Beginner or seasoned professional, the preparation problem is the same: honest questions and a way to measure progress. PassCollection answers both with 152 practice questions for the CCDS exam, suitable for every starting point.
ACDIS CCDS Exam Overview:
| Certification Vendor: | ACDIS (Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists) |
|---|---|
| Exam Name: | Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist Examination |
| Exam Number: | CCDS |
| Certificate Validity Period: | 2 years |
| Real Exam Qty: | 140 (120 scored + 20 pretest) |
| Passing Score: | 88 correct out of 120 scored questions |
| Related Certifications: | Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist-Outpatient (CCDS-O) |
| Exam Duration: | 180 minutes |
| Available Languages: | English |
| Exam Format: | Four answer choices (A-D), Multiple-choice, Recall, Application, Analysis |
| Exam Price: | USD 280 for ACDIS members; USD 380 for non-members; additional USD 100 for international candidates |
| Recommended Training: | ACDIS CCDS Exam Study Guide ACDIS Certification and CCDS Resources |
| Exam Registration: | ACDIS CCDS Exam Application Prometric Exam Scheduling |
| Sample Questions: |  |
| Exam Way: | Computer-based examination at Prometric Test Centers or remotely proctored online. |
| Pre Condition: | Candidates must currently work as a concurrent or retrospective CDI specialist in an inpatient acute care facility using the U.S. IPPS and meet one of ACDIS's education/experience pathways: RN, RHIA, RHIT, MD, or DO plus 2 years of experience; an associate degree in an allied health field plus 3 years of experience; or qualifying college-level coursework/AHIMA CCS or CCS-P plus 3 years of experience. |
| Official Syllabus URL: | https://www.acdis.org/certification/ccds/about |
ACDIS CCDS Exam Syllabus Topics:
| Section | Weight | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1: Anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and medical terminology | 19.17% | - Anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and terminology - Clinical conditions and clinical indicators |
| Topic 2: Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting | 14.17% | - Coding guidelines, AHA Coding Clinic, HACs, and POA indicators - Principal and secondary diagnosis assignment |
| Topic 3: Impact of reportable diagnoses on quality of care | 8.33% | - Mortality, severity of illness, and risk of mortality - Quality metrics, reporting programs, and financial impact |
| Topic 4: Professionalism, ethics, and compliance | 9.17% | - Confidentiality, DRG compliance, and ethical CDI practices - Query compliance, DRG creep, and audit risks |
| Topic 5: Medical record documentation | 19.17% | - Documentation clarification and compliant physician queries - Documentation requirements and diagnosis or procedure code assignment |
| Topic 6: Healthcare regulations, reimbursement, and documentation requirements related to the IPPS | 12.5% | - CC/MCC, CMI, Medicare contractors, and compliance - IPPS, MS-DRGs, reimbursement, and medical necessity |
| Topic 7: Healthcare facility CDI program analysis | 8.33% | - CDI productivity, provider response, CMI, and program metrics - Data analysis, forecasting, and performance measurement |
| Topic 8: Communication skills | 9.17% | - Physician education and effective communication - CDI and coding roles and interdisciplinary collaboration |
CCDS Exam FAQ: Straight Answers
ACDIS recommends these training resources for the ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist exam:
Follow the training with steady self-testing — the 152 practice questions from PassCollection help you apply theory and fill any gaps the training leaves.
The official ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist outline defines 8 domains. The leading three are Medical record documentation (19.17%), Professionalism, ethics, and compliance (9.17%), and Healthcare regulations, reimbursement, and documentation requirements related to the IPPS (12.5%). The full list is in the topics section above, and PassCollection's 152 practice questions cover each one.
Computer-based examination at Prometric Test Centers or remotely proctored online. Register for the ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist exam through these official channels:
After booking, PassCollection delivers your practice questions within 1 minute — preparation starts the same day.
The ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist exam contains 140 (120 scored + 20 pretest) to complete within 180 minutes. Timed simulation in the PassCollection Desktop Test Engine teaches that rhythm before exam day does.
