What course or certification should I start with?

If you don’t already have 2 years of healthcare experience, you’ll need to start with the Essentials, which include anatomy, medical terminology, and pathophysiology. These are all available through one course we call Fundamentals of Medicine. If you have formal education or training in medicine or you have over 2 years’ experience working in the field, you can skip the Essentials and start your certification training. Next, if you want to become a medical coder, we recommend asking yourself: which type of medical coding do I want to do? The answer to this will help you know which certification to work towards. Consider one of our 4 main core certifications: the CPC, COC, CIC, and the CRC. Or, if you want to become a medical biller, look into the CPB. The most popular choices for a first certification are the CPC and CPC+CPB options.

May I use education completed prior to obtaining my certification?

Credit will not be awarded for educational activities completed prior to certification.

I would like to become certified as a medical coder. What are my options?

AAPC offers training courses for CPC, COC, and CIC certification preparation. The CPC Prep course teaches physician office coding and helps to prepare a student for the CPC certification exam. The COC Prep course teaches coding for an outpatient hospital/facility setting and helps to prepare a student for the COC certification exam. The CIC Prep course teaches coding for an inpatient hospital/facility setting and helps to prepare a student for the CIC certification exam. These are self-study courses in which students work at their own pace, from home, to complete each course within a 4-month timeframe or less. For students who prefer to take a classroom based course, many AAPC certified instructors teach AAPC curriculum throughout the US.

What is the difference between CPB Medical Billing course and the CPC Preparation course?

The CPC Preparation course teaches physician office coding, such as how to assign the proper diagnosis and procedure codes from operative reports and patient charts. This course also helps to prepare you for the CPC certification exam. The CPB Medical Billing course emphasizes billing and only lightly touches on coding, and will prepare you for the CPB certification exam. This course teaches medical billing and reimbursement issues, such as how to take the codes that have already been assigned by the coder and process a claim form, and how to work with 3rd party payers to make sure the claim is processed correctly. It is important that a coder understands billing issues as it helps to decrease claim denials and increase reimbursement. An understanding of billing will also expand a coder’s career opportunities.

Does taking a classroom course qualify for one year experience when applying to take the certification exam?

Completing an 80 hour or more classroom course will waive one year experience. A letter or certificate of completion indicating hours completed must be submitted to the AAPC to verify course completion.

Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO)^® certification - International Students

Training

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Exam

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80% of AAPC students pass on the first attempt.
Students who train with AAPC are three times more likely to pass the certification exam.

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The Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO) credential validates expertise in reviewing outpatient documentation for accuracy to support coding, quality measures, and clinical requirements. CDEO professionals give feedback to providers to improve clinical documentation and facilitate ongoing documentation improvement to meet all requirements of the medical record.

To become a CDEO, documentation professionals must demonstrate knowledge of pathophysiology, coding and billing guidelines, and quality measures.

Exam format

100 multiple-choice questions

How to take the exam

Exams are taken on a computer at a testing center. Coding manuals and all references necessary to take the exam are provided at testing centers.

Time allowed

Exams are administered in one sitting, with four hours to complete the exam.

What to bring to the exam

Printed copy of Meazure Learning admission ticket
Two forms of original Government issued photo ID:
- Approved identification must be DigiLocker Verified.
- Candidates must open the DigiLocker app in front of the proctor (no screenshots, printed versions, etc. allowed).
- Candidate must allow proctor to review their digital Aadhaar card within the app under Issued Documents. Match the photo to the individual and the name to the name on the confirmation email. A second form of ID (PAN Card, drivers license, state ID, passport) is required to be shown in the DigiLocker App.
- If a candidate does not have the digital Aadhaar card AND a second form of identification in DigiLocker, they will not be admitted. If the photo or name does not match the exam registration EXACTLY, the candidate will not be admitted. You will be considered a no-show and you will need to repurchase the exam attempt.

Maintaining your certification

To maintain your credential, you must maintain your AAPC annual membership, and earn 36 continuing education units (CEUs) every two years.

About the CDEO exam

The CDEO exam contains 100 multiple-choice questions (proctored). The exam consists of questions regarding the review of outpatient medical records for accuracy and correct application of CPT^®, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II codes, and quality measures. Examinees must also demonstrate knowledge of proper query procedures and effective communication for documentation improvement.

Whether you take the exam online or in-person, you must complete the CDEO exam within four hours and answer 70% of the questions correctly to pass.

Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient - International Students

Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO)^® certification - International Students

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Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient - International Students

Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO)® certification - International Students

Need exam prep training?

Want to schedule exam?

About the CDEO exam

Need help preparing for an exam outside the US?

Have a question?

Certified Documentation Expert Outpatient (CDEO)^® certification - International Students