CCA—Demonstrate Your Coding Competency in Any Setting 

Based upon job analysis standards and state-of-the-art test construction, the CCA designation has been a nationally accepted standard of achievement in the health information management (HIM) field since 2002. More than 8,000 people have attained the certification since inception. The CCA is the only HIM credential worldwide currently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

The CCA credential distinguishes coders by exhibiting commitment and demonstrating coding competencies across all settings, including both hospitals and physician practices. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a shortage of more than 50,000 qualified HIM and HIT workers by 2015. Becoming a CCA positions you as a leader in an exciting and growing market. CCAs:

• Exhibit a level of commitment, competency, and professional capability that employers are looking for
• Demonstrate a commitment to the coding profession
• Distinguish themselves from non-credentialed coders and those holding credentials from organizations less demanding of the higher level of expertise required to earn AHIMA certification 

How Does the CCA Compare with Other AHIMA Coding Credentials?

The CCA exhibits coding competency in any setting, including both hospitals and physician practices. The CCS^® and CCS-P^® exams demonstrate mastery level skills in an area of specialty: hospital-based for CCS's and physician practice-based for CCS-Ps.

Eligibility Requirements

Effective  January 1, 2013 the eligibility requirements will be the following: 

Required:           

• High School Diploma or equivalent (no change)

Recommended (not required):

Training and Recommendations (expanded recommendations) :

• 6 months coding experience directly applying codes; OR
• Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program; OR
• Completion of other coding training program to include anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, Basic ICD diagnostic/procedural and Basic CPT coding.

Exam Information

Beginning April 1, 2013 Candidates will be allowed to present the 2012 or 2013 version of the ICD-9-CM codebooks listed below. The 2013 AMA CPT will be required beginning April 1, 2013.
Candidates that do not bring the correct codebooks to the test center will be turned away and forfeit their exam fees.

 Applying for the Exam

• Exam Fees
• Application Checklist
• Exam Scoring/Passing Scores
• Annual Exam Pass Rates 
• 2005 CCA Job Analysis

Applying for the Exam

Submitting an Application

Before submitting an application, carefully review the information contained in this guide. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure eligibility before submitting the application. Applicants who are determined to be ineligible and submit an ineligible application or request withdrawal of their application, will receive a refund of the application fee minus a $75 processing fee.

Applicants may register online or by submitting a paper application .

Exam Application Checklist

• Read Candidate Guide
• Apply for exam
  • Register Online
  • Exam Application
  • Special Accommodations Form - Form A and B
• Submit all paperwork necessary (transcripts, resume, other documentation)
• Upon receipt of authorization to test (ATT), read it completely
• Schedule exam with Pearson Vue
  
• Verify what materials are needed at the testing center
• Verify time and date of exam

Exam Preparation Information

• Exam Specifications
• Exam Content Outline
• Cognitive Levels
• Exam Scoring/Passing Scores
• Recommended Resources
• AHIMA Approved Coding Programs

Effective April 1, 2013 the CCA exam candidates will be allowed to use the 2012 or 2013 version of the ICD-9 codebooks. The 2013 AMA CPT book will be required. Please review the list of allowable codebooks if you have any questions. Candidates that do no present the correct versions of codebooks will forfeit their exam fees.(updated February 12, 2013)

Exam Notice

The CCA exam is based on ICD-9-CM codes effective October 1, 2011, and CPT codes effective January 1, 2012. Only the American Medical Association CPT codebook is permitted. HCPCS II codebooks and ICD-9-CM codebooks containing HCPCS national level II codebooks are not permitted for this examination.

Candidates who report to the test center with incorrect code books (i.e. incorrect version, books not on the list of allowable code books) will not be permitted to test and will forfeit their exam application fee.

• List of Allowable Codebooks

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Exam Specifications

2 hour, 100 multiple-choice item examination consisting of 90 scored items and 10 pretest items.

Candidates' scores are based solely upon the number of scored items on the exam - pretest items do not affect the candidates' score. Pretest questions are administered to evaluate the item's difficulty level for possible inclusion as a scored question in future exams. These pretest questions are dispersed throughout the exam and cannot be identified by the candidate.

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Exam Content Outline

A certification examination is based on an explicit set of competencies. These competencies have been determined through a job analysis study conducted of practitioners. The competencies are divided into domains and tasks as shown in the PDF below. Examinations test only content pertaining to the following competencies.

• CCA Exam Content Outline 

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CCA Resources

• CCA Recommended Resources

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