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pass/fail rates - cj

Posted: Mar 10, 2010

Here is a link to the pass/fail rates for AHIMA certification exams.

http://www.ahima.org/certification/documents/2007_2009_CertificationExamPassRates.pdf

Please note that even AHIMA itself recommends a minimum of 3 years of hospital coding experience before attempting the CCS exam, and they have good reason for doing so. The test is very challenging. Yes, people may pass without that experience, but most will not. This is not an inexpensive exam, either. The figures in this grid are for first-time test takers and does include those coders who do have experience. Would be interesting if they could break it down further into those with and those without experience, but I don't think we can get those figures. Anyway, I just wanted to pass along this pass/fail rate info.

Great information cj - Coderx

[ In Reply To ..]
This is a great statistics tool for future coders to use. I think it goes without saying, especially after looking at this, that any school/program out there that tries to market their school/program on the basis that "their" graduates are ready to sit for the CCS exam right after graduation is and should be a red flag. Obviously coding is a hard profession to break into, obviously credentials are needed along with experience. Obviously both credentials and experience are hard to obtain in this field, especially one without the other. I think that is sort of a catch 22. As there are successful coders out in the world, it apparently can and is done, but I think everyone has to be ready for the uphill battle you are in for in aspiring to be a "Medical Coder." One surely needs to be careful out there in the world today as there is always someone with their hand out ready to take your hard earned money with the promise of making your uphill battle shorter, maybe easier. Save your money, and realize that hard work is what is going to get you there. Take your time in choosing a school, it will be one of the most important decisions you make for your future as well as important monetary-wise.

Thanks for posting that! - Redpen

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for posting that, CJ. It makes it very clear that passing those exams isn't always easy.

So that everyone can put those figures into better perspective, all the RHIA and RHIT exam candidates were a graduate of an AHIMA-accredited program. That is the requirement to take those exams.

On the other hand, the CCS, CCS-P, and CCA exams are open to anyone with a high-school diploma. You do not know from that data if they have had formal training at all. Some of the poor showing there might be due to lack of test-taking experience. Much of it is due to the difficulty of the exam--coders at some facilities do not see the whole range of situations which will be on the exam.

The recommendation of three years' experience helps a great deal if much of the coding had to be learned on the job. But, their experience can hamper them if they have gotten too far away from "textbook coding." Facilities have coding policies that coders learn to follow, and coders are sometimes instructed to code differently on the job, and by the time the exam rolls around, they may be unable to sort through all this to get back to textbook coding. They code just like they do at work, and it's not what the exam was looking for.

What you do on the job affects you, as well. I recall getting a good bit of one case wrong because I viewed it exactly as I would at work, not realizing until I was driving home that they had wanted something entirely different.

The test asks for specific codes, so that you have to focus on the instructions, which might conflict with what you think you should do.

Encoder use can be a problem. Coders who use an encoder at work can have difficulty with certification exams if they have to use a code book and if they do not have their usual cheat sheets and aids available.

Where I work, we have had success with reviewing textbook coding right before the exam. The coder uses a code book for at least a week to ensure that they can use one fast enough. They transfer their notes into it. We also make sure they are aware of facility-specific quirks and circumstances.

One of the main troubles is a failure to finish the exam. A coder who has a good sense of timing and who can figure out exactly how long they can afford to spend on each case will be more likely to finish in time.

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