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ChelZee

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I took a short three month course in Medical Coding and Billing, also, I recently purchased a mock online internship through a textbook company. For clarification I do not have a job in this field yet. Am I still ok to take the exam if I feel I have had enough preparation?
 
Try taking one (or all 3) of the AAPC CPC® Online Practice Exam, then you'll get a better idea of how you would do on the test. Don't forget to time yourself while taking the Practice Exam. Your local chapter may have a CPC Exam Review class.
 
It Depends

Whether or not you are ready to take the CPC test is a hard one to answer without knowing more of what was taught in your billing class. A strong background in anatomy and physiology as well as medical terminology is an absolute must.

The AAPC does have practice exams which can be purchased. They are a great tool in assessing your readiness, as in addition to grading your test, you are presented with rationale for any incorrect answers. The CPC exam is a very vigorous test - 5 hours and 40 minutes seems like a lot of time, but it really is not. I have been doing billing for more than 20 years and have an extensive background in medical terminology, and it took me over five hours to finish the test.

Good luck!
 
Thank you guys. I've also been a little confused when reading information about the test. Do I have to have work experience to take it?
 
No, you do not have to have a job in the field to take it. I'm sure it helps.

I purchased the AAPC practice tests and did them repeatedly. I took my exam yesterday
and the time pressure got to me, to be honest. I spent way too long analyzing my answers
in the first half, only to be rushed in the second half. I also made dumb mistakes on easier stuff, like ICD 9 codes, because I was rushed.

I likely didn't pass but that is ok, I know what to expect now and what areas to work on.
Also make sure your book is marked up and tabbed, tab the anatomy graphs, and make notes everywhere. You'll be surprised how you don't think as clearly when the clock is ticking, so the easier you can find something the better.

If you are running out of time, skip to the back and answer those questions first. They are terminology ones, etc and take less time to answer.
 
Also, be careful of the answer grid. It goes down, not across. If you skip an answer fill in a bubble, then put an asterick next to it to go back to it. Always be sure you're looking at the question number, I caught myself a few times almost filling in the wrong line.

Believe it or not, the 5 hours 40 minutes flew by and felt like one hour! Bring water, mints and a snack for energy. Don't be too nervous, the exam is exactly like the practice ones,
just do your best and move on to the next question. I would look at codes I knew were likely wrong just to "make sure" and the time spent doing that cost me.

The questions are all answerable, so to speak. But you have to pace yourself. Better to answer 5 easy ones first than spend 5 minutes on a burn one, so go back at the end to the more lengthy ones - just fill in something though so you dont lose your place.
 
Ok that gosh now I'll start studying like crazy and saving up for the test. For some reason I thought you had to have a job. Thanks for clearing that up. :D And Congrats.
 
Cpc -a

You may certainly take the exam without any work experience in coding. However ...

If you do not have the required 2-years experience when you take your exam, you will be granted a CPC-A(pprentice) status on passing the exam.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC
 
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