PassCollection issues a full refund if you take the ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist exam within 60 days of purchase and do not pass. The policy does not apply if the exam is taken within 3 days of purchase, if the exam was never actually taken, or to free materials or expired orders, and the candidate name must match the payer name. Submit a scan of your enrollment slip and the official Score Report PDF within 2 days of the exam; claims are processed within 7 days. Alternatively, exchange for two free exam products of equal value and keep your original update service. Orders arrive by email within 1 minute — contact support if nothing arrives within 2 hours.
The CCDS exam is a ACDIS certification exam validating the ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist syllabus shown above. It belongs to these credential paths: Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist-Outpatient (CCDS-O). Candidates in 2026 prepare for it with PassCollection's 152 practice questions, available as a printable PDF, a Windows Desktop Test Engine, and an Online Test Engine — three versions of the same materials.
Candidates must currently work as a concurrent or retrospective CDI specialist in an inpatient acute care facility using the U.S. IPPS and meet one of ACDIS's education/experience pathways: RN, RHIA, RHIT, MD, or DO plus 2 years of experience; an associate degree in an allied health field plus 3 years of experience; or qualifying college-level coursework/AHIMA CCS or CCS-P plus 3 years of experience. Since requirements change over time, confirm the latest on the official ACDIS exam page before scheduling.
The ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist exam requires 88 correct out of 120 scored questions to pass, and registration costs USD 280 for ACDIS members; USD 380 for non-members; additional USD 100 for international candidates. A failed attempt means paying the same fee again — a readiness check with the PassCollection engines before booking is the cheaper option.
Three versions of the same study materials: a printable, expert-prepared PDF with free demo download and instant access; a Desktop Test Engine for Windows with customizable simulation and timed modes that works offline; and an Online Test Engine for any browser on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS with test history and performance review. All 152 practice questions are identical across versions. Every purchase includes 365 days of free updates, a 50% renewal discount afterward, and unlimited computer installations.
ACDIS Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist Sample Questions:
A patient with metastatic lung cancer is admitted solely for treatment of anemia caused by chemotherapy. The patient receives packed red blood cells and no treatment directed at the malignancy. Which diagnosis should be sequenced first?
- A. Anemia due to chemotherapy
- B. Metastatic disease
- C. Lung cancer
- D. Adverse effect of chemotherapy
Correct Answer: A 🗳️
Explanation: Only visible for PassCollection members. You can sign-up / login (it's free).
At discharge, the physician documents, "Possible gram-negative pneumonia." No later documentation rules out the condition. How should the diagnosis generally be handled for an inpatient admission?
- A. Code the possible pneumonia as if established
- B. Code only cough and fever
- C. Code unspecified pneumonia only
- D. Do not report pneumonia because "possible" is never reportable
Correct Answer: A 🗳️
Explanation: Only visible for PassCollection members. You can sign-up / login (it's free).
A hospital's case is assigned to an MS-DRG with a relative weight of 2.0000. What does the relative weight primarily indicate?
- A. The patient is twice as sick as the average Medicare patient
- B. The case is expected to consume approximately twice the average relative resources
- C. The patient's expected mortality is twice the national rate
- D. The hospital should bill twice its normal charges
Correct Answer: B 🗳️
Explanation: Only visible for PassCollection members. You can sign-up / login (it's free).
For FY 2026 Hospital Value-Based Purchasing, each of the four scored domains generally contributes what percentage to the Total Performance Score when all four domains are scored?
- A. 40%
- B. 10%
- C. 25%
- D. 20%
Correct Answer: C 🗳️
Explanation: Only visible for PassCollection members. You can sign-up / login (it's free).
A patient is admitted with hypertension and acute systolic heart failure. The provider does not explicitly link the two conditions and does not state that they are unrelated. Which coding principle applies?
- A. Hypertension and heart failure must always be coded separately unless the physician states
"hypertensive" - B. A relationship may only be recognized when hypertension is the principal diagnosis
- C. Acute heart failure cannot be associated with hypertension
- D. ICD-10-CM presumes a relationship between hypertension and qualifying heart disease unless documented as unrelated
Correct Answer: D 🗳️
Explanation: Only visible for PassCollection members. You can sign-up / login (it's free).
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