Strictly follow these rules to avoid time waste on exam hall
Here my 17 suggestions to manage your time while giving exam
1) Skip the index and go straight to the tabular to look up the four options that you are given
2) When guessing make an educated one. Ex: If you are in the musculoskeletal section (20000 codes) your answer will likely have a 20000 code listed
3) A lot of the correct answers have codes that are repeated in at least two of the options with only a slight variation (Ex: Option A and B may be identical except A has a modifier and B does not)
4) Answer the easiest, shortest questions first ? this gives you the experience of succeeding and stimulates associations.
5) Read each question carefully. Note such words in the question as "not, except, most, least and greatest." These words are often crucial in determining the correct answer. However there are no "trick" questions on the exam, so don't worry about hidden words or meanings.
6) Answer every question. If you do not know the right answer, eliminate as many wrong answers as possible, then select among the remaining answers. If you don't have a clue ? guess. A guess is better than a blank response.
7) As far as looking at the answers first....what I did was read the question, then look up each answer that was already given. That helps to narrow down the search by being able to eliminate answers right away. Also, some questions have the multiple CPT's/ICD-9 codes. It is best if you mark out the ones that show in each answer (because obviously they are right) that way you can focus on what is left.
8) If there are ICD-9 that go along with the answers, you can eliminate answers that way as well. That will save you time because you don't even need to review the CPT's if you can eliminate 3 of 4 answers or even 2of 4.
9) Start in the back of the book. The questions are Shorter and gives you more Time to tackle the hard ones
10) do the easy questions first
if you don't know it skip it & come back to it. (mark it with a x or a circle ON THE BOOKLET not the bubble sheet)
you have 45 questions to get wrong-if your stuck on one, suck it up and count it as one of the 45
make sure you are always filling in the bubble for the question number you are answering (when jumping around it gets difficult to keep track, just make sure you are)
11) Go straight to the answer in your book don't look it up through index, will kill your time. your 4 answers are there, pick best one. (*THIS IS ONLY FOR THE TEST, WHEN CODING FOR A JOB LOOK UP INDEX AND CODES TO SEE)
12) answer the easy one first save the hard ones for last...Also go straight to the code and beside each one write the differences between the codes.
13) don't spend a lot of time on one question. Keep moving. If you can do that you'll be fine
14) It helps to divide your exam in to sections when taking it.
I did . . .
1. Medical terminology first (my strongest subject)
2. HCPCS second
3. ICD-9 CM third
4. CPT last & went in order (weakest subject)
15) I heard had circled their answers in their test booklet first & then filled in their bubble sheet. This is a good way, if you're confident that you can finish in time.
16) Do not panic. Do not waste time on difficult ones which means you need to finish the simple ones first and as quick as possible.
17) try to attend the sections in which your good and try to save as much as time in these sections, in case if your running short of time then mark any one option
