Live Chat Now
Available
Give us a call

Send us a text

855.890.3001

855.890.3001

CCS® vs CPC®: Which Certification is Right for You?

By DeVry University

The information presented here is true and accurate as of the date of publication. DeVry’s programmatic offerings and their accreditations are subject to change. Please refer to the current academic catalog for details.

April 04, 2024
4 min read

If you’re preparing to pursue a career in medical billing and coding, you may already be aware of the importance of industry-relevant certifications like the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) credential from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) or the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®) certification from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

 

In this article, we will provide an overview of the CCS vs CPC credentials, examine their importance, the similarities and differences between them and offer a few thoughts on how you can help yourself prepare to take their respective exams.

What are the CPC and CCS Exams?

The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exams are both geared toward people who wish to work in the healthcare industry as medical billers or coders. By passing these exams, you earn professional certifications that verify your knowledge and skills in medical coding across a variety of patient encounters and healthcare settings.

The CPC® certification is administered by AAPC and consists of 100 multiple-choice questions that evaluate your understanding of 17 areas of knowledge, including anatomy, medicine, pathology and medical terminology, as they relate to medical coding. To pass the CPC exam, you need to achieve a score of at least 70%.

The CCS® exam, is administered by AHIMA. The test consists of a medical scenario section and a multiple-choice section. The entire test is administered via computer, and the total number of questions ranges from 115 to 140 depending on the year. To pass the CCS exam, you need to achieve a score of 300.

It's helpful to keep in mind that while a side by side CCS vs CPC comparison will reveal some overlap between the two, they are distinct in some important ways.

What are the Differences Between the CPC and CCS Certifications?

The CPC and CCS certifications are both effective ways to validate your coding knowledge and experience, and each requires you to demonstrate a high level of coding proficiency. Your choice of which certification to pursue, however, may hinge on your career goals.

Based on information from AHIMA and AAPC, the differences between CCS vs CPC can be found in the following categories.

Experience

CCS certification is intended for more experienced medical coders and those who want to advance their careers. CPC certification might be a better fit for coders who are just starting out on their medical coding career journey.

Prerequisites

Eligibility requirements for the CCS certification exam are based on a combination of completed coursework, work experience and credentials. Coders with a minimum of 2 years of medical coding experience are eligible. Coders with only 1 year of experience are also eligible if they have completed coursework in anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, reimbursement methodology, intermediate/advanced ICD diagnostic coding, procedural coding and medical services (CPT®/HCPCS) or hold another industry-recognized certification.

To take the CPC certification exam, you must possess knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and pathophysiology, as well as an understanding of the proper application of CPT procedure codes, HCPCS Level II procedure and supply codes and ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes.

Work Environment

Another key difference in CCS vs CPC is where the certification holders work. CCS professionals typically work in hospitals or other inpatient healthcare facilities. They are skilled in accurately classifying medical data from patient records to obtain reimbursement from insurance companies and government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, and for use by researchers and public health officials.

The AAPC calls the CPC certification the gold standard for medical coding in a physician office setting. CPC professionals typically work in outpatient settings, like a physician’s office, with reimbursement related coding for services performed by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Focus and Specialty

Both certifications focus on coding for reimbursement. They do, however focus in 2 different areas. CCS professionals are typically focused on reimbursement related coding in hospital and facility settings, while CPC coders focus on provider and physician coding.

Exam Content

The CCS and CPC certification exams are both administered in a computer-based format and are largely multiple-choice based exams.

Here’s a more detailed description of the content and format of each exam:

CCS Exam

The CCS certification exam is a timed exam given in a computer-based format with a total of 115-140 items in 2 sections. You are given 4 hours to complete the exam. The multiple-choice section presents content in several domains:

  • Coding knowledge and skills

  • Coding documentation

  • Provider queries

  • Regulatory compliance

  • Information technologies

A medical scenario section contains multiple-choice, multiple-response items in 3 equally-weighted categories – inpatient, outpatient and emergency department. The passing score for the CCS is 300.

CPC Exam

The 100-question CPC exam features questions in 17 domains covering topics that include:

  • ICD-10-CM

  • HCPCS Level II

  • CPT codes

AAPC gives you the option of completing your CPC exam in person, at a testing site that is often a college or university, or in a live remote proctored (LRP) format. You are allotted 4 hours to complete the exam, answering 70% of the questions correctly to pass.

