COG 170 ACTUAL EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
⩥ Epic's databases contains real-time data. Answer: Chronicles.
Chronicles is Epic's operational database storing real-time clinical and
administrative data.
⩥ difference between a parameter and a display column. Answer:
Parameter: Used by the query to determine results at run time. Display
Column: Displays information about the results.
⩥ dashboard view. Answer: A user's personalized view of a dashboard.
Views allow users to customize dashboards to their needs without
affecting the source dashboard.
⩥ Clarity. Answer: Clarity is Epic's relational reporting database,
refreshed nightly from Chronicles. It is optimized for large-scale
reporting and analytics, not for real-time queries.
⩥ What is the fastest way to create a new dashboard. Answer:
Dashboard Options > Create Dashboard. This menu option allows rapid
dashboard creation without navigating through multiple screens.
,⩥ Which of Epic's databases contains real-time data. Answer:
Chronicles. Chronicles is Epic's operational database storing real-time
clinical and administrative data.
⩥ What is the difference between a parameter and a display column.
Answer: Parameter: Used by the query to determine results at run time.
Display Column: Displays information about the results.
⩥ What is a dashboard view. Answer: A user's personalized view of a
dashboard. Views allow users to customize dashboards to their needs
without affecting the source dashboard.
⩥ What is Clarity. Answer: Clarity is Epic's relational reporting
database, refreshed nightly from Chronicles. It is optimized for large-
scale reporting and analytics, not for real-time queries.
⩥ What is Caboodle. Answer: Caboodle is Epic's enterprise data
warehouse, integrating data from Clarity and other sources for advanced
analytics. It provides a consolidated, historical view of data for
population health and strategic reporting.
⩥ What is the primary difference between Clarity and Caboodle.
Answer: Clarity is a near-real-time reporting database, while Caboodle is
a data warehouse for long-term, cross-system analytics. Clarity is
refreshed nightly; Caboodle is updated less frequently and designed for
broader analytics.
,⩥ Can you use the Record Viewer to look up a list of columns in a
Clarity table. Answer: No. The Record Viewer is for Chronicles data.
Use the Data Dictionary in the Analytics Catalog for Clarity tables.
⩥ Where can you find the Data Dictionary for Clarity tables. Answer: In
the Analytics Catalog. The Analytics Catalog provides searchable
documentation of Clarity tables and columns.
⩥ What is a "Chronicles Master File". Answer: A data structure in
Chronicles representing a major entity (e.g., patient, encounter, order).
Each Master File contains records and items (fields) for a specific type
of data.
⩥ What is a "record" in Chronicles. Answer: A single entity within a
Master File (e.g., one patient, one provider). Records store all data for
that entity.
⩥ What is a "contact" in Chronicles. Answer: A unique set of data,
usually representing a specific time period or event, associated with a
record. Contacts allow tracking of changes or events for a record over
time.
⩥ What is the difference between a record and a contact. Answer:
Record: The entity itself (e.g., a patient). Contact: A specific event or
, time point for that entity (e.g., a patient visit). Contacts provide
historical detail within a record.
⩥ What is a "response each time" item in Chronicles. Answer: An item
that can have different values for each contact (e.g., blood pressure at
each visit). These items track time- or event-specific data.
⩥ Can a patient who has been seen twice at your facility have two
records in the Patient Master File. Answer: No. The patient should have
one record with multiple contacts for each visit.
⩥ What is the purpose of the Clarity Extract process. Answer: To move
data from Chronicles (operational) to Clarity (reporting) on a scheduled
basis. This enables efficient reporting without impacting live clinical
workflows.
⩥ What is the relationship between Clarity and Caboodle. Answer:
Clarity feeds data into Caboodle, which is then used for enterprise
analytics. Caboodle integrates Clarity data with other sources for a
comprehensive data warehouse.
⩥ What is the refresh frequency for Clarity. Answer: Nightly. Data is
typically extracted from Chronicles to Clarity once per day.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
⩥ Epic's databases contains real-time data. Answer: Chronicles.
Chronicles is Epic's operational database storing real-time clinical and
administrative data.
⩥ difference between a parameter and a display column. Answer:
Parameter: Used by the query to determine results at run time. Display
Column: Displays information about the results.
⩥ dashboard view. Answer: A user's personalized view of a dashboard.
Views allow users to customize dashboards to their needs without
affecting the source dashboard.
⩥ Clarity. Answer: Clarity is Epic's relational reporting database,
refreshed nightly from Chronicles. It is optimized for large-scale
reporting and analytics, not for real-time queries.
⩥ What is the fastest way to create a new dashboard. Answer:
Dashboard Options > Create Dashboard. This menu option allows rapid
dashboard creation without navigating through multiple screens.
,⩥ Which of Epic's databases contains real-time data. Answer:
Chronicles. Chronicles is Epic's operational database storing real-time
clinical and administrative data.
⩥ What is the difference between a parameter and a display column.
Answer: Parameter: Used by the query to determine results at run time.
Display Column: Displays information about the results.
⩥ What is a dashboard view. Answer: A user's personalized view of a
dashboard. Views allow users to customize dashboards to their needs
without affecting the source dashboard.
⩥ What is Clarity. Answer: Clarity is Epic's relational reporting
database, refreshed nightly from Chronicles. It is optimized for large-
scale reporting and analytics, not for real-time queries.
⩥ What is Caboodle. Answer: Caboodle is Epic's enterprise data
warehouse, integrating data from Clarity and other sources for advanced
analytics. It provides a consolidated, historical view of data for
population health and strategic reporting.
⩥ What is