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Medical Coding Certification Exams
Study & Review Guides
My Preparation for the RHIT & CCS Exams
I passed AHIMA's Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) certification examinations several
years ago on my first try with flying colors. This is what I did to
prepare for these exams.
Work experience -- I coded inpatient and same-day-surgery cases at work and
reviewed "Coding Clinic" and "CPT Assistant" newsletters (see
resources) as needed. This work
experience was the single most important factor in my very
successful passing of the exam. The exam was pretty much just another day at work! :O)
Coding guidelines -- I read the "Official Coding Guidelines" very carefully and made sure
I understood them well. The official coding guidelines are
currently over 100 pages long, so there's plenty to learn. Go to my
coding links page to download
your free copy.
PRG review guide -- I used the Professional Review Guide for the CCS
Examination book for exam practice. This book is also called
the "PRG study/review guide" for CCS. It is a very popular review guide for CCS prep.
Coding practice -- For additional coding training, I used a predecessor of the Clinical Coding
Workout book.
This book was called "Coding in Context" then, and it was my favorite coding practice book.
In summary -- Basically, know the official coding guidelines well and
practice, practice, and practice coding.
If you'd like to share how you prepared for coding
certification exams, please post your message on my comments board.
Note: All exam study guides and textbooks may have occasional errors. If you
don't agree with the answer given, dig deeper into the
issue and find out yourself what the correct answer
might be. Good practice for your future coding job!
Coding rules and guidelines have a lot of gray areas
that cause debate among coders.
message on my 
