Certified Coding Specialist PREPARATION
TEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Examples of carcinoma in situ. Answer: Intraepithelial infiltrating
● The patient was admitted from the emergency department because of
chest pain. Following blood work, it was determined that the patient had
elevated CPKs and MB enzymes. The EKG shows nonspecific ST
changes.
What type of diagnosis might this indicate?
a. Unstable angina
b. Myocardial infarction
c. Congestive heart failure
d. Mitral valve stenosis. Answer: b
The CPK elevation with MB enzymes elevated and the EKG ST changes
denote a possible Ml (Leon-Chisen 2013, 386-387).
● A patient is admitted and diagnosed with fever and urinary burning.
The discharge diagnosis· is Escherichia coli, urinary tract infection.
,Which of the following represents the correct diagnoses and appropriate
sequence of those conditions?
a. Fever, urinary burning, urosepsis
b. Fever, urinary burning, sepsis
c. Escherichia coli, urinary tract infection
d. Urinary tract infection, Escherichia coli. Answer: d
Symptoms are not coded when a definitive diagnosis is present on
discharge. The patient discharge diagnosis of urinary tract infection. The
organism (E. coli) is coded with a seco diagnosis code (B96.20) which is
to be added as an additional code to identify the bacterial agent (HHS
2014, Section II.A., 98).
● A patient was admitted with heart failure within one week of a heart
transplant. Due to the timing, the coder thought that it may represent a
postoperative transplant rejection following heart transplant.
What action(s) should the coding staff take?
a. Query the physician.
b. Assign the codes for the postoperative transplant rejection.
c. Assign only the code for the transplant rejection.
d. Assign only the code for heart failure.. Answer: a
, When the documentation is not clear regarding a potential complication,
it is appropriate query the physician (HHS 2014, Section I.B.16, 16;
Leon-Chisen 2013, 43-44).
● A patient is admitted to a psychiatric unit of an acute-care facility. The
patient experienced the following symptoms almost every day for the
last month: loss of interest or pleasure in most or all activities, which is a
change from her prior level of functioning. She has also gained 15 lbs,
has difficulty falling asleep, feels fatigued, and has difficulty making
decisions.
What potential diagnosis most closely fits the patient's overall
symptoms?
a. Insomnia
b. Major depression
c. Reye's syndrome
d. Bipolar disorder. Answer: b
The symptoms provided are indicative of a depressive disorder (Leon-
Chisen 2013, 175).
● Inpatient:
Admission for inguinal hernia repair. This 30-year-old patient has
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) but is not symptomatic at
this time due to medication regimen. The procedure performed was a
TEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Examples of carcinoma in situ. Answer: Intraepithelial infiltrating
● The patient was admitted from the emergency department because of
chest pain. Following blood work, it was determined that the patient had
elevated CPKs and MB enzymes. The EKG shows nonspecific ST
changes.
What type of diagnosis might this indicate?
a. Unstable angina
b. Myocardial infarction
c. Congestive heart failure
d. Mitral valve stenosis. Answer: b
The CPK elevation with MB enzymes elevated and the EKG ST changes
denote a possible Ml (Leon-Chisen 2013, 386-387).
● A patient is admitted and diagnosed with fever and urinary burning.
The discharge diagnosis· is Escherichia coli, urinary tract infection.
,Which of the following represents the correct diagnoses and appropriate
sequence of those conditions?
a. Fever, urinary burning, urosepsis
b. Fever, urinary burning, sepsis
c. Escherichia coli, urinary tract infection
d. Urinary tract infection, Escherichia coli. Answer: d
Symptoms are not coded when a definitive diagnosis is present on
discharge. The patient discharge diagnosis of urinary tract infection. The
organism (E. coli) is coded with a seco diagnosis code (B96.20) which is
to be added as an additional code to identify the bacterial agent (HHS
2014, Section II.A., 98).
● A patient was admitted with heart failure within one week of a heart
transplant. Due to the timing, the coder thought that it may represent a
postoperative transplant rejection following heart transplant.
What action(s) should the coding staff take?
a. Query the physician.
b. Assign the codes for the postoperative transplant rejection.
c. Assign only the code for the transplant rejection.
d. Assign only the code for heart failure.. Answer: a
, When the documentation is not clear regarding a potential complication,
it is appropriate query the physician (HHS 2014, Section I.B.16, 16;
Leon-Chisen 2013, 43-44).
● A patient is admitted to a psychiatric unit of an acute-care facility. The
patient experienced the following symptoms almost every day for the
last month: loss of interest or pleasure in most or all activities, which is a
change from her prior level of functioning. She has also gained 15 lbs,
has difficulty falling asleep, feels fatigued, and has difficulty making
decisions.
What potential diagnosis most closely fits the patient's overall
symptoms?
a. Insomnia
b. Major depression
c. Reye's syndrome
d. Bipolar disorder. Answer: b
The symptoms provided are indicative of a depressive disorder (Leon-
Chisen 2013, 175).
● Inpatient:
Admission for inguinal hernia repair. This 30-year-old patient has
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) but is not symptomatic at
this time due to medication regimen. The procedure performed was a
