Allison, are you finishing the test each time or running out of time? There are also techniques that will help you pass, besides knowledge, of course. If you are running out of time, here are a few suggestions.
Bring a water bottle to (sip) on. Try not to go to the restroom. Do not sit with a big Starbucks coffee either because after you do use the restroom, you will crash and burn. I don't think we really need snacks either, unless you're diabetic. Time is of the essence. Next, if you encounter a really long hard question, skip it and come back to it when you finish the others. Each question has the same point value, so don't waste precious time. I skipped question number one on my test. By the time I came back to it later, my mind was tuned in to figure it out quickly. Answer the questions by the process of elimination. If there are 3 answers that have 3 of the same cpt codes, and icd-9 codes, but different
e-codes, start by looking at the e-codes and you can quickly determine which answers are wrong. Use this philosophy for every question. By quickly eliminating two wrong answers, you now have a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Then those two answers will sound very similar, except the difference may be the approach, or any possible variable. At times, if I still couldn't tell and had to guess, I would go with the choice that was in the section I was testing on, such as musculoskeletal, since that was the section being tested. (still don't know if that was really right though, I only passed with a 77%)
I passed the exam last July on my first try. I am convinced it was because of these techniques my teacher taught us. After all this time I have my first job interview this Wednesday for a certified coder.
I am so rusty I am shaking in my boots now that I finally have an opportunity. At least they know I am a CPC-A who hasn't worked in the medical field and need training. This would be my dream job, so I have my fingers crossed. Good luck to you should you try again.