CCA exam

Linda, Congratulations...!! You did it!!

Shirley in Zion, Illinois said: Hi Elaine,

Good luck to you on the exam. No there was not a lot of coding, however, it does focus on the competencies. If you are really good at coding then these would be a cinch. I had passed the CCA exam and thought it was hard. I had calculation questions, so you may want to be prepared. The CD in the PRG will help you with timing. Definitely focus on what you think your weakest competency is.

Shirley

Hi Shirley, not sure how my quote from 6 months ago came up recently on this page, but anyway... I took the CCA and passed on January 15, then took the CCS and passed on May 14. Good luck to you all and to me as I have to find a job!

Congratulations, Linda!!!!!

PLS. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been doing my research about online/distance learning centers to begin my education/career as a certified medical coder. However, I am undecided about the intititue that would be best for me. I love the whole online learning thing and have done it in the past, but as for how each school opearates (i.e. 1 class per month, or virual classes, slef-past or structral) I'm stuck. I'm also intrested in a school that offers finanaical aid and great accreditations. I need for the school to prepare me for CCS, CCA, CCP/H.

Thanks

john in Plano, Texas said: I am scheduled to take my CCA exam from AHIMA in two weeks. If anyone has taken this certification or any similiar certifications, Can you please tell me what to expect.
How Professional Review guide for the CCA exam 2009 edition is helpful, it has only quizzes.

John in Plano Texas, hi i'm Katie i live in Carrollton tx and i'm study for the CCA Exam now, how do you do? is the exam hard? i'm very nervous, what should I expect from the Exam? thanks

I am scheduled to take the CCA Exam on the 7th of August and I am curious if taking the exam helped you in finding a job with the CCA credential now next to your name. I am in the process of being out of a job possibly in the next month due to the business closing so I have been applying everyday for a job in healthcare but have not heard anything back.

I finished with an AAS degree in Medical Billing and Coding Technology from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Ms in May 2009. I have not taken the CCA, and I am not sure if I should even take it. I am having a really hard time finding a job in any kind of medical setting. We moved in Fl in June and I am frustrated, I have applied for jobs as a Patient Registration Rep......at a hospital, receptionists, and so on. I have had one interview with a dr's office (on Thursday) for a receptionist position (I haven't heard anything). I am really thinking about going back to school at UCF in Fall 2010....I have 2 questions-

Does anyone have any suggestions for me??

How do they expect you to have any experience, if they are not willing to train people?? So, how do I get the experience that I need??

Thank you Shirley and Elaine for your congrats! I'm just glad it is over with.

Danielle, as far as finding a job when they want experience - I agree, it's very difficult. I am a transcriptionist and have worked in/for hospitals. This is how I became interesetd in coding. My best suggestion would be to find a position in HIM, possibly as a clerk, which gets your foot in the door, and go from there. Sorry, couldn't be of more help. Good luck to you.

Thank you Linda......for your suggestion. I am going to look into that also.

Hey Danille,
I also live in kissimmee by the loop,
Where did you do your Medical coding programme?Please let me know

Rachel in Orlando, Florida said: Hey Danille,
I also live in kissimmee by the loop,
Where did you do your Medical coding programme?Please let me know

Oops sorry,I didn't see your post..

I took the CCA exam July 17th. I must be a slow person. I only got to question 88 out of 100 and was running out of time. I went back to go through the ones I had marked/skipped and ran out of time. Ended up with a "fail" score - 249 out of 300. I'm worried about my slowness in taking the test. I took medical coding through VLC - which I would not recommend. However learning how to code wasn't the problem with the course. The problem was the ethics type questions, etc were not in my schooling thus resulting in not knowing those type of answers. ug!
I wrote to the AHIMA to see if they could give more details about my "fail" but they could not. I would like to know if by me skipping several of the questions that I thought I could get to was the reason for my failed score or that I missed the ones I did complete were wrong.

Anway - question - what workbook, books, etc would anyone recommend for studying?

Thanks!
Tori

Danielle in Kissimmee, Florida said: I finished with an AAS degree in Medical Billing and Coding Technology from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Ms in May 2009. I have not taken the CCA, and I am not sure if I should even take it. I am having a really hard time finding a job in any kind of medical setting. We moved in Fl in June and I am frustrated, I have applied for jobs as a Patient Registration Rep......at a hospital, receptionists, and so on. I have had one interview with a dr's office (on Thursday) for a receptionist position (I haven't heard anything). I am really thinking about going back to school at UCF in Fall 2010....I have 2 questions-

Does anyone have any suggestions for me??

How do they expect you to have any experience, if they are not willing to train people?? So, how do I get the experience that I need??

