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CCS Exam
Healthcare & Nursing

Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Exam — AHIMA

The CCS Exam is AHIMA's certification exam for hospital-based medical coders. It has 107 items in four hours, 97 scored and 10 pretest, including medical scenarios that are worked with code books, and it is scored on a scale where 300 passes. SummitCert's portal gives you explained multiple-choice practice, flashcards, a timed 97-question mock exam and progress tracking by area; the code-book scenarios are not simulated.

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350+ exam-style practice questions quiz pool

Your full practice pool — 350 questions total, written to mirror the real exam blueprint, with full answer explanations for every question.

5 exam domains covered

Including Coding Knowledge and Skills, Coding Documentation, Provider Queries, and more.

Full mock exam — 97 questions, 240-min timed

A complete, realistic exam-day simulation with the same question count and time limit as the real thing.

1000+ flashcards

Covering every key term, concept, and framework you're expected to know.

181+ curated video lessons

Hand-picked walkthroughs and explainers organized by topic.

41+ diagrams & visual references

Visual breakdowns of the frameworks and models the exam tests you on.

13+ key formulas & quick-reference sheet

The exact formulas and calculations you need, ready to review before test day.

125+ term glossary

A searchable glossary so unfamiliar terminology never slows you down.

Progress tracking & study planner

See your accuracy by domain, spot weak areas early, and follow a built-in study schedule.

Sage — your personalized AI study companion

Tailored to this exam: it knows your progress and weak areas, remembers your earlier chats, and picks up where you left off on your other devices.

Works on phone, tablet & desktop

Study anywhere — your progress syncs on the device you are using and picks up where you left off.

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See the CCS Exam portal

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Topics you'll drill

5 core topics pulled straight from the real question bank.

  • Coding Knowledge and Skills
  • Coding Documentation
  • Provider Queries
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Information Technologies

CCS Exam exam requirements & cost

Straight from the certifying body — separate from what we charge for the study portal.

Eligibility
Experience or credentials are recommended rather than required, for example two years of related coding experience, or an existing coding credential plus one year of direct coding experience (AHIMA)
Real exam cost
$299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members (AHIMA CCS page, October 2026)
Format
107 items (97 scored, 10 pretest), multiple-choice plus medical scenarios · 4 hours · passing score 300 (scaled) · Pearson VUE test center

The CCS exam has 107 questions, of which 97 are scored and 10 are pretest, and candidates have four hours; the exam is computer-based at a Pearson VUE test center, in the US and internationally (AHIMA CCS page). AHIMA states that the passing score for the CCS is 300 on its scaled scoring. The exam content outline describes multiple-choice items plus medical scenarios drawn from inpatient, outpatient and emergency department records, in roughly equal thirds (CCS Exam Content Outline, effective May 1, 2024). AHIMA reports the CCS as a scaled score and sets the passing score at 300. A scaled score is not a percentage of questions answered correctly, so the portal mock shows 70 percent only as a self-check. AHIMA lists $299 for members and $399 for non-members, and retakes cost the same as the exam fee (October 2026). Experience or credentials are recommended rather than required, for example two years of related coding experience, or an existing coding credential plus one year of direct coding experience (AHIMA).

Last verified: October 2026·Exam blueprint: Verified on October 27, 2026 against the AHIMA CCS certification page (fees, eligibility options, 107 items with 97 scored, four hours, passing score 300, retake wait, two-year cycle) and the CCS Exam Content Outline effective May 1, 2024.·Primary source: AHIMA: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) ↗
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Real pass rate, retake policy, scoring, and a study timeline for CCS Exam — free, no purchase required.

Common questions

The CCS exam has 107 questions, of which 97 are scored and 10 are pretest, and candidates have four hours; the exam is computer-based at a Pearson VUE test center, in the US and internationally (AHIMA CCS page). AHIMA states that the passing score for the CCS is 300 on its scaled scoring. The exam content outline describes multiple-choice items plus medical scenarios drawn from inpatient, outpatient and emergency department records, in roughly equal thirds (CCS Exam Content Outline, effective May 1, 2024). Format: 107 items in four hours, 97 scored and 10 pretest, multiple-choice plus medical scenarios.

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