Medical coding students are constantly asking, when is the best time to take AHIMA’s coding certification exams? You can sit for the coding exams while in school and pass, which is exactly what I did. I earned the CCS-P certification during my 2 year in Health IT program without any coding experience.
The coding certification exams are not easy. AHIMA recommends having on-the-job coding experience prior to testing. However, you can pass the exam by vigorously studying the coding guidelines and practicing coding case studies.
I highly recommend taking the coding certification exam prior to the implementation of ICD-10. I’ve blogged about this before so pardon the redundancy but it is very important to get the point across to medical coding students.
As I’ve said before, there is no time like the present. The implementation of ICD-10 in October 2013, will most likely forces changes to the format of certified coding exams from both AHIMA and AAPC. I believe these exams will be much more difficult.
The Professional Review Guide by Schnering and AHIMA’s CCS study guide are extremely helpful in preparing to sit for the exam. Also, the CD that is included with the books is great for practicing the multiple choice test formats. Some test candidates who failed say that they didn’t do well with the multiple choice questions or they ran out of time with the coding case studies. I advise you to use the CD mock exam as much as possible and also use a timer to force you to code as quickly as possible.
In addition to using the study guides, you want to focus on the official coding guidelines. Understanding and knowing the official coding guidelines is the main key to mastering coding and passing the exam.
Once again, take the coding exams prior to ICD-10 launching - if medical coding is your career focus. One of the arguments is, why study ICD-9 and test from this version when ICD-10 is right around the corner? Well, ICD-9 codes will be used for an undetermined time AFTER the launch of ICD-10.
A student or new graduate who knows both ICD-9 and ICD-10 will be armed and better able to compete in the job market. The problem many new graduates face is landing a job without experience. I’m banking on the hope that ICD-10 will open many doors for those who are credential and lack experience. Thus now is the time to arm yourself with the knowledge of both coding systems.