It hasn't been a week yet. Give it a week and see if they call on or around Thursday.

Getting experience is tough. Try to volunteer at hosptials, have teachers write letters of recommendation, maybe go for more credentials?

blakesmomma in Galesburg, Illinois said: I took the CCA exam July 17th. I must be a slow person. I only got to question 88 out of 100 and was running out of time. I went back to go through the ones I had marked/skipped and ran out of time. Ended up with a "fail" score - 249 out of 300. I'm worried about my slowness in taking the test. I took medical coding through VLC - which I would not recommend. However learning how to code wasn't the problem with the course. The problem was the ethics type questions, etc were not in my schooling thus resulting in not knowing those type of answers. ug!
I wrote to the AHIMA to see if they could give more details about my "fail" but they could not. I would like to know if by me skipping several of the questions that I thought I could get to was the reason for my failed score or that I missed the ones I did complete were wrong.

Anway - question - what workbook, books, etc would anyone recommend for studying?

Thanks!
Tori

I went to Kishwaukee College for Medical Billing/Coding in Malta, IL and we did not cover much ethical material there through out the time I was there. I am taking the CCA on the 7th of August and I am trying to prepare as much as I can reading the ICD-9-CM guidelines and a bunch of other material. I bought the professional review guide for the CCA exam and it seems like it is helping me prepare fir the exam. If you plan on retaking the exam I would recommend this book plus go on AHIMA's website and check the recommended resources for the CCA Exam.

Thanks for you comment aihs03! I'm hoping to do a LOT of studying and buy a review guide. They are hard to find.

Question for anyone who's taken the CCA exam:

Would he '2009 Step by Step Medical Coding guide' - Carol Buck book help?

TIA
Tori

Blakesmomma in Galesburg, Illinois said: Thanks for you comment aihs03! I'm hoping to do a LOT of studying and buy a review guide. They are hard to find.

Question for anyone who's taken the CCA exam:

Would he '2009 Step by Step Medical Coding guide' - Carol Buck book help?

TIA
Tori

PRG is not hard to find. You don't need 2009 version because the content is only slightly different on the previous year and the newest version is very expensive. I used PRG 2005 when I took CCA, paid only $5 for that one. PRG is very helpful guide for CCA, but for CCS, I recommend other book.

Step by Step by Carol J Buck is good, but CCA don't have many coding questions (unline CCS) If you want to svae money, the older version book is okay too. (after 2006). This would help in saving you an expense.

KD CCS & CCA

Sorry for many typos on my post.

Thanks Kate! That would probably have been my next question. I sure will check out older versions. I've seen those and I know they will be cheaper. I worked for a home healthcare agency (private pay, DHS and DOA) and use McKesson Pathways software so I'm use to doing billing/balancing, etc.

Thanks again,
Tori

KATIE NGUYEN in Carrollton, Texas said: John in Plano Texas, hi i'm Katie i live in Carrollton tx and i'm study for the CCA Exam now, how do you do? is the exam hard? i'm very nervous, what should I expect from the Exam? thanks

HI, I live in Rowlett,Texas I am taking the CCA exam October 2,I just bought the book Professional Review Guide for CCA Exam.Do you know if this one would be good to study by? Thank you

I took the CCA exam today and unfortunately I only got 286 on it and did not pass. I would have like if I spent more time on areas other than coding because I did fine on the coding parts but did not understand some other areas. I am determining whether I should take an exam through AAPC instead. I just got hired to work in a clinic but I am unsure what type of exam should best fit me.

I am sorry you did not pass. I have been wavering about taking that exam myself. I did take the NCCT Insurance and Coding exam and passed but it carries no weight when trying to get a job. Now that you got hired at a clinic don't you think it will help you to pass the test if you take it again? What parts did you need to study more, if you don't mind my asking. The longer I am not employed the more I forget what I learnt in school.

Denise in Tiverton, Rhode Island said: I am sorry you did not pass. I have been wavering about taking that exam myself. I did take the NCCT Insurance and Coding exam and passed but it carries no weight when trying to get a job. Now that you got hired at a clinic don't you think it will help you to pass the test if you take it again? What parts did you need to study more, if you don't mind my asking. The longer I am not employed the more I forget what I learnt in school.

I am going to talk to my co-workers and see which test they think I should take. I was familiar with the coding but need more studying on management and ethical situations. I think I may have should of used more material then the study guide for the CCA exam.

aihs03 in Crystal Lake, Illinois said: I am going to talk to my co-workers and see which test they think I should take. I was familiar with the coding but need more studying on management and ethical situations. I think I may have should of used more material then the study guide for the CCA exam.

