After many years as a CPC, I recently sat for my CPC-H. I purchased the study guide, three practice exams and took an 8 hour boot camp. I probably could have skipped the bootcamp, but it was helpful, and provided me with an additional practice exam. Frankly, the years of experience are a definite bonus with regard to passing additional certifications, but I think I can offer some advice in regards to test-taking strategies, just the same.
Look at the answers first....this way you know where in CPT/HCPCS/ICD-9 you need to be in order to research the question. Find those pages in your books, then go back to the question, highlight the main terms as you read the question carefully, in order to understand the question. Although I've heard that there are no 'trick' questions, there were some questions where a single word made the difference in choosing the correct answer.
Know your anatomy and terminology, because there are very few lookups in the approved manuals for answers to those questions---although you can sometimes search the CPT index to find terminology and get an idea from there. There are over 30 questions on both terminology and anatomy, not including the surgical questions. If you miss the majority of those, you could easily fail even if you do well on the rest of the exam. Know how to use your appendices and what's in them.
I did not skip around, as some suggest. I went from question 1 to question 150 in order, mostly because I was concerned that if I skipped around, I might lose my place and mark the wrong answer number. If I struggled with a question, I gave it my best guess, and then made note of that question on the answer grid....once I'd finished all of the questions, I went back to those that I wasn't sure about and spend additional time researching. I felt that 5 hours and 40 minutes was more than enough time....if you're familiar with all of the material. If not, then you will struggle with the time factor. So if you don't feel that you're prepared, spend some more time studying and reschedule your exam.
I also didn't bother with food or snacks, but did bring water. The fewer distractions you have, the better. Have a good breakfast including protein, fruit, and whole grains (not a big greasy donut) and then plan to eat afterwards. A bag of crunchy granola would be distracting to your fellow test-takers, and not the best choice (nutritionally) for boosting brain power (since it's loaded with fat, sugar and often preservatives.)
Know that there will be questions that you just cannot answer, so give it your best shot and move on. I've heard that answer "C" is a good guess if you have no idea at all.
If you're scoring in the mid-80's or better with the practice exams, you should be able to pass the real thing. I found that there were a number of questions on the real exam that were duplicates of the ones in the practice exams, so it pays to purchase those in advance and study them carefully. I also felt that the real exam was a tad easier than the practice exams, if that helps!
Be prepared with the current year's books....several sharp #2 pencils, and a photo ID. Without the ID, the proctors will turn you away. Without the books, you might as well go home, and don't take a chance that someone will lend you a pencil!
Focus, but relax. It's not brain surgery, really. It's more about knowing how to find the correct answer, not how to memorize everything.
