CPC & CCA Exams vs. CareerStep Final Exam

The CareerStep coding final exam is designed to be similar to the CPC and CCA medical coding certification exams—they are set up to complement each other so that you can use how well you do on the final to gauge how you might do on the certification exam. The specific differences between the CareerStep final and your certification exam depend on which exam you register for but are mainly based on the timing and the set up of the material.

TIMING
One of the main differences between your CareerStep final and your certification exam is the time allotted to take the exam. On the CareerStep final you’ll have 48 hours to take the exam while you’ll only have 5 hours and 40 minutes to complete the CPC exam and 2 hours to take the CCA exam. Many students purchase practice exams and reviews from AAPC or AHIMA to prepare especially for this aspect of the exam as it can be a challenge to plan and pace yourself accordingly.

FORMAT and REGISTRATION
As far as the format, both the CPC and CCA are multiple choice like our final exam. The exams also primarily consist of coding questions as well (just like our final). On the CareerStep exam, 80 out of the 150 questions are coding scenarios. There are 20 or so questions on the guidelines, leaving 50 to cover the rest of the information in the other modules. You also need to achieve a 75% on the Career\Step final. Let’s see how this compares to the medical coding certification exams…

On the CPC exam, 107 out of the 150 questions are coding scenarios and the rest of them are on various things such as medical terminology, anatomy, etc. An overall score of 70% is a passing score on the CPC exam.Though there are different sections of the exam, they are not scored independently—every question is of equal weight. The test is administered at a local testing center and taken in hard copy format. Exam results are provided to you in 7-10 days following the exam date. You have to register for the CPC and schedule it at least 3-4 weeks in advance from the date you want to take it.

The CCA exam contains 100 questions and is a 2 hour exam. The exam is about 70% health data, health record, HIPAA, legal aspects of healthcare, pathophysiology, anatomy, and physiology. Coding questions make up the remaining 25% of the exam. The CCA is also multiple choice and passing score is 61% (55 out of 90 questions). The test is given at a local designated testing site where you go and take the exam on a computer and submit it electronically. You find out your score immediately after you take the test. For the CCA, you have to apply for the exam at least 6 weeks in advance from the time you expect to take the exam, and once you get a confirmation back, you have a 6 month period to take the exam. You can then locate a testing center and schedule that within three days of taking the exam.

Our goal is to help you prepare for national certification, which is why our online medical coding and billing program and our final exam are structured the way they are. If you have any questions about certification, just let us know. We’re here to help!