I am also sorry you didn't pass.I took the CCA last January.When I prepared for it, looking at the competencies,I realised I needed more materials to study with.I bought the Health Information Management of a Strategic Resource from Merval Abdelhak as one of the many advised book mentioned in your PRG book.I am not saying it is necessarily the best,but I know I learned information I didn't know before which I'm sure helped me pass the exams (both CCA then CCS last June).You need to invest in study materials like these mentioned in your PRG book, and any magazines and websites that can help.You can't rely on just the PRG.These books will also help you for the other exams like the CCS or CCS-P if you decide to go for them as well.I try to buy my books, used, at amazon or ebay for a cheaper price.So I would look at the competencies you need to study for the exam(s) and see which book(s) you need to buy.The one advised by Ahima for the CCA is "Johns, Merida L. AHIMA's Health Information Management Technology: An
Applied Approach, 2nd Edition".It covers all the domains except Domain 3 & 4 (Coding & rbt).My CCA exam was reimbursed by my school,so I went for it and thought it would be a good experience to prepare myself for the other exams.I found the multiple choice questions more challenging than the coding cases when I took the CCS.Since you are already coding,it could be the same for you,therefore the importance of investing in those books. I'm going to buy a couple more books myself and study while still looking for a job,and prepare for the CCS-P in order to keep up-to-date with the field and hopefully not forget what I've studied hard for.Good luck to yo

Hello,

I am about to take the NCCT certification on Friday, August 22, 2009. I am thinking about taking the CCA certification followed by the CCS certification. First test would be the CCA.

Can anyone tell me who has taken and passed the CCA and/or CCS certifications if they too have taken and passed the NCCT???

If so are the questions on the CCA exam similar types of questions as the NCCT exam. The questions on the NCCT exam focus mostly on law & ethics, insurance, basic ICD & CPT coding, a few computer questions and Medical term questions.

My school is a certified school for Health Claims Specialist (medical billing/coding/insurance). They prepped us to take and pass the NCCT. I was told that the CCA exam questions would be very similar and the CCA concentrate's on the same type of questions.

As some have stated, I too have no experience in the medical field and will be seeking a job, but have a feeling that I will be starting in a position that will not utilize any billing or coding.

Any thoughts, comments, feedback or other information you could offer regarding the CCA & CCS exams would be great and most helpful.

Thanks!!

Cathy

I am a non traditional student with a bachelors who has decided to move into the health information technology field and am enrolled in a AHIMA approved school for a HIT associates degree. I am enrolled in MSU Montana State Univeristy which is a terrific distance learning course.

I am slated to take the CCA on October 11 and am studying the PRG, Merida John's Health Information Management Technology and Abdelhak's Health Information Management of a Strategic Resource.

Has anyone used the companion CD ROM to the PRG and was it helpful?

I am trying to cover the components/categories and am spending a lot of time reading and then going back and answering the questions in the PRG which is time consuming.

Once I eventually pass the CCA I think I will take the RHIT.

For those of you who have taken the CCA, perhaps you can provide a question or two that you can recall from taking the exam.

I will also try and do the same after I am finished.

Thanks Tim

I'm scheduled to take the CCA exam September 17th. I have purchased the Professional Review Guide 2009 Edition. I have also completed an 8 month course. I'm getting mixed feedback as to what is on the exam. I have perused the comments on this forum and I'm still a little confused, and getting nervous. Can anyone offer some advice?

Danielle in Kissimmee, Florida said: I finished with an AAS degree in Medical Billing and Coding Technology from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Ms in May 2009. I have not taken the CCA, and I am not sure if I should even take it. I am having a really hard time finding a job in any kind of medical setting. We moved in Fl in June and I am frustrated, I have applied for jobs as a Patient Registration Rep......at a hospital, receptionists, and so on. I have had one interview with a dr's office (on Thursday) for a receptionist position (I haven't heard anything). I am really thinking about going back to school at UCF in Fall 2010....I have 2 questions-

Does anyone have any suggestions for me??

How do they expect you to have any experience, if they are not willing to train people?? So, how do I get the experience that I need??

Change Career .. Believe me

aihs03 in Crystal Lake, Illinois said: I took the CCA exam today and unfortunately I only got 286 on it and did not pass. I would have like if I spent more time on areas other than coding because I did fine on the coding parts but did not understand some other areas. I am determining whether I should take an exam through AAPC instead. I just got hired to work in a clinic but I am unsure what type of exam should best fit me.

visit www.medesun.com for medical coding training

Hello: Sorry to hear that you did not pass the CCA exam. Are you planning to take it again? Congrats on getting a job at a clinic. I passed the CCA in July of this year & have not found a coding position. I'm just east of you. If you do not mind me asking, where is the clinic that you working at and are there any openings still? I have not found a job yet in coding.

