Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS)
Clinical documentation integrity, coding impact, and physician query practice for the CCDS exam.
One-time purchase · lifetime access · study on any device
Everything included — in full detail
This is exactly what you unlock. No vague promises — real numbers, straight from the portal.
Your full practice pool — 435 questions total, written to mirror the real exam blueprint, with full answer explanations for every question.
Including Professionalism, Ethics & Compliance, Quality of Care Measures, Communication & Physician Query Practices, and more.
A complete, realistic exam-day simulation with the same question count and time limit as the real thing.
Covering every key term, concept, and framework you're expected to know.
Hand-picked walkthroughs and explainers organized by topic.
Visual breakdowns of the frameworks and models the exam tests you on.
The exact formulas and calculations you need, ready to review before test day.
A searchable glossary so unfamiliar terminology never slows you down.
Real field-reference and career reading picked for this profession — never more exam-prep.
See your accuracy by domain, spot weak areas early, and follow a built-in study schedule.
Study anywhere — your progress syncs on the device you are using and picks up where you left off.
No subscriptions, no renewals — buy once and keep studying until you pass.
See the CCDS portal
Real screenshots — this is exactly what you'll be studying in. Click to zoom in.
How would you like to start?
Try before you buy, or jump straight into full access.
Get the printed CCDS exam-prep guide — full digital portal access is included via the code inside.
Topics you'll drill
8 core topics pulled straight from the real question bank.
- Professionalism, Ethics & Compliance
- Quality of Care Measures
- Communication & Physician Query Practices
- Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology
- Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
- Medical Record Documentation
- Healthcare Regulations, Reimbursement, and the IPPS
- Healthcare Facility CDI Program Analysis
CCDS exam requirements & cost
Straight from the certifying body — separate from what we charge for the study portal.
CCDS eligibility can be met through one of three pathways: (1) an active RN, RHIA, RHIT, MD, or DO credential plus 2 years of experience as a concurrent or retrospective clinical documentation integrity specialist in a U.S. IPPS inpatient acute-care facility; (2) an associate's degree in an allied health field plus coursework in medical terminology and anatomy/physiology, plus 3 years in the CDI role; or (3) formal education in medical terminology, anatomy/physiology, and disease process (or an AHIMA CCS credential) plus 3 years of qualifying experience. Experience is counted as full-time work or 2,000+ hours per year. The exam fee is $280 for ACDIS members and $380 for non-members, with a $100 surcharge for candidates testing internationally; a discounted $150 fee applies to a candidate's first retake attempt only. The exam consists of 140 multiple-choice questions, of which 120 are scored (20 are unscored pretest items), split roughly 40% recall, 40% application, and 20% analysis. The passing score is 88 out of 120, and the first-time pass rate runs around 77%.
Real pass rate, retake policy, scoring, and a study timeline for CCDS — free, no purchase required.
Common questions
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