CPC Exam Strategy
I have been thinking of ways to tackle the CPC exam. The process of preparing for the examination is overwhelming. The CPC exam will cover medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, practice management, CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS coding conventions and guidelines. I will have to apply the CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS coding guidelines to actual case scenarios. There are so many areas that I need to study. I definitely have enough resources to study for the exam. There is no way that I can memorize all this information.
Developing a test strategy that works for me is crucial to my success. I decided to focus on the areas in which I am weak. The CPC exam review guide comes with a CD that allows you to take a pretest. I decided to use this pretest to see where my weak areas are. I wrote down the areas that I am weak on and need improvement before taking the exam. I went through my resources to determine if I had enough information to cover these areas. I plan on spending the bulk of my study time on these areas. After I am sure that I have a thorough understanding of the information, I will take the CPC exam review test again and compare my results with the first test. This should give me an indication of the progress that I have made. Hopefully, I will have made some progress.
I wrote down all my weak areas and seeing them on paper makes them real. I will tackle one area at a time. Once I am satisfied with my level of comprehension, I will check off the area on my list and move on to the next. Also, I will set a target date for a completed review of everything on my list. Working with a deadline will prevent me from procrastination.
As I have been studying for the CPC, I am aware of the areas in which I have a strong comprehension level. The medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, practice management and ICD-9 coding are my strongest areas. I still plan on studying for these areas but probably not with the same intensity of the areas in which I am more vulnerable.
I will be attending a CPC exam review next week. This review will be a simulation of the actual CPC exam. The test will be timed and proctors will be assisting with the exam review. I am hoping to get a feel for the actual test and pointers on how to take the exam. I will let you know how this turned out next week.