Thanks!

Will the PGA help with CCS. I have not takin the CCA. I coded in a OP setting for 2 years and now I am currently doing IP accounts. I just wanted to take the ccs and get it overwith. Will the disk from the workbook help?

Do you know if the CCA exam has the Case Mix Index (CMI) questions?
Thanks

Stacey in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: I'm scheduled to take the CCA exam September 17th. I have purchased the Professional Review Guide 2009 Edition. I have also completed an 8 month course. I'm getting mixed feedback as to what is on the exam. I have perused the comments on this forum and I'm still a little confused, and getting nervous. Can anyone offer some advice?

I have something for you:
1. What is the first portion of the small intestine?
2. This term means excision of the uterus.
3. What is the CPT cofe for Hematemesis (Vomiting of blood)?

Good luck!

1.duodenum; 2. hysterectomy ; 3. 578.0

Need a Medical Coding job in Rowlett, Texas said: HI, I live in Rowlett,Texas I am taking the CCA exam October 2,I just bought the book Professional Review Guide for CCA Exam.Do you know if this one would be good to study by? Thank you

Hi,my instructor said this is a very good book to study. where did you go school for this course? How did you study so far? I'm still have a hard time study cause all the questions are confused. well, I can be reach at camtu831@yahoo.com

Hi. I just started the Medical Coding and Health Information Technology Program at our local community college so I have quite a ways until I will graduate but I was wondering how much it would cost to sit for an exam and with the program I am in which exam would be the best for me to take!?!

Im taking the NCCT exam next Saturday ... just wondering if anyone knows how many questions were on the exam?? What does the test consist of?? I graduated rom school in March, and stated working in the field in June BUT not in billing/coding but as front desk ... scheduling surgeries ... etc Hopefully someone can help me! I have a study packet and have been going thru alllll my school books ... but I feel like Im gonna burn myself out stressin about this exam ... thanks for any responses I may get :o)

I too have take CCS and failed twice. Over studied both times and then lost it all. If I had a better ideal of exactly what study I could probably pass. I'm at it again!!! Planning to take the 2009 exam now.

I failed the CCA Medical exam in July mainly because I ran out of time. I so wanted to make sure I was reading everything and going over them - geez and ran out of time.

Plan on taking it again soon. I got the review book and have been studying.

Has anyone taken the CCA exam twice? If so, is the test questions the same? I have remembered a lot of the questions and have been studying them along with everything else. Hate to be wasting my time if the questions are different.

Thanks in advance!
Tori

Need a Medical Coding job in Rowlett, Texas said: HI, I live in Rowlett,Texas I am taking the CCA exam October 2,I just bought the book Professional Review Guide for CCA Exam.Do you know if this one would be good to study by? Thank you

hi there, did you pass the exam? I hope you do, I have not schedule for the exam yet, maybe at the end of october or so. did you still remember the questions from the CCA exam? if so, can post it so people can have some idea of what is on the test. Thank you.

Blakesmomma in Galesburg, Illinois said: I failed the CCA Medical exam in July mainly because I ran out of time. I so wanted to make sure I was reading everything and going over them - geez and ran out of time.

Plan on taking it again soon. I got the review book and have been studying.

Has anyone taken the CCA exam twice? If so, is the test questions the same? I have remembered a lot of the questions and have been studying them along with everything else. Hate to be wasting my time if the questions are different.

Thanks in advance!
Tori

Hi Tori,
sorry that you did not pass, do you remember any of the questions from your test? I'm planning to take the CCA exam at the end of October, is there alot of coding questions? I hope you pass next time when you take it. thank you

Eliane Mason in New Lenox, Illinois said: Taking the CCA exam in 2 days. been reviewing with Prof Review Guide for CCCA exam book.Concerned with timing.Thought coding was the #1 domain to focus on.Did you find test difficult?

Just wondering i might be able to get the Prof Review Guide you mention? and is it very useful for the CCA Certification exam prep?

jen in Martinsburg, West Virginia said: Just wondering i might be able to get the Prof Review Guide you mention? and is it very useful for the CCA Certification exam prep?

Hi Jen, you can find it on Amazon. I found it to be useful. Prepared me for my first ever exam in that field. There wasn't much coding at all. You need to concentrate on the competencies of the exam itself. Very important. See what the competencies are, check the books you already have and how they cover those competencies to help you review and decide whether or not you need more books to help you. I had to buy one more book regarding Medical records where I thought I lacked knowledge. Go on Ahima website, check the CCA exam and all info related to it such as the competencies, and see what you need to learn for that exam. Also check the books they advise to review as well for that exam. But yes I can say the PRG helped me. I ended up buying the one for the CCS as well. You will feel more prepared and you will pass the exam.

