Top CPC Practice Exams To Help You Pass The CPC Certification Exam

Some people are fortunate enough to be able to naturally test well. Others on the other hand need a lot of practice, even when they are well versed in the subject material.

Below are a select handful of practice exams you can take in preparation for the CPC certification exam.

If you have trouble with test taking or need a supplement to your CPC preparation courses I highly recommend taking a practice exam immediately prior to taking the actual medical coding CPC exam.

The following practice tests are filled with questions you might encounter on the real exam and should help you identify your weaknesses while refining your test taking strategy.

Top CPC Practice Exams

The Medical Billing & Coding CPC Practice Exam is a top exam provided by a third party. You can take the AAPC practice exams but unless you are a member the MB&C set of practice questions will be a lot cheaper.

What makes this practice exam the best deal in my estimation is that the exam does not only feature the answer key for each question but provides full rationale for the answers. This can help you understand the material better so that you can score better on the real test later on.

Click here to learn more.

CPC Exam Study Guides - Pass The Medical Coding Certification Exam On The First Try

Medical coders do not have to be certified through the AAPC however it is essentially an industry standard that virtually all employers look for in a coding environment.

The AAPC has a collection of study guides and pre-exam documents which have helped many people over the years. They are however expensive, even after the applied member's discount, and they are exhaustive.

This can be a great thing but for those who need the information in a more condensed and affordable product I recommend utilizing one or more of the following CPC exam prep guides.

Medical Coding Video Review Course

The videos in this package are complete and updated. There is almost 10 hours of videos online that you have access to and companion DVDs are mailed to you to watch from your living room TV. It will help you learn medical terminology, medical codes, and prepare you for all aspects of the exam in the most efficient way possible.

This video package also comes with telephone support for questions as well as access to a monthly webinar and it costs a fraction of the official AAPC CPC Preparation Course.

Click here to learn more.

The Official AAPC CPC Certification Study Guide

It's hard to beat the official study guide for the CPC exam than the guide produced by the test administrators.

This guide can be purchased on the AAPC website but it is only available at a discount to AAPC members. If you are not yet a member you can learn more about the official CPC exam study materials and buy the guide through the link below.

Click here to learn more.

The Carol Buck CPC Coding Exam Review

Less expensive than the official AAPC study guide, this guide written by Carol J. Buck, MS, CPC, CPC-H, CCS-P is a fine alternative.

Not everybody finds this guide more useful than the AAPC guide book but many do. It is written in a different style and coming from an outside source it has a different perspective on actually taking the examination.

Considering that this resource is a lot cheaper than the AAPC study book and that so many medical coders have used it in preparation for their certification testing it is worth checking out.

Click here to read more about this study guide.

Additional Exam Prep - The Practice Examination

In addition to a quality exam prep guide book you should also consider taking one or more practice tests. The CPC exam is a long test that costs a lot of money to take. Get it passed the first time and you'll be much happier.

See this page for more information.

Medical Coding 101 - Beginner FAQs

If you are new to the medical coding profession you probably have lots of questions. The medical coding (and billing) field is a very important part of the medical industry and good coders are in great demand. Medical coders make good money, the barrier to entry is not that high, and good coders can make a big difference to their employers making them an indispensable part of the team.

Below are a series of articles geared for beginners. Please read through these articles as they will help introduce you to the process of becoming a medical coder.

**And if you are interested in getting into medical coding make sure to download my quick-start guide. You can learn more about it here.**

The Basics

What Is A Medical Coding Job Description?
What Do Medical Coders Do All Day?
How Much Do Medical Coders Make?
Do You Have To Be Certified To Work As A Medical Coder?

Education Requirements

Do You Have To Go To College To Be A Medical Coder?
What Classes Should I Take Before Going Into Medical Coding?

Networking With Medical Coders - Get Involved On A Medical Coders Forum

Networking on forums is not as sexy as it used to be. With the current trend of social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) hanging out on forums isn't as interesting as it once was.

Despite this however I still contend that it is one of the best ways to network with those people in your industry. With social media it is easy to get lost in long lists of friends and followers but with forums you can easily participate and meet your colleagues and future colleagues in an online environment.

What makes forum networking even more important is that you can quickly and easily become a voice that others trust and rely upon. In a way, joining a community online and commanding a topic in that forum will build trust and credibility to your name.

In the coding industry this trust, credibility, and industry knowledge can open many doors for you and your career.

What Forum Community Should You Join?

As a professional you simply don't have time in the day to spend hours on social media and become a trusted contributor to all the various forum communities so I advise choosing a single forum and sticking to that one community.

By committing to one group you can easily dedicate time out of your day to make a name for yourself. By helping people in real time you build respect from others and you also experience and added benefit unique to the Internet age. Material you publish on a public forum will exist indefinitely. This means that the information you provide to others today can help others out months and years into the future.

