Certified Coding Specialist EXAMINATION
SET 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS GRADED A+
● 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. Answer: d. K74.60, I85.11
K74.60: Unspecified cirrhosis of liver
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
−50 Bilateral procedure. 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. Answer: b. 31254-50
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
,** 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. 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 very small camera
and light at the end of it.. Answer:
● Documentation from the nursing or other allied health professionals'
notes can be used to establish which of the following diagnoses:
, a. Body mass index (BMI)
b. Malnutrition
c. Aspiration pneumonia
d. Fatigue. Answer: a. Body mass index (BMI)
** The physician must establish the diagnosis—obesity or morbid
obesity—and the additional information can be pulled from ancillary
documentation to establish the correct code assignment for body mass
index (BMI) (Leon-Chisen 2017, 168).
● A 55-year-old patient has hypertensive heart disease with congestive
heart failure. What code would be assigned?
a. I15.8, Other secondary hypertension
b. I11.0, Hypertensive heart disease with heart failure and I50.9, Heart
failure, unspecified
c. I50.9, Heart failure, unspecified and I15.0, Renovascular hypertension
d. N18.6, End stage renal disease. Answer: b. I11.0, Hypertensive heart
disease with heart failure and I50.9, Heart failure, unspecified
** There is a cause and effect relationship established between the
hypertension and the congestive heart failure. A separate code for the
congestive heart failure is assigned based on the "code also" note (HHS
2017, Section I.C.9.a., 40).
SET 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS GRADED A+
● 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. Answer: d. K74.60, I85.11
K74.60: Unspecified cirrhosis of liver
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
−50 Bilateral procedure. 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. Answer: b. 31254-50
31254 Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial
(anterior)
−50 Bilateral procedurea.
,** 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. 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 very small camera
and light at the end of it.. Answer:
● Documentation from the nursing or other allied health professionals'
notes can be used to establish which of the following diagnoses:
, a. Body mass index (BMI)
b. Malnutrition
c. Aspiration pneumonia
d. Fatigue. Answer: a. Body mass index (BMI)
** The physician must establish the diagnosis—obesity or morbid
obesity—and the additional information can be pulled from ancillary
documentation to establish the correct code assignment for body mass
index (BMI) (Leon-Chisen 2017, 168).
● A 55-year-old patient has hypertensive heart disease with congestive
heart failure. What code would be assigned?
a. I15.8, Other secondary hypertension
b. I11.0, Hypertensive heart disease with heart failure and I50.9, Heart
failure, unspecified
c. I50.9, Heart failure, unspecified and I15.0, Renovascular hypertension
d. N18.6, End stage renal disease. Answer: b. I11.0, Hypertensive heart
disease with heart failure and I50.9, Heart failure, unspecified
** There is a cause and effect relationship established between the
hypertension and the congestive heart failure. A separate code for the
congestive heart failure is assigned based on the "code also" note (HHS
2017, Section I.C.9.a., 40).
