| Preparing for the Exam
Sample Questions
See sample questions (complete with an answer key) on pages 14-15 of the Candidate Bulletin of Information. Please note that the difficulty of these sample questions may not be representative of the overall difficulty of the test.
References
The following are a list of references that may be helpful in reviewing for the test. This list is intended for use as a study aid only. The RCCB® does not intend to imply endorsement of these specific references, nor are the test questions necessarily taken from these sources. This list is intended as a study guide only, and should not be considered to be a comprehensive list of all sources. The RCCB® encourages all applicants to review commonly available resources that may not be listed here. Review of these materials does not guarantee success on the exam, and the regulations and other data referenced in this material may change and/or be updated. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure information is complete.
- Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)-Standard Edition
- International Classification of Diseases-9th Edition-Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM)
- HCFA Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)
- Federal Register (Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration)
- Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)-Interventional Radiology Coding User's Guide
- American College of Radiology (ACR) Ultrasound Coding User's Guide
- Medicare Carrier Bulletins
- Correct Coding Initiative
- MedLearn—Study Guide
- RBMA Radiology Coding Exam Review Course on CD-ROM
How Do I Prepare For The Test?
RCCB® offers the following suggestions for preparing for the test:
1. Review the test content outline and ask yourself the following questions:
Do I have a good understanding of the content area?
Do I use this knowledge regularly at work?
Plan your studying based on your answers to these questions. For example, for content areas in which you have a good understanding and use every day, you may only need to do a quick review to prepare for the test; whereas, for areas in which you are less familiar, you may decide that you need more in-depth study or training before taking the test.
When planning your studying, you should also think about your knowledge and the percentage of the test questions within each major content area. (This information is on page 9 of the Candidate Bulletin.) If you are not very familiar with a content area that will include a significant proportion of the test questions, you probably should spend additional time studying this area.
2. Decide which resources will best help you to prepare for the test.
The references listed above may be helpful when you are reviewing the content areas included on the test. (Note: The listing of these references is intended for use as a study aid only. The RCCB® does not intend the list to imply endorsement of specific texts, nor are the questions on the test taken directly from these texts.)
You may choose to study on your own or you may decide to take a seminar/workshop to gain a better understanding of one or more content areas. If you know other coders in your area who are taking the test, you may want to form a study group.
Answer the sample questions in the Bulletin to help familiarize yourself with the type of questions that will be on the test.
3. Arrive at the test site on time.
You should arrive at the test site 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment to allow you to sign in, verify your identification, and familiarize yourself with the software. You do not need any special computer experience or typing skills to take the exam. You will have available to you a demo test that will familiarize you with the testing software and its features. Utilizing this demo does not count toward the time allowed to take the exam. |