Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®)
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CCS, CCS-P to Launch as Beta in May
Please be advised that the CCS and CCS-P examinations in the USA and Canada will be launching as beta exams on May 1, 2020. A beta exam is a new version of a certification exam consisting of new questions that have not yet undergone psychometric analysis for validity and reliability. The new CCS and CCS-P exams are the result of recent job analyses to ensure the exams are relevant and reflect current practice. The new content outlines are posted at http://ahima.org/certification/CCS and http://ahima.org/certification/ccsp under “Exam Prep.
During the beta exam period immediate scoring is not available. Scores are dependent on enough people taking the beta exam. Therefore, scores may take up to 24 weeks following the launch of the beta exam. The more test takers participate in the beta exam period, the faster the exam cut score will be determined and scores can be provided.
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Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®) Exam Update for International Candidates
The Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) is temporarily suspending the administration of the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) examination outside of the United States and Canada. This action has been taken due to concerns over exam security.
As a result, all CCS exam appointments scheduled between February 28, 2020 through at least June 30, 2020, have been canceled. AHIMA apologizes for this inconvenience. We are working to reopen the CCS exam by July 1, 2020.
Please note that all other AHIMA exams internationally have not been affected and those examination administrations are moving forward. Again, thank you for your interest, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
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CCSs are skilled in classifying medical data from patient records, often in a hospital setting but also in other healthcare settings. These coding practitioners:
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Review patients’ records and assign numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure
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Possess expertise in the ICD-10-CM and CPT coding systems
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Know medical terminology, disease processes, and pharmacology concepts
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Work in a variety of settings
CCSs create coded data used by hospitals and medical providers to obtain reimbursement from insurance companies or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Researchers and public health officials also use this data to monitor patterns and explore new interventions.
Coding accuracy is highly important to healthcare organizations because it has an impact on revenues and documentation of health outcomes. Accordingly, certification in coding has become an implicit industry standard. The CCS credential demonstrates a practitioner's tested skills in data quality and accuracy as well as mastery of coding proficiency. The CCS certification is a natural progression for professionals experienced in coding inpatient and outpatient records.>/p>
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements to apply for the exam can be met in several ways, including credentials held, education, and experience. Candidates must meet one of the five eligibility requirements from the list below:
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Hold the RHIA®, RHIT®, or CCS-P® credentials; OR
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Complete courses in all the following topics: anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, reimbursement methodology, intermediate/advanced ICD diagnostic/procedural and CPT coding, OR
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Attain a minimum of two (2) years of related coding experience directly applying codes; OR
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Hold the CCA® credential plus one (1) year of coding experience directly applying codes; OR
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Hold a coding credential from another certifying organization plus one (1) year of coding experience directly applying codes.
Earlier this year AHIMA began taking steps to better protect your data and improve the security and privacy of customer information. As part of this effort, effective November 1st we will no longer accept paper exam applications. In addition, after December 1 we will no longer accept paper checks.
We will be transitioning to an ACH system at the beginning of 2020, which will allow you to pay via electronic fund transfer. Until we make this transition, we will only accept credit cards.
You can complete an online application at https://my.ahima.org/certification/getcertified
If you have questions please contact info@ahima.org
To apply to take the CCS exam, review the information described here and then complete and submit the online application. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
Before applying, carefully review the information provided in the Candidate 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 wish to withdraw their application will receive a refund of the application fee minus a $75 processing fee.
The CCS and CCA certifications are now included in the list of national certifications that may be submitted on the Demographic Data Collection Tool (DDCT) as part of the application for the Magnet Recognition Program® designation. You can view this information on the ANCC Accepted Certifications page.
Exam Fees
Exam fees must be paid by credit card when completing the online application. Fees are as follows:
Premier Member Price: $284.05
Member Price: $299
Non-member price: $399
Eligibility Period
You will receive an Authorization to Test letter when your application to take the exam is approved. Please read it carefully. The ATT will state a four-month eligibility period during which you must schedule your exam appointment. Candidates who fail to schedule an examination appointment within the eligibility period indicated in their ATT will forfeit their application fee.
Candidates who arrive at the test center 15 minutes after the scheduled appointment will not be allowed to test and will forfeit the application fee.
Candidates who have forfeited their application fees in the situations noted above must complete a new application and submit a new application fee to reapply to take the exam.
Exam Application Checklist
AHIMA has developed this checklist to serve as a guide to the exam process. If you have questions, please contact info@ahima.org .
- Read Candidate Guide
- Apply online to take the exam
- Upon receipt of authorization to test (ATT), read it completely
- Schedule exam with Pearson Vue within the four-month eligibility period stated in the ATT
- Verify what materials are needed at the testing center
- Verify what form(s) of Identification are needed at the testing center
- Verify time and date of exam
- Verify directions to the testing center
- Arrive ahead of time to the testing center with the materials and identification needed to take the exam
Instructions for Bulk Ordering
Organizations may purchase individual exams or exams in bulk. The process for organizations and candidates within these organizations is outlined below.
Organizations: Follow the steps below to purchase and administer exams for candidates within the organization:
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Download and complete an
order form and e-mail it to arinfo@ahima.org.
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You will receive an invoice from AHIMA within 72 business hours after the order form is received. This invoice requires payment within 7 business days from the date of the invoice. Payment will be processed within 10 business days.
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Once payment is received and processed, you will receive an e-mail with a campaign code for each exam purchased within 10 business days. (Example: If you purchase 15 exams, you will receive 15 campaign codes.)
