I used only the AAPC study guide and that worked for me - but I had also been auditing for a couple years before taking the exam. Hard to pinpoint an exact time frame for you to take a test - you have to ask yourself how prepared do YOU feel? What I did is when I first obtained the study guide, I did a quick read through all chapters - saw what I material I knew well without further reading or doing exercises and saw which ones to concentrate on. That gave me about three months in which I studied until I took the exam as I only did exercises in about half of the book.
The exam is somewhat difficult, even multiple choice, as it is more than just selecting the correct codes. Know your payer regulations, modifiers and what they mean, multiple procedure discounts, etc. However, it isn't too bad - no "trick" questions, just some where two answers seem to both be right. Doesn't that happen EVERY exam?
I am sure you will do fine - let me know if you have further questions.
I am seriously thinking about taking the CPMA exam. Can anyone suggest tips for preparing for this exam. Should I use Namas or AAPC study guide? How long should I allow myself to prepare before taking the test? What is the level of complexity of the exam being that its multiple choice. All help is greatly appreciated!