Thanks so much Eliane, I will see if I can get it from Amazon. Plan to take the CCA exam as soon as I get the authorization from the testing center...I didn't realize that I'd have to wait 3 to 4 weeks. So glad to have found this site, because I had planned to study a lot of coding. Now I will focus on other areas. Thanks again!

I am aware there is some medical terminology on the CCA exam. I was wondering if while taking the test, are you allowed to look up the answers to some of the medical terminology? If so, how? On the computer? In a book? If so, what book am I allowed to take to the exam? I have had medical terminology, but there is no way I would ever learn every medical term in the world.

I have been studying the HIM Management of a Strategic Resource by Mervat Abdelhak.. and I am overwhelmed. There is a massive amount of information in this book and I currently have my sights set on passing the CCA exam. Can anyone tell me which specific chapters I should focus on? (I created a slideshow of the Contents here: tinyurl.com/himcontents ) I'm sure it would help out many others, not just myself.

I planned on reading the book from front to back but I feel as though I am not retaining all of the information. It is simply too much. I would like to focus on what the exam is all about.

rhull in Salina, Kansas said: I am aware there is some medical terminology on the CCA exam. I was wondering if while taking the test, are you allowed to look up the answers to some of the medical terminology? If so, how? On the computer? In a book? If so, what book am I allowed to take to the exam? I have had medical terminology, but there is no way I would ever learn every medical term in the world.

Hello Rhull,

On the CCA exam, there is not medical terminology questions that I could remember. But you will need to know them in order to answer the questions. You can only bring you ICD-9 and CPT book. Go to AHIMA.org for more details on what you can bring. It will also give you the competencies to study for. Good luck!

rhull in Salina, Kansas said: I am aware there is some medical terminology on the CCA exam. I was wondering if while taking the test, are you allowed to look up the answers to some of the medical terminology? If so, how? On the computer? In a book? If so, what book am I allowed to take to the exam? I have had medical terminology, but there is no way I would ever learn every medical term in the world.

No, the only books you can bring is the ICD-9 and CPT book. You do not have have to know every single medical term as long as you know the basics such as the prefix, combing form and suffix. You will only have access to the exam and nothing else. So therefore, you can not use a medical terminology book or have internet access via the computer.

Good luck.

Thank you, Shirley. Another question. Are there any tricks I should know to help me speed up the coding part of the exam? It just seems like it takes me a long time to look up the codes to the scenario's, and I know time is a big factor taking the test. I am aware that I could work quicker on the other questions, but I'd really like to improve my time on the coding part. Any suggestions, or hints?

I just finished a online medical billing and coding course. I am prepareing for the CCA exam. I have the professional review guide but I am overwhelmed with questions I have no clue about. What book should I get to help review? Also when will a person need to use 2010 editions of ICD and CPT books for the exam? Please help!!
thank you

Sarah in Bradenton, Florida said: I just finished a online medical billing and coding course. I am prepareing for the CCA exam. I have the professional review guide but I am overwhelmed with questions I have no clue about. What book should I get to help review? Also when will a person need to use 2010 editions of ICD and CPT books for the exam? Please help!!
thank you

Hi Sarah, the PRG book is good. I've used it and it helped me.
I was overwhelmed too because because I realised I needed to study some stuff I didn't really cover in details at my online school, like Health Records and Data Content, Domain I, which count for 20%.Go the Ahima website, and check the domains you need to study for the CCA: www.ahima.org/certification/documents/CCA_Exam_Blueprint.pd

Focuse your study on that. When I took the CCA in January 09 there weren't that many questions about coding cases, much less than I had anticipated. But know your guidelines, Domain III (36%).
After reading the competencies, decide which domain(s) you lack knowledge of or need more info on, invest in book(s) if you can. Ahima also has recommended study books for that exam. "Johns, Merida L. AHIMA's Health Information Management Technology: An
Applied Approach, 2nd Edition" covers most of the domains. I've read comments it's a bit technical, I don't know, haven't read it. I think it's more for RHIT certification. I bought one of the books recommended by the PRG: "Health Information Management of a Strategic Resource" from Mervat Abdelhak. It helped me. Go on Amazon.
I believe you need the 2009 coding books till end of February 2010, but not sure. E-mail Ahima.
Sarah, which online school did you attend?
Hope this helps...

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I just finished course with Gatlin Education. Great course.