Choose, pay, plan
Exam fees, retakes and renewal, side by side
Independent site, not affiliated with the certifying body or the test vendor. Applications, payments and scheduling happen only on their own websites.
Choose an exam to see the official fee and the cost of extra attempts; the second calculator gives the wait before the next attempt.
What the exam costs
Exam fee
$129
- One attempt
- $129
- Paid to
- PTCB
Each attempt is paid again in full.
Fees and retake rules differ from one certifier to the next, and a failed attempt costs both money and weeks. On October 26, 2026, the PTCB charged $129 for the PTCE, with no wait before a second or third attempt and six months before a fourth. The AAMA charged $125 for the CMA (AAMA) to members and to recent graduates of accredited programs, and $250 to others, with up to 6 attempts in 12 months. The NREMT charged $104 per attempt of its EMT exam, with 15 days between attempts, remedial training after 3 failures and 6 attempts in all. The NHA, which runs the ExCPT, CCMA, CPT and CET, did not show its fees on a public page; its handbook sets a 30-day wait and 3 attempts before a one-year wait. Nurse aide fees are set state by state, from $85 to $175 for a first attempt in the ten states covered here.
Waiting time before the next attempt
Wait before the next attempt
30 days
- Exam owner
- NHA
- Attempts left
- 2 attempts in the first cycle
NHA: 30 days between attempts, 3 attempts, then one year of waiting after each further failure.
Questions, formats and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Fees and retake rules by exam
| Exam | Fee per attempt | Wait after a failure | Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTCE (PTCB) | $129 | None before the 2nd and 3rd; 6 months before the 4th | Approved preparation after 4 |
| ExCPT, CCMA, CPT, CET (NHA) | Not published | 30 days | 3, then one a year |
| CMA (AAMA) | $125 / $250 | None required | 6 in 12 months |
| NREMT EMT | $104 | 15 days | 6, remedial after 3 |
| CNA (state) | By state | Set by the state | At least 3 (federal rule) |
The CMA (AAMA) fee shows the member rate first; recent graduates of accredited programs pay the lower rate within a year of graduating (AAMA eligibility page). The PTCB rules come from its certification guidebook and the NREMT rules from its cognitive exam handbook.
Nurse aide fees by state
For nurse aides the state chooses the vendor and the vendor sets the fees, usually one fee for the written or oral test and another for the skills test. Retakes are charged per part. The CNA cost page gives the fee of each part in ten states, with the vendor's handbook as source.
Planning around the waiting periods
A wait matters most when a job offer or a program deadline depends on the result. Three habits help:
- book the first attempt early enough that one retake would still fit before the deadline;
- after a failure, use the score report by domain to choose what to study, rather than redoing everything;
- take a full mock before rebooking, and rebook only when it clears the study target.
The NHA's one-year wait after a third failure and the NREMT's remedial training after a third failure are the two thresholds that change a plan the most. Reaching either is a sign to step back and study differently, for example with a study plan built around the weak domains.
Who pays
Many training programs include the first exam fee in tuition, and employers often pay for the exam they require. Nurse aides have a specific federal protection: a nursing facility may not charge an aide for training or competency evaluation while the aide works there or has an offer from it, and must reimburse a newly hired aide in some cases (42 CFR 483.152). Ask before paying yourself.
This site does not take payments or registrations; every fee is paid on the certifier's or the vendor's own site.