CCS & CCS-P Beta Testing
The CCS and CCS-P beta testing period ended on 01/12/2021. Live testing began for the CCS and CCS-P exams on 01/13/2021. We are in the process of scoring the beta exams. We are working as quickly as possible to provide beta exam scores. We will be reaching out directly to all those that participated in the beta testing with information on viewing your score reports. We will provide specific dates on when your scores will be available on 01/16/2021. Thank you for your patience and participating in the beta testing.
Certifications
Coding specialist – physician-based professionals perform coding in physician offices, group practices, multi-specialty clinics, or specialty centers. The CCS-P certification exam assesses mastery-level proficiency in coding of health services delivery beyond the hospital setting.
CCS-Ps:
Candidates must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to sit for the CCS-P examination:
The beta period for the CCS-P 2020 exam will begin on July 1, 2020. The beta period can last up to 24 weeks.
Apply to take the Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P) exam.
Certified Professionals and Pass Rates
As of 12/31/19, there were 4,995 certified CCS-P professionals.
Year |
Exam |
# First Time Testers |
Pass Rate First Time Testers |
2019* |
CCS-P |
357 |
64% |
2018* |
CCS-P |
323 |
70% |
2017 |
CCS-P |
311 |
73% |
*U.S. and Canada results only
Exam Specifications
The CCS-P is a timed exam. Candidates have four hours to complete the exam. The total number of questions on the exam range between 115 and 140 total items. The exam consists of two sections, a Multiple-Choice Section and a Medical Scenario Section (evaluation and management, surgery, medicine). The exam is given in a computer-based format.
AHIMA exams contain a variety of questions or item types that require you to use your knowledge, skills, and/or experience to select the best answer. Each exam includes scored questions and pre-test questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Pre-test questions are NOT counted in the final results.
The passing score for the CCS-P is set at 300, as are all AHIMA exams and programs.
Competencies for CCS-P fall into five domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the total questions on the certification exam. See the Exam Content Outline below for greater detail.
Certified Coding Specialist – Physician Based (CCS-P) Exam Content Outline (Effective 7/1/20)
Domain 1 – Diagnosis Coding (16.5%)
Tasks:
Domain 2 – Procedure Coding (32.9%) %)
Tasks:
Tasks:
Tasks:
Domain 5 – Revenue Cycle (11.4%)
Tasks:
On test day, all candidates must bring the correct codebooks to the test center. Candidates who do not have the correct codebooks will not be allowed to test and forfeit their exam fees. The full list of allowable codebooks are can be found in the PDF below.
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