Certified Coding Specialist (CCS^®)

The Certified Coding Specialist certification is designed for individuals skilled in classifying medical data from medical records. CCS professionals demonstrate a practitioner’s tested skills in data quality and accuracy as well as mastery of coding proficiency.

Who should pursue the CCS certification?

The CCS certification is a natural progression for professionals experienced in coding inpatient and outpatient records, or those with a CCA. Coding specialists create coded data used by hospitals and medical providers to obtain reimbursement from insurance companies or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Researchers and public health officials also use this data to monitor patterns and explore new interventions.

Required Resources

The CCS exam will be updating to the 2026 codebook list starting May 1st 2026. All exams delivered on or AFTER 5/1/2026 will be required to have the 2026 code books from the 2026 code book list to sit for the exam. On test day, all candidates must bring the correct code books to the test center. Candidates who do not have the correct code books will not be allowed to test and will forfeit their exam fees.

Get CCS Certified in 3 Steps

1. Prepare for the exam​

2. Apply and schedule the exam
3. Maintain your certification

How to Achieve the CCS Certification

Earning and maintaining your CCS Certification can be achieved in 3 steps.

1: Prepare for the exam

It is recommended, not required, to have at least one of the following:

• Complete courses in all the following topics: anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, reimbursement methodology, intermediate/advanced ICD diagnostic coding, and procedural coding and medical services (CPT/HCPCS) plus one (1) year of coding experience directly applying codes; OR

• Minimum of two (2) years of related coding experience directly applying codes; OR
• Hold the CCA® credential plus one (1) year of coding experience directly applying codes; OR
• Hold a coding credential from another certifying organization plus one (1) year of coding experience directly applying codes; OR
• Hold a CCS-P^®, RHIT^®, or RHIA^® credential

Navigate to the “Prepare for the CCS Exam” tab above to learn about AHIMA products that can help you prepare.

2: Apply to take the CCS exam

• Read the Candidate Guide

• Create a MyAHIMA account

• Submit your application online and pay all fees

• Schedule the exam with Pearson Vue within 120-days of eligibility.

3: Maintain your CCS credential

To maintain your CCS credential you will need to complete all the recertification requirements over the 2-year certification period, which include submitting the required amount of continuing education units (CEUs) and paying the recertification fee. Check out the Recertification Hub to learn more about CEU opportunities and familiarize yourself with the recertification process.

Preparing for the CCS Exam

AHIMA certifications are administered by the AHIMA Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM). Please note that the AHIMA prep materials are optional and not the sole method for studying for the CCS exam. AHIMA offers these resources as an option for candidates but is not endorsed by AHIMA or CCHIIM as the sole means for studying for the exam nor do they guarantee success on the CCS exam. The CCHIIM does not contribute to, review, endorse or require any review books, review sessions, study guides, or other exam preparatory activities.

AHIMA offers an online course as well as textbook products to help you prepare to sit for the CCS certification exam.

Textbook Products

CCS textbook products are developed by the AHIMA publication team with no input from AHIMA Certifications or CCHIIM panels.

The CCS exam preparation textbook products combine in-depth study material covering the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS content with comprehensive testing practice. They are exam preparation is comprised of two full-length practice exams as well as additional practice questions and medical scenarios:

• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Exam Preparation, 16th Edition
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Exam Preparation, 16th Edition, ebook
• CCS Exam Preparation 16e, CCS Exam Bundle

These textbook products include exam preparation guidance and cover the following CCS domains:

• Domain 1: Coding Knowledge and Skills
• Domain 2: Coding Documentation
• Domain 3: Provider Queries
• Domain 4: Regulatory Compliance
• Domain 5: Information Technologies

Key Features:

• Two complete practice exams and additional practice questions based on and organized by the CCS competencies and tasks
• 2025 code sets and guidelines
• Inpatient and outpatient medical scenarios
• 291 multiple choice questions and 28 medical scenarios in the book and online assessments
• Answers with rationales and reference to enhance learning
• Test-taking tips for additional preparation and confidence on exam day

Online Course Products

The CCS exam prep online course products offer video lectures as well as a pretest for each of five domains of the CCS credential as well as the “Medical Scenarios” section of the exam.

To help you pinpoint where exactly you may need to study each domain further, each section of the pretests represents a specific task from the certification exam outline. There is also a complete Practice Exam at the end of the course organized by domain.

The first product is the online course itself, the other comes integrated with the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Exam Preparation eBook discussed above:

CCS Exam Preparation 2026

CCS Exam Preparation with ebook

Exam Specifications

Exam format:

The total number of questions on the exam is 107. There are 97 scored items and 10 pretest items.

Each exam includes scored questions and pretest questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Each exam includes scored questions and pretest questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Pretest questions are for data collection purposes, and they do not count towards candidate's score.

Exam Functionality:

Candidates are allowed to move back and forth between items on the exam if an answer has been selected. Candidates can flag items for review and return them at the end of the exam to review items before submitting the exam, as time allows.

Time Allowed:

Candidates will have four hours to complete the exam.

Resources required:

All exams delivered on or AFTER 5/1/2026 will be required to have the 2026 code books from the 2026 code book list to sit for the exam. On test day, all candidates must bring the correct code books to the test center. Candidates who do not have the correct code books will not be allowed to test and will forfeit their exam fees. View the 2026 list of required code books for the CCS exam.

Candidates who do not have the correct codebooks will not be allowed to test and will forfeit their exam fees.

Competencies:

Competencies for CCS fall into five domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the total questions on the certification exam. See the Exam Content Outline for greater detail.

Exam testing location:

The CCS exam is offered domestically and globally. The exam is given in a computer-based format and must be scheduled at a Pearson Vue testing center.

Passing score:

The passing score for the CCS is 300.

Retake Policy:

To re-take an exam, candidates need to submit a new application along with the relevant exam fee. Candidates who have attempted but not successfully passed the CCS exam are required to wait at least 30 days before their application is approved.

Transcripts are kept on file and do not need to be resubmitted. Candidates in their retest waiting period are not authorized to schedule an exam appointment until a new authorization to test letter is issued. AHIMA is not authorized to waive retest periods due to test security policies.

Pricing:

The cost of the CCS exam is $299 for AHIMA members and $399 for non-members. Test re-take fees are the same as the cost of the exam.

Certified Professionals and Pass Rates

As of 12/31/2025, there were 36,925 certified CCS professionals.

Certification Exam Process & Timelines

AHIMA regularly updates its blueprint (content outline) to be consistent with the Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Listen to a recorded presentation that explains the entire exam development cycle.

Exam development cycle

1. Job Task Analysis SMEs identify knowledge, skills, and tasks required for a job. Result of workshop is a survey.

2. Exam Specifications SMEs review survey results and develop blueprint (content outline).

3. Item Writing/Review SMEs write and review test questions to align with blueprint (content outline).
4. Exam Form(s) Review SMEs review test questions on Beta form and review overall form to determine if there is any overlap.
5. Pilot/ Beta Exams Candidates begin testing on pilot/beta exam.
6. Standard Setting SMES set the performance standard "minimum expectations" which serve as a guide to recommend a passing point.
7. Exam Administration The exam is administered to qualified candidates in a live testing environment.
8. Exam Maintenance Ongoing maintenance is performed ensuring the form performs as intended.