Medical Billing & Coding Certification Frequently Asked Questions

A national medical billing or coding certification exam is a test of medical coding proficiency through a nationally recognized professional association. It is the standard by which individuals demonstrate required knowledge and skills to work as medical billers and coders. Professional associations award national certification credentials, which can be added to resumes and professional communication. 

The Edmonds College Medical Billing and Coding Specialist program prepares students for the following professional billing and coding certification exams: 

• Certified Professional Biller (CPB®) through the American Academy of Professional Coders™ (AAPC)
• Certified Coding Professional (CPC®) through the American Academy of Professional Coders™ (AAPC)
• Certified Coding Specialist-Physician (CCS-P®) through the American Health Information Management Association™ (AHIMA) 

Note: Professional membership and exam fees are the responsibility of the program graduate. Fees may not be paid for through tuition or financial aid. Grant funding may be available to assist with these fees.

Both AAPC and AHIMA are independent professional organizations that provide members with networking, continuing education, and employment opportunities through online job boards.

The American Academy of Professional Coders™ (AAPC) was founded in 1988 and provides professional testing and certification for physician-based, health care administration positions. As of 2024, AAPC is the largest credentialing organization in the U.S. with over 220,000 members worldwide and 34 certifications. Find out more about AAPC at https://www.aapc.com. 

The American Health Information Management Association™ (AHIMA) was founded in 1928 and provides professional testing and certification for inpatient and outpatient health information management positions. As of 2024, AHIMA has over 100,000 members worldwide and offers 8 certifications in health information management, inpatient/outpatient coding, and healthcare privacy and security. Find out more about AAPC at http://ahima.org.

According to the AAPC website, earning a national certification may increase your annual salary by as much as $30,000. Additionally, job growth for certified professional billers and coders is predicted to increase 9% over the next 10 years.

Students are eligible to take the AAPC CPB®, AAPC CPC® or AHIMA CCS-P® national coding certification exams after earning Edmonds College’s Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Certificate. Students schedule and pay for exams directly with either AAPC or AHIMA. Exams fees are approximately $400-$500 each and may require membership in the organization (membership fees are approximately $200). Current coding manuals are required for certification exams. A time lapse between coding courses, program completion, and exam session may require repeat purchase of current coding manuals (approximately $200-$300).

Edmonds’ Medical Billing (HCA 106) and Advanced Medical Coding (HCA 228) courses prepare students for AAPC’s CPB® and CPC® and AHIMA’s CCS-P® national billing and coding certification exams through hands-on case studies. The program includes three CPB® and three CPC® practice exams. Students who prefer the AHIMA CCS-P® exam are encouraged to self-study AHIMA’s recommended CCS-P® Exam Preparation prior to testing.

In addition to successfully completing the Medical Billing and Advanced Medical Coding courses with the AAPC CPB® and CPC® practice exams, the following steps (from AAPC’s website) are recommended to prepare for the national certification exams:

• Tip 1—Spend enough time in your code books to ensure you can navigate them quickly, including the essential appendices.
• Tip 2—Though you may not attach additional information into your code books, you can—and should—write notes in the margins.
• Tip 3—Because the CPC® exam focuses on CPT® coding, invest extra time learning your way around this manual.
• Tip 4—Use tabs to mark and quickly reference important pages and sections of your code books.
• Tip 5—When taking the test, answer easy questions first. Be sure to return to skipped questions. Do not leave a question blank—a one-in-four chance of getting the answer correct is better than a zero chance.
• Tip 6—You have approximately 2 minutes to answer each question, so hone your focus and save time by reading the possible answers before reading the question.
• Tip 7—Lastly, do not panic. Breathe. Relax and focus.

Generally, students who complete Edmonds’ Medical Billing and Coding Program may immediately begin working as entry-level medical billing/coding staff. Newly certified medical coders without prior experience may work as either coding apprentices or coding assistants. Edmonds’ Medical Billing and Coding program can count as work experience in the field. Newly graduated medical billing and coding students and certified professional medical coders are encouraged to seek employment in any area of medical billing, coding, and office administration to gain additional experience. 

Individuals without two years of medical coding experience prior to passing the AAPC CPC^® exam will receive the CPC-A^® credential, indicating apprenticeship status. Upon completing two years of AAPC-approved coding experience, the apprentice status (-A) is dropped from the credential (CPC^®). No apprenticeship status is assigned for AHIMA’s CCS-P^®, regardless of experience. AAPC awards one year of experience to graduates of Edmonds’ Medical Billing and Coding Certificate. AAPC also offers accelerated medical coding experience through their online Practicode program, which can be completed before taking the CPC^® or CCS-P^® exam, and the Project Xtern program, which can be completed after passing the CPC^® exam. Completion of either program can reduce the apprenticeship period by one year. Visit AAPC’s website at https://www.aapc.com for more information.