Test
Hi Katie. Good luck with your test.
I can tell you that it took longer than I thought it would. It took me 5 full hours. I used the rest of my time to go back over the questions I had marked that I was unsure of.
If you have the practice exams online, do them over and over. I did one of the 3 every night, took one night off, and then did them again. I did this for two weeks. It kept driving the information home. It especially drives home those "quirks" about coding. Like how pregnancy codes always come first in ICD-9. Stuff that I didn't know.
I'd go over the ICD-9 chapters and all the information that they give at the start of the chapter. There is a TON of information there that you want to have in your mind. I didn't read them in advance, so I had to take time during the test to read all that info looking for those helpful tidbits.
During the exam, be sure to look for the parentheticals. They help a lot. And they can make it really easy to get the correct answer. If it says (code xxxxx first), that makes it pretty easy to see which answer has that code.
Once you've eliminated an answer, cross it off. Usually two answers are nowhere near correct and can be eliminated right off the bat. Then just figure out which of the last two answers is correct.
Once you've narrowed it to two answers, as soon as you can eliminate one answer, choose the other and move on. If you try to look up every single CPT, ICD-9 or HCPCS code, you'll never finish.
Absolutes are a signal to watch for; All, Every, Never. They are usually not true.
If you're not sure of the correct answer, put something down, and mark that answer to go back and look at it again once you're done. That way if you don't have time, at least you didn't leave it blank.
There aren't "trick" questions. But be sure to not skim over the questions. It's really easy to read "laparotomy" when it's "laparoscopic" if you're rushing. Or to overlook "without" or "with".
Try not to get too worked up the night before, and get a good night's sleep. Might be easier said than done, but it really helps. You do NOT want to be tired during your test.
I will tell you that turning your brain on for 5+ hours is exhausting. I was brain-dead after my test. And as you go along, you start to slow down. But the end of the test is faster than the beginning, since you don't have to look up codes. So don't get freaked out if you're not at 75 when they call half of the exam time is gone. Just keep going and you'll be fine.
Good luck!!