When you participate in this manner your personal reach is extremely wide and opportunities will find you.

Below is a list of online coding communities. Choose one to participate in and make it an important part of your professional day.

MCCP's List Of Medical Coding Online Communities & Forums

• The AAPC Member Forums - These are forums for AAPC members only. Most coders are certified by the AAPC and are members but people looking to get into coding may not yet be members.
• The InDeed Medical Coder Jobs Forum - Mostly this forum is for medical coders seeking jobs but many job seekers are looking for answers to their questions. You can be a voice.
• The Billing-Coding Forums - These are general forums for billers and coders to discuss various aspects of the profession. If you are certified, working, or exploring this forum may be a place to start making a name for yourself.

**If you know of other forums and communities that should be on this list just drop a link to them in the comments section below.**

For those who have never participated in a forum community click through this link for some tips on how to make a name for yourself on a forum and use it as a means to advance your career.

Our Recommended Human Anatomy & Physiology Online Course

One of the most fundamental requirements of any medical coder is a substantial understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.

No matter where you work, a physician's office, a hospital, or for a payer you will perform better at your job when you have a deeper understanding of the human body and medical terms.

The AAPC has an anatomy course available to memebers but it costs a substantial sum of money, even after the member discount. It's reasonable to assume that this course is the gold standard and is required but here at MCCP we belive that frugality is a virtue.

Dr. James Ross' Online Human Anatomy Course is a fraction of the cost of the AAPC's and it covers all your bases and should exceed your expectations.

At such a reasonable price it would be entirely odd to not at least take a look at it...

...of course many people do not need this primer course. Those who are already experienced or knowledgeable in anatomy and medical terminology should simply study and take a CPC practice exam, and then go pass the test.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Ross' Human Anatomy Course.

What’s The Highest Paid Medical Coding Specialty?

At this moment, there are about 20 specialty medical coder certifications that you can get such as Certified Obstetrics Gynecology Coder (COBGC), Certified Hematology and Oncology Coder (CHONC), Certified General Surgery Coder (CGSC), Certified Cardiology Coder (CCC), Certified Family Practice Coder (CFPC), Certified Ambulatory Surgical Center Coder (CASCC), Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC) and many more. See this post for more on each specialty coding certification.

When you are planning to get your specialty cert, it should matters a lot that you know which among these the highest paid medical coding specialty is. Depending on your interests this may make a big difference in selecting your career path in medical coding.

Keep in mind that there are so many factors that determine the payment or compensation that you can get when you have any medical coder certification or specialty. But among the types available, one of the highest paid specialties is Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC).

The reason behind this is that it is based on the highest coding standards as well as on-the-spot patient and note taking accuracy. It is important that you also determine the compensations of the other medical coding specialties just in case you want other options apart from the CEDC designation.

For instance getting a CPC-H certification may be one way to increase your salary without going into a field you are not interested in. This post on the wage range of professional coders may also be of help.

Now that you know that Certified Emergency Department Coder (CEDC) is one of the highest paid medical coding specialties, you probably have in mind the certification that you will choose in the future. But before you benefit from the high compensation of this medical coding specialty, it is first important that for you to undergo the training and certification process required.

You can only get these specialty certifications by first obtaining your CPC in the first place. For more on the requirements of CPC certification see this post. For some getting experience in medical coding is the toughest part.

What’s The Difference Between The CPC And The CPC-P Coding Certifications

Based from the latest information, American Academy of Professional Coders or the AAPC has already certified about 70,000 professionals under the health information management field. In addition to this, there are different coding certifications available nowadays such as CPC and CPC-P. Perhaps, you want to know the difference between these two certifications.

When you encountered CPC or Certified Professional Coder certification, this gives opportunity for professionals to work in office setting. Moreover, having this kind of certification means that you have sound knowledge when it comes to languages like HCPCS Level Ii and CPT. In addition to that, this certification indicates that you also have knowledge about ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes.

On the other hand, Certified Professional Coder - Payer or the CPC-P certification means that you have expertise in reimbursement methodologies applicable in great medical coverage and settings. In addition to that, this also indicates that you have skills needed in reviewing payment systems and other related matters. Examples of these are HIPAA compliance regulations and rules as well as health insurance concepts.

These are some of the differences between CPC and CPC-P coding certifications. Though there are differences when it comes to these certifications, both play a very important role in terms of making information relay in a department a lot efficient and organized. As mentioned, there are also other certifications that you can find out there such as the CPC-A or apprenticeship designation or the more advanced CPC-H designation.

Additionally there are many specialty certifications that you can attain which focus in on different fields in medicine. These special certifications give you more appeal to employers dealing with certain types of medical scenarios versus the whole gambit. This post covers many of the popular subspecialty coder certifications you can get to stack on top of your CPC or CPC-P credential.

It is best for you to learn more information about those certifications by means of conducting your own research and even asking questions from people currently employed in these fields.