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Organizations should distribute the campaign codes to individuals planning to take the exam. Candidates will have up to one year from the date the organization receives the codes to use the codes to register for the exam. Each campaign code is good for one-time use only.
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The code becomes active once the exam order is placed. Once the exam order is placed, the candidate will have 4 months from the order date to take the exam.
Candidates: Follow the steps below to apply to take an exam ordered by your organization:
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If an Early Testing form is needed,
download the form via the website, and upload the completed form to the early testing section of the application. The form should be uploaded at the time of the application.
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If you have an AHIMA account, a second account does not have to be created. Please
create an AHIMA account if you do not have one.
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Once the account is created, click on certification and select the country, then select the exam you in which you are interested.
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You will receive a prompt to complete the application.
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Once the application is complete, you will be directed to the payment page. Enter the campaign code received from your organization in the promotional code box and press Submit.
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After submitting the application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail explaining the next steps.
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If you have applied for the RHIT or RHIA exam and it is not an early test, your exam will be approved upon receipt and acceptance of your official transcripts.
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An Authorization to Test letter will come directly from Pearson VUE within 5 business days via email.
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You will need to submit official transcripts and certification of completion attestation and then schedule your exam with Pearson Vue.
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**PLEASE NOTE** Submission of official transcripts and certification of completion attestation are not affected by this change, and the normal process should continue.
Organizations who DO NOT purchase Exams
If you do not purchase exams for your students or staff the above instructions do not apply. Students now have the capability to upload their completed Early Testing Form (if applicable) to the early testing section of the application. This form should be uploaded at the time of the application
Preparing for the CCS Exam
To fully prepare for the CCS exam, candidates may find it helpful to become familiar with the following information.
Exam Specifications
The exam is timed for 4 hours. It consists of two sections, a Multiple Choice Section and a Medical Scenario Section.
Multiple Choice Section
This section is made up of 97 multiple-choice questions. Of the 97 questions, 79 are scored and 18 are pretest questions that are not scored. The pretest questions are administered to evaluate the question for possible inclusion as a scored question in future exams. Pretest questions are interspersed throughout the exam and cannot be identified by the candidate. Whether answered correctly or incorrectly, they do not affect the candidate's score.
Medical Scenario Section
This section includes 8 scenarios with up to 3 separate questions. The questions require candidates to choose from a range of codes to answer the question. Of the 8 scenarios, 6 are scored and 2 are pretest scenarios that are not scored. (See Multiple Choice Section above for information on pretest items.)
Exam Content
AHIMA certification examinations are based on an explicit set of competencies. Competencies for the CCS exam were determined through a job analysis conducted with hospital-based coders.
Competencies for CCSs fall into seven domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the questions on the certification exam, as shown below. Download the CCS Exam Content Outline for information about the competencies within each domain. The exam tests candidates only on content pertaining to the competencies shown.
Domain 1 – Clinical Documentation (14-18%)
Domain 2 – Diagnosis Coding (28-32%)
Domain 3 – Procedure Coding (28-32%)
Domain 4 – Reporting Requirements for Inpatient Services (6-10%)
Domain 5 – Reporting Requirements for Outpatient Services (6-10%)
Domain 6 – Data Quality Management (3-7%)
Domain 7 – Privacy, Confidentiality, Legal, and Ethical Issues (1-5%)
Additional Information
Recommended Resources for Study
Candidate Guide (see p. 6 and 30 – 31 for information on the CCS credential and exam)
CCS Exam Content Outline - effective through April 30.
2020 CCS Exam Content Outline - effective starting May 1.
Cognitive Levels
Certification Exam Pass Rates
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Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®) Exam Update for International Candidates
The Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) is temporarily suspending the administration of the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) examination outside of the United States and Canada. This action has been taken due to concerns over exam security.
As a result, all CCS exam appointments scheduled between February 28, 2020 through at least June 30, 2020, have been canceled. AHIMA apologizes for this inconvenience. We are working to reopen the CCS exam by July 1, 2020.
Please note that all other AHIMA exams internationally have not been affected and those examination administrations are moving forward. Again, thank you for your interest, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
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The CCS exam is only offered outside the U.S. at specific times during the year. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. The exam dates for 2019 are:
Exams will be offered outside the U.S. during these timeframes:
- February 1, 2020 – February 28, 2020
- April 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020
- July 1, 2020 – July 31, 2020
- October 15, 2020 – November 30, 2020
Directions for Applying for your CCS exam:
After reviewing the requirements below for international exams, please refer to the other CCA pages for information about materials allowed in the testing center, identification required, and other information.
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Candidates may only test in their country of residence. For example, if you reside in India you will only be allowed to test at a Pearson VUE test center in India. Candidates will not be permitted to sit for their exam if they schedule their exam outside of their country of residence and will forfeit their exam fees.
Find a Pearson Vue Test Center in your location.
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Candidates are eligible to take the exam for one year, due to the limited time given for each exam administration. If a candidate does not use the eligibility within the one-year eligibility period, the exam fees will be forfeited.
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Please allow 5 -7 business days for processing of all applications.
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After your exam application is received and your application fee is processed, you will receive an Authorization to Test letter with detailed instructions on how to select your exam appointment.
Retest Policy (For testing outside the US only):
Candidates who have taken and failed the examination must wait a minimum of 165 days before applying to take the exam again. To retake the exam, candidates must resubmit an application with appropriate exam application fee.