# Cardiology Specialty Exam



## billiek (Sep 4, 2008)

Has anyone taken this exam?  I am concerned about what will be on the test, mainly that there will be cardiac SURGERY questions.  Also there are only 15 sample questions in the back of the study guide, does anybody know where to get additional "mock" exam questions?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## cweavercpc (Sep 11, 2008)

I took the cardiology specialty exam a few months ago and it was surprisingly easier than I had anticipated !!! I did not feel like I had prepared myself and almost resheduled the exam. I am sooo glad I didn't. I finished the exam in 2 hours !!! which left me plenty of time to review my answers, in which I did go back and change 11 answers. My particular test only had  a couple of cath's, only one peripheral, but had alot of EP studies. I currently code for a cardiologist and my strong points were cath's and peripheral studies. I was very worried that their were so few on the test and I have never coded EP studies. Infact, I don't recall studing EP's for the exam. I don't recall any major "surgery" questions. Everything was percutaneous.  The main thing is to not over analyze !! Stick to the basic coding rules. I would read the answers first, then the question. You can almost immediately eliminate the wrong answers if you are familiar with modifiers and the codes.  I also wrote notes all over the exam while thinking it out. Before I knew it, I was done. I admit to being very unsure of myself as to whether or not I passed. The study guide really is your best source. However I had been coding in cardiology for almost two years before taking the exam, otherwise I'm uncertain that I would have passed. Know your terminology!! Oh, also I took a peripheral chart and only had to use it once. Make excellent notes in your CPT book !! This saves you a tremendous amout of time. I tabbed my main peripheral codes- angioplasty, atherectomy,stents, and S&I. I also wrote the S&I codes next to the corresponding procedure code. Which if you code these often, you have memorized. I also used the blank pages in my CPT book to make notes on my weak points on PPm and AICD's etc.  Sorry to ramble on... hope I could be of help !


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## lkalbers (Sep 11, 2008)

Hi, I would also like any practice exams that might be available for the cardiology specialty exam. I am scheduled to take my CPC-H in November and ordered the AAPC study guide. If I pass, I would like to take the cardiology right away. 

My email is lkalbers@yahoo.com if anyone has anything they would like to share. I have gotten various info about cardiology coding I have found on the internet I would be happy to share!  Nothing I have is copyrighted so that won't be a problem.


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## billiek (Sep 15, 2008)

THANK YOU soooo much...it puts my mind a little more at ease. Although my area of cardiology is also peripheral and interventional.  I don't do ANY EP...so at least I know where to focus.  
Thanks again for your help!


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