned above, an alternative pathway to AMT certification is holding an active generalist MTL credential by a certification or state licensing board approved by the AMT Board of Directors. Documentation of education and five years of professional experience is required; if approved, no examination is required.
To maintain certification, medical laboratory technicians must pay an annual fee of $110 and keep their proof of professional competency by complying with the certification continuation program set forth by AMT every three years.
Medical Laboratory Assistant – AMT CMLA Certification
American Medical Technologies (AMT) offers a Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA) Exam. The review materials are separated into four modules: laboratory safety and quality, pre-examination, examination considerations, patient test management, communications, and foundations. In addition, to help candidates prepare, AMT offers online CMLA practice exams for $79.
There are two routes available to pursue AMT CMLA certification:
- Education route – Applicants must have completed (or be scheduled to graduate from) an academic course of study that includes a minimum of 200 didactic hours and 120 hours of documented and approved clinical laboratory experience. A minimum of 100 hours of study of fundamental laboratory technology is required. Applicants must have graduated from their academic programs within the last five years or provide proof of approved laboratory experience.
- Work experience route – People applying for certification through this route must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of 1,040 hours of work experience in the past three years, emphasizing laboratory technology in a healthcare setting. In addition, a minimum of 520 hours of clinical laboratory experience is required.
After providing proof of eligibility requirements and passing the AMT exam for medical laboratory assistants, applicants are automatically registered and certified in the AMT database. The CMLA exam fee is $135.
To maintain certification, medical laboratory technicians must pay an annual fee of $75 and submit proof of professional competency every three years by complying with the certification continuation program as determined by the AMT.
Registered Medical Assistant – AMT RMA Certification
The American Medical Technologies (AMT) also offers a preparation course for medical assistants preparing to take the Medical Assistant (RMA) Exam. The review materials are separated into three modules: general knowledge, administrative knowledge, and clinical knowledge, and can be purchased separately or for $175 for three module reviews and a practice exam.
There are four possible pathways to sit for the AMT RMA certification exam:
- Education pathway – Applicant must be a recent graduate (or be scheduled to graduate from) an accredited medical assistant program with a minimum of 720 hours of training, including 160 hours of clinical externship. Suppose there is a gap of four years or more between the graduation date and the application for certification. In that case, the applicant must provide evidence of relevant work experience for three of the past five years.
- Military pathway – Applicant must be a recent graduate of or be scheduled to graduate from a formal medical services training program in the United States Armed Forces. If a gap of more than four years exists between graduation and the date of application, evidence of relevant work experience for a minimum of three of the past five years is required.
- Work experience pathway – Applicants who opt for this route must prove having been employed as a medical assistant for at least five out of the previous seven years in full-time equivalent paid positions. No more than two years of that time should have been spent as an instructor in a postsecondary medical assistant program. Additionally, applicants must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and verify work experience in clinical and administrative duties. Proof of high school graduation is required as a minimum level of education.
- Instructor pathway – Applicants in this pathway must be currently teaching in an accredited medical assisting program; have completed a course of instruction in a healthcare field related to medical assisting; and must have a minimum of five years of full-time teaching experience in a medical assisting discipline, including a range of clinical and administrative competencies. In addition, applicants with one and five years of full-time teaching experience must provide proof of three years of full-time clinical work experience in a healthcare profession.
Upon submitting proof of eligibility requirements and passing the AMT exam for registered medical assistants, applicants are automatically registered and certified in the AMT database of professionals. The RMA exam fee is $205.
To maintain certification, registered medical assistants must pay an annual fee of $75 and submit proof of continuing education competencies every three years by complying with the certification continuation program as determined by the AMT.