Continuing Education Requirements

The certifying bodies of both credentials maintain strict requirements for recertification, which involve continuing education units (CEUs) and recertification fees.

For CCS recertification, each recertification cycle has a duration of 2 years. CCS professionals must earn a particular number of CEUs during each 2 year recertification cycle, which they can do by earning an additional AHIMA certification or Microcredential, serving as an AHIMA volunteer or being an author in a research journal or trade publication.

For CPC recertification, the AAPC requires CPC professionals must also maintain a certain number of CEUs during a 2 year cycle, with a certain number of those CEUs corresponding to a discipline or specialty, depending on the particular credential a holder has.

What Should I Do to Prepare for the CPC and CCS Exams?

Preparation is important when you’re working to pass the CPC or CCS exams. As with many professional certification exams, it can be helpful to have prior experience in an academic setting or through on-the-job experience, if possible.

Here are just a few of the ways you might consider preparing for the CPC or CCS exams:

Enrolling in a Medical Billing and Coding Program

Advancing your education is a great way to find support while you’re preparing to pursue certification. A program like DeVry’s Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding is designed to give you hands-on experience while you develop your knowledge of medical billing and coding concepts from the ground up. Our Digital Health Core curriculum was designed to help you gain familiarity with the technology of today’s healthcare industry, including practice working with simulated patient records and industry-standard software systems.

 

You can earn your Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding in just 10 months on an accelerated schedule, or following a normal schedule and complete it in 1 year and 2 months.1

 

1Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 6-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period. Accelerated schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 6-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period.

 

Students of our Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding program includes material addressed in the CPC certification exam by taking a Coding Practicum and Review (CPC Exam) course. Students who earn an 85% or higher in this course can earn a voucher for the CPC exam. The voucher code is valid for 60 days. Eligible students will also receive a complimentary AAPC Student Membership.

 

DeVry also offers a Medical Billing and Coding – Health Information Coding (HIC) Undergraduate Certificate, which can introduce you to advanced coding knowledge for inpatient services. This undergraduate certificate can also be earned in just 1 year and 2 months on an accelerated schedule, or following a normal schedule and complete it in 1 year and 6 months.2

 

2Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 3-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period. Accelerated schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 3-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period.

 

Students enrolled in our Medical Billing and Coding – Health Information Coding (HIC) Undergraduate Certificate program will be able to prepare for the CCS exam with a CCS Review (CCS Exam) course. Students who earn an 85% or higher in the course can earn a voucher for the CCS exam. The voucher code is valid for 60 days. Eligible students will also receive a complimentary AHIMA Student Membership.

Take Practice Exams

Practice exams are an effective way to acclimate yourself to the types of questions you'll likely run into and may help you feel less out of your comfort zone when it’s time to take the actual exam. You might even consider taking your practice a step further by challenging yourself to complete practice exams under the same time restrictions.

Study Medical Codes

When preparing for the CCS or CPC exams, you'll want to make sure you're studying the correct medical codes. Having a working knowledge of how different code systems are organized may help you feel more prepared and reduce the amount of time it takes for you to find the correct answers.

Prepare to Pursue the CCS and CPC Exams with Help from DeVry

Our 100% online Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding programs can help you develop the skills required for today’s rapidly evolving health information management field and prepare to pursue a variety of medical billing and coding career roles.

Certification readiness is built into our undergraduate certificate curricula. Our Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding program includes material addressed in the CPC certification exam by taking a Coding Practicum and Review (CPC Exam) course. Students who earn an 85% or higher in this course can earn a voucher for the CPC exam. The voucher code is valid for 60 days.

Students enrolled in our Medical Billing and Coding – Health Information Coding (HIC) Undergraduate Certificate program will be able to prepare for the CCS exam with a CCS Review (CCS Exam) course. Students who earn an 85% or higher in the course can earn a voucher for the CCS exam. The voucher code is valid for 60 days. Eligible students will also receive a complimentary AHIMA Student Membership.

1Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 6-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period. Accelerated schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 6-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period.

2Normal schedule assumes 2 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 3-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period. Accelerated schedule does not include breaks and assumes 3 semesters of year-round, full-time enrollment in 3-13 credit hours a semester per 12 month period.

8-Week Class Sessions

Classes Start January 6, 2025

Filter Blog Post Category

Related Posts