Medical Billing and Coding Exam

What is the CPC Exam? The CPC exam, offered by the AAPC, is a multiple-choice exam that covers 17 different knowledge domains. It lasts five hours and 40 minutes, and a passing score is 70%. The AAPC offers the CPC exam online or in-person at a physical testing center.

You might also be wondering: how hard is the CPC exam? The answer depends largely on your preparation. The exam requires strong background knowledge in anatomy and physiology, as well as medical terminology. You will also need to be familiar with the different types of codes used to submit medical claims. But don’t panic – you won’t need to memorize all the codes as you will be able to reference approved coding books during the exam.

Offered by AHIMA, the CCA exam is a two-hour computer-based test consisting of 90 to 115 questions across six knowledge domains. Students must score a 300 to pass. You will be able to use approved reference books to look up specific codes.

Passing the CCA exam is largely a matter of preparation. The test uses many different types of questions to test your skills, knowledge and experience. AHIMA recommends that before taking the exam, you either take a prep course, work for at least six months in a coding position or brush up on your knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology and diagnostic and procedural codes.

The CCS exam is AHIMA’s more advanced test, designed for experienced coding professionals. The four-hour computer-based exam consists of 115 to 140 items, divided into two sections: multiple choice and medical scenario. A minimum score of 300 is needed to pass.

AHIMA recommends that those preparing for the exam have either two years of coding experience or another coding credential with one year of experience. You will also need strong foundational knowledge in areas such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology and reimbursement methodology.

The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is offered through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and specializes in outpatient or physician’s office settings.

This exam has 150 questions and focuses mostly on proper application of CPT procedure codes, HCPCS Level II supply codes and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, which are all used by medical providers to submit claims to payers. To prepare, it can be helpful to spend time studying the guidelines and codes in the CPT manual and either the ICD-10-CM or HCPCS Level II official code manuals. For this exam, a passing score is 70% or higher.

Available through the American Health Information Association (AHIMA), the Certified Coding Assistant (CCA) exam can be a good option for coders who are new to the field. This particular credential covers coding practices for in-patient facilities and is similar to the CPC certification.

The CCA exam is approximately two hours long. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent to take the test. AHIMA also recommends you have at least one of the following²:

• Minimum of six months of experience directly applying codes

• Completed an AHIMA approved PCAP coding program

• Completed a medical coding training program that includes anatomy & physiology, terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural and basic CPT® coding

The Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exam is also offered by AHIMA. This certification represents a natural next step for experienced medical billers and coders. This test is recommended for people who have already obtained a medical billing and coding credential such as the CCA and have at least 1 year of experience directly applying codes, or at least 2 years of on-the-job experience directly applying codes.

The CCS medical coding certification exam takes 4 hours and contains multiple-choice and fill-in questions primarily focused on coding knowledge and skills.