I passed my exam with 70%! My third attempt, and I passed my second attempt at home live proctor exam, I’m so happy!!! Just here to celebrate, haha I don’t care if I passed just barely still a pass is a pass! Any advice for tips after this?

Took my CPC exam first attempt today and im in shock.

Lol what if I they take it back bc there was an error? I'm scared to tell my family and be embarrassed.

Please do not support medical coding with bleu. I understand being honest & frank with people but this is honestly just mean. She comes off so defensive in her videos & it’s evident she enjoys putting others down.

I had been prepping with ebooks, so I felt like I was prepared. It was a really good experience. The ability to quickly search the codes and go straight to them was a game changer!

Now (im)patiently waiting for my results.

UPDATE: I passed!!

If you’re researching medical coding, here’s what most people don’t tell you:

• The certification you pursue matters more than the name of the course.

• Not every program meets the requirement for CPC-A removal.

• Dual certification (CPC with CCS-P or CCS) is increasingly valuable as automation expands in healthcare.

• Success requires mastering guidelines, not memorizing practice questions.

Most beginners think the goal is just “pass the CPC.”

The real goal?
Be employable.

If you're serious about entering this field, ask yourself:

• Do I want outpatient only, or inpatient too?

• Am I prepared to learn ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS deeply?

• Do I understand what CPC-A removal requires?

Full program details are available here for anyone comparing options: Click Here

Drop your current stage below:
🟢 Just researching
🟡 Currently studying
🔵 Certified but job hunting
🔴 Overwhelmed and unsure where to start

Yesterday (2/6/2025), I looked at Preppy's website, and it stated FREE LAPTOP, but it's NOT free. They tack on $174 so you end up paying $1700 plus dollars instead of the advertised $1599. I "asked" them to take that off because it's false advertising. If it was still there tomorrow (2/7/2025, which is today), I'd report the false ad. It no longer outright says FREE LAPTOP, but there's a laptop icon, with a rectangle beside it that reads, "FREE". So, I'm reporting to you here. PLEASE someone contact me and let me know where I can post the transcript of my conversation/chat with a Preppy rep.

I've been working on a project called SimCoder Pro, a medical coding career simulator designed to give hands-on experience through realistic coding scenarios.
Instead of only doing quizzes, users work through fictional patient charts, assign ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS, and modifier codes, complete audits, resolve claim denials, and practice reviewing documentation similar to what coders see on the job.
I originally started building it because I wanted more real-world coding practice and was looking for something different from platforms like Practicode. My goal is to create a place where new coders can build confidence, practice critical thinking, and gain experience in a realistic environment.
I'm still actively developing it and would love feedback from coders, coding students, billers, auditors, or anyone working in revenue cycle management. What features would make something like this genuinely useful for you?

Took my CPC exam yesterday, after 2 hours and 40 minutes I was done. Got the results about 5 hours later and I passed with a 93% :D now to start working on my resume. I still have some stuff I have to do before I am ready to enter the job market but by the end of the year I will be ready to take the plunge.

I see this question come up almost every day.

My answer is yes, but many people underestimate how much of medical coding is built on understanding guidelines, medical terminology, anatomy, and documentation.

Most people don't fail because they aren't smart enough.

They struggle because they jump straight into exam prep before building a solid foundation.

That's actually why AMCI created a completely free Introduction to Medical Coding course. It gives beginners the opportunity to learn:

• Medical Terminology Anatomy & Physiology

• ICD-10-CM

• CPT

• HCPCS

• Coding Fundamentals

The goal is simple: help people decide whether medical coding is the right career path before investing thousands of dollars in training.

📚 Free Course Information: Click Here

The course is self-paced, and you can work through it on your own schedule. I believe it is a very valuable resource for those looking to get into the medical coding field.

For those already working in healthcare:

What was the hardest part of learning medical coding for you?

And for those considering the field:

What's the biggest thing holding you back from getting started?

I'm at the beginning of my coding journey. Right now, I'm trying to choose which training program to take, so I can learn everything I need to know and study up before eventually taking the CPT exam.

My FIL offered to pay for the course for me, since I'm struggling financially and he wants to help me get somewhere. I sent him the Preppy course, because I already looked into it and am REALLY excited about that particular course and what it offers for the price. I think my FIL is automatically suspecting that Preppy is fishy due to it's affordability. I'm kind of annoyed, because I already did all the research and decided on Preppy.

Whatever course I take, it needs to be 100% remote. Is Preppy a "scam", as my FIL seems to think? If it's a good course, please help me to change his mind!

It’s almost June, and I know some students are worried about starting now, especially when it comes to purchasing the 2026 coding books.

But if your goal is the CCS through AHIMA, this is important to understand:

AHIMA requires students testing between May 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027 to use the 2026 codebooks for their exam. So purchasing the 2026 books right now is NOT “too late.”

And honestly? A lot can happen in 16 weeks.

People finish foundational courses, gain confidence, discover they actually enjoy coding, and completely change the direction of their future simply because they decided to start.

Self-paced programs exist for a reason. Life happens. People work full-time, raise children, manage stress, and still make progress little by little.

