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CPB exam Books needed?

M

Mrsrpc

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Mooresville, NC
I've been taking the CPB course, and will follow up with the CPC course (probably after the 2023 coding books come out). I've ordered the 2023 books, but it looks like I will at least need the ICD-10-CM book for 2022 to use for the CPB exam. Does anyone know if I need all 3 books for the CPB exam? I hate to buy the whole bundle to use just for a couple of months. Can I get away with buying just the 2022 ICD 10 book for the test?
 
Mrsrpc said:
I've been taking the CPB course, and will follow up with the CPC course (probably after the 2023 coding books come out). I've ordered the 2023 books, but it looks like I will at least need the ICD-10-CM book for 2022 to use for the CPB exam. Does anyone know if I need all 3 books for the CPB exam? I hate to buy the whole bundle to use just for a couple of months. Can I get away with buying just the 2022 ICD 10 book for the test?
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You need a CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPC book to take the exam. You will not pass the exam if you only take an ICD-10-CM book with you.

If you take the exam in 2022, ideally you'd have 2022 books. However, technically you could use 2021 books if you have those instead. You cannot use 2023 books to take an exam in 2022.

You could wait until after January 1st and use your 2023 books if you don't have access/don't wish to purchase/can't borrow books to test in 2022.

But absolutely do not show up to take the CPB with only an ICD-10-CM book. It will be a waste of your exam voucher.
 
sls314 said:
You need a CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPC book to take the exam. You will not pass the exam if you only take an ICD-10-CM book with you.

If you take the exam in 2022, ideally you'd have 2022 books. However, technically you could use 2021 books if you have those instead. You cannot use 2023 books to take an exam in 2022.

You could wait until after January 1st and use your 2023 books if you don't have access/don't wish to purchase/can't borrow books to test in 2022.

But absolutely do not show up to take the CPB with only an ICD-10-CM book. It will be a waste of your exam voucher.
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Thank you, Susan. I only asked because, so far, I've only read in the chapter assignments that the ICD-10 CM book is needed. I've not seen mention of the other ones. Maybe they will be mentioned in future chapters...
 
The AAPC website specifies for the CPB exam, there are 10 coding questions which cover CPT, ICD10, HCPCS and modifiers. While it would be POSSIBLE to pass even getting all of those questions incorrect, you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage by not bringing the allowed resources.
First suggestion: Borrow a CPT and HCPCS. Someone from your local chapter might be able to lend you theirs.
If you're willing to chance it with 2021 books (not recommended, but a money saving possible option for CPB), you could probably find them used very cheap.
Just don't forget the CPT book MUST be the AMA one.
 
csperoni said:
The AAPC website specifies for the CPB exam, there are 10 coding questions which cover CPT, ICD10, HCPCS and modifiers. While it would be POSSIBLE to pass even getting all of those questions incorrect, you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage by not bringing the allowed resources.
First suggestion: Borrow a CPT and HCPCS. Someone from your local chapter might be able to lend you theirs.
If you're willing to chance it with 2021 books (not recommended, but a money saving possible option for CPB), you could probably find them used very cheap.
Just don't forget the CPT book MUST be the AMA one.
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It's important to have the books for the 34 Case Analysis questions too. There will be a need to refer to the CPT book on at least some of the Case Analysis questions.

I would want a current CPT book for the exam. I might chance it with a 2021 HCPC book, but not CPT. That's just my take as someone who has taken the CPB exam.
 
Mrsrpc said:
Thank you, Susan. I only asked because, so far, I've only read in the chapter assignments that the ICD-10 CM book is needed. I've not seen mention of the other ones. Maybe they will be mentioned in future chapters...
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If you want to see the breakdown of what sections will be on the exam, how many questions in each section, and what books you will need, you can look on this part of the AAPC website. Scroll down to the bottom where it says "Exam Breakdown."

 
I've never taken the CPB, but when I looked at the exam breakdown, the description of case analysis didn't seem to me to need CPT books. I would absolutely defer to someone who has taken the exam. If yes, and that's 34 questions, then beg, borrow or buy a 2022 CPT book if you're not waiting until January. If it was only the 10 questions listed under "coding", I personally might cheap out with the 2021 book. 🤑
 
csperoni said:
I've never taken the CPB, but when I looked at the exam breakdown, the description of case analysis didn't seem to me to need CPT books. I would absolutely defer to someone who has taken the exam. If yes, and that's 34 questions, then beg, borrow or buy a 2022 CPT book if you're not waiting until January. If it was only the 10 questions listed under "coding", I personally might cheap out with the 2021 book. 🤑
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I wasn't sure if the OP had the 2021 books on hand, since she mentioned that she's going to do the CPC after the CPB. If she has access to 2021 books, that might be sufficient.

From the original phrasing of the question, I thought she may have been asking if she needed to take a copy of the CPT and HCPC books at all. (Definitely yes - you definitely need all 3 books during the exam.)

If I did not already have 2021/2022 versions of each book and I had already pre-ordered 2023 books, I'd probably just wait until after January 1st to take the exam with my 2023 books.

If I had access to 2021/2022 copies of all 3 books, I'd be okay with using those for the CPB.
 
JENIFFER1984 said:
I just took the CPB exam on 8/13/2022. I will confirm, all 3 books are necessary when taking the exam this year.
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Thank you. They've all just arrived. Unlike the practice tests in the course, I'm assuming you can only look up codes, correct? We have to memorize everything else? The reason I ask is there was some comment on the description of books/courses about what could be written in the books and that a full page could not be used for notes. Is that right? It's not very clear.
 
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