Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
Diagnostic-related groups (DRGs) and ambulatory patient
classifications (APCs) are similar in that they are both:
a. Determined by HCPCS codes
b. Focused on hospital outpatients
c. Focused on hospital inpatients
d. Prospective payment systems -
correct answer ✅d. Prospective payment systems
** Both are types of prospective payment systems (Casto and
Forrestal 2015, 6).
A patient is treated for esophageal varices with hemorrhage due to
cirrhosis. The diagnostic codes that would be assigned are:
I85.01 Esophageal varices with bleeding
I85.11 Secondary esophageal varices with bleeding
K74.60 Unspecified cirrhosis of liver -
correct answer ✅d. K74.60, I85.11
K74.60: Unspecified cirrhosis of liver
,Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
I85.11:Secondary esophageal varices with bleeding
**The patient has cirrhosis of the liver with resulting bleeding
esophageal varices. Cirrhosis of liver is sequenced first followed by
the code for the bleeding esophageal varices (HHS 2017, Section
I.A.13, 11).
Assign the code(s) for bronchoscopy with bilateral transbronchial
biopsy for each lobe of each lung.
31628 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial lung biopsy(s),
single lobe
31629 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial needle aspiration
biopsy(s), trachea, main stem and/or lobar bronchus(i)
31632 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial lung biopsy(s),
each additional lobe
,Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
−50 Bilateral procedure -
correct answer ✅
Assign the code(s) for endoscopic sinusotomy with bilateral anterior
ethmoidectomy.
31231 Nasal endoscopy, diagnostic, unilateral or bilateral (separate
procedure)
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
a. 31254
b. 31254-50
c. 31254, 31254
d. 31231 -
correct answer ✅b. 31254-50
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
, Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
** A code for the anterior ethmoidectomy is assigned and to
denote the bilateral procedure, a modifier of -50 is added (CPT
Assistant Winter 1993, 23; Jan. 1997, 4; Sept. 1997, 10; Oct. 1997,
5; Dec. 2001, 6; May 2003, 5). The sinusotomy is not coded
separately, as it is a diagnostic procedure.
The most common language used for both data definition language
and data manipulation language is:
a. Unified modeling language
b. JAVA
c. Perl
d. Structured query language -
correct answer ✅d. Structured query language
** Structured query language (SQL) is used commonly for data
language and data definitions (Sharp 2016, 184).
An ethmoidectomy removes infected tissue and bone in the
ethmoid sinuses that blocks natural drainage. The surgeon views
your ethmoid sinuses with an endoscope, a thin flexible tube with a
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
Diagnostic-related groups (DRGs) and ambulatory patient
classifications (APCs) are similar in that they are both:
a. Determined by HCPCS codes
b. Focused on hospital outpatients
c. Focused on hospital inpatients
d. Prospective payment systems -
correct answer ✅d. Prospective payment systems
** Both are types of prospective payment systems (Casto and
Forrestal 2015, 6).
A patient is treated for esophageal varices with hemorrhage due to
cirrhosis. The diagnostic codes that would be assigned are:
I85.01 Esophageal varices with bleeding
I85.11 Secondary esophageal varices with bleeding
K74.60 Unspecified cirrhosis of liver -
correct answer ✅d. K74.60, I85.11
K74.60: Unspecified cirrhosis of liver
,Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
I85.11:Secondary esophageal varices with bleeding
**The patient has cirrhosis of the liver with resulting bleeding
esophageal varices. Cirrhosis of liver is sequenced first followed by
the code for the bleeding esophageal varices (HHS 2017, Section
I.A.13, 11).
Assign the code(s) for bronchoscopy with bilateral transbronchial
biopsy for each lobe of each lung.
31628 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial lung biopsy(s),
single lobe
31629 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial needle aspiration
biopsy(s), trachea, main stem and/or lobar bronchus(i)
31632 Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic
guidance, when performed; with transbronchial lung biopsy(s),
each additional lobe
,Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
−50 Bilateral procedure -
correct answer ✅
Assign the code(s) for endoscopic sinusotomy with bilateral anterior
ethmoidectomy.
31231 Nasal endoscopy, diagnostic, unilateral or bilateral (separate
procedure)
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
a. 31254
b. 31254-50
c. 31254, 31254
d. 31231 -
correct answer ✅b. 31254-50
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
, Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
Exam Preparation Questions &
Answers (Grade A+)
** A code for the anterior ethmoidectomy is assigned and to
denote the bilateral procedure, a modifier of -50 is added (CPT
Assistant Winter 1993, 23; Jan. 1997, 4; Sept. 1997, 10; Oct. 1997,
5; Dec. 2001, 6; May 2003, 5). The sinusotomy is not coded
separately, as it is a diagnostic procedure.
The most common language used for both data definition language
and data manipulation language is:
a. Unified modeling language
b. JAVA
c. Perl
d. Structured query language -
correct answer ✅d. Structured query language
** Structured query language (SQL) is used commonly for data
language and data definitions (Sharp 2016, 184).
An ethmoidectomy removes infected tissue and bone in the
ethmoid sinuses that blocks natural drainage. The surgeon views
your ethmoid sinuses with an endoscope, a thin flexible tube with a