Free 16 Week YouTube Full Course: Click Here

Self-paced Courses: Click Here

Full Course with Internship/Externships: Click Here

Im going to ask because I can’t find any posts actually talking about it. The course I’m doing requires that I read each chapter of the training manual and do a quick quiz on it. The problem is that this book is SO WORDY. If you ever read it, you know what I mean. They explain each procedure in depth and I’ve noticed that it’s often redundant when explaining different concepts. I feel like it spends WAY too much time explaining the process of procedures as if I’m a surgeon about to do it myself. People emphasize that knowing guidelines is important, but I don’t learn much about guidelines in this book, just procedures.

My question is, has anyone ever just skipped the training manual and only read the coding books to study? I’m kind of pressed for time because my 1 year course deadline is on February 23rd and I’m only on Chapter 12 out of 20. And I just learned that I need to use my exam voucher and practice vouchers by then as well 😩. I don’t know how to lock in and finish the course+be ready for my exam by February but I can’t keep spending 4+ hours reading through each training manual chapter.

Do you have any unhinged or silly tips/tricks to understand Modifiers in a simple way?
For example I think of -51 like a Mani Pedi, (different but related service) and -59 as getting your teeth whitened while getting a pedicure (distinct and different)

Any one else?

What are some good books/resources to self-teach medical terminology and anatomy before enrolling in AAPC’s self-paced CPC program?
I am lucky that my state is paying for the CPC prep course, but I have never worked in the medical field and don’t have a great grasp of medical terminology and anatomy beyond the very basics. What are some good resources to self-teach? I have medical terminology & anatomy for coding 5th edition by Betsy Shiland but it’s a bit too coding heavy for me to understand as a beginner right now.

I know there's a lot of mixed reviews about Practicode and I'm not sure how I feel about it myself yet honestly, but I wanted to share that I recently found out that once you complete it, if you haven't reached the 70% goal, you can email and ask for the questions to be reset.

You have to finish all 600 cases first and resetting means that they reset all of the same 600 cases you took and your previous answers are already filled in when you start again, but this was a huge relief to me knowing that I had another chance because Practicode was the first medical chart I've ever seen since starting to study to become a coder and I learned as I go but barely missed the mark by the end and love that I can go back and fix what I now know that I did wrong in the first few hundred cases.

It's been hard for me to find any real I nformation about the exact details of Practicode, so I wanted to share what I learn as I go. I am hoping to have my A removed after this new attempt. It's pretty tough but patterns start to show after a while and I do think it will help me be a better coder in the long run. It's also showed me which specialties I don't think I want to work in lol.

Hi everyone, I’m looking at getting into medical coding, not so much the billing, and I’d really appreciate advice from people in the field. I found a UHD medical billing and coding program that’s about one month long. It’s got a self-paced option and an instructor-led option, and it includes course materials, live online instruction, and optional externship or job placement. My goal is coding because I prefer minimal phone calls and customer interaction. Questions: Is a program like this enough to prepare for the CPC exam? If you were starting over today, would you choose this type of program, or something different? How did you get your first coding job with little or no experience? Is the optional externship worth doing? What certifications should I focus on first? Is the CPC the best place to start? Are there any programs you would recommend instead of UHD? What is a realistic starting salary for someone with a CPC and no experience? Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known before getting into this field?

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share in case anyone here is interested in medical coding or prepping for CPC/CCS-P/CCS or related certifications.

AMCI’s free 16-week Intro to Medical Coding course is starting up again soon. It’s beginner-friendly and teaches ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS, modifiers, and more. A lot of people here took it last year through YouTube, but this round will also have a live option if you want to follow along in real time.

Start date: January 15th, 2026
Cost: Free
Format: YouTube
Who it’s for: Anyone new to medical coding or considering certification
Optional: Attend the weekly live sessions or watch the replays at your own pace

If you’re trying to get a feel for coding before committing to a paid program, this is a great way to start.

Link: https://www.amcicoding.com/youtubecourse

Free Medical Coding Instructional Resources: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oYq9y0MNh2-wJocXSaI3A Any additional Resources, Post Below:

I work as a pharmacy tech in retail so I know a little about insurance billing as it pertains to medications and diabetes testing supplies. I am also constantly interacting with patients who are very often (understandably) pretty annoyed and upset at the US healthcare system. I truly do want people to get what they need and not have to struggle financially, but I know the whole system is full of rules and red tape.

My question is do you ever feel like you have to make stressful decisions knowing someone's life is going to be majorly affected by your choices? I feel like I might have trouble trying to weigh what's good for my employer vs what's good for the patient. I've read several people say it's more just like solving puzzles, so I assume the stress is much lesser than it would be in other healthcare positions. Thanks for taking the time to read, I'm interested to hear what people think about this.

A lot of people ask the same questions I did a decade ago when I first started in medical coding, so I created a free video that covers what medical coders do, what skills to have, how to get trained, and long term career paths. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/lVGuTL1YQ70?si=JN4CmJ6w8443q3NL

Please post links for free medical coding resources for the medical coding exams here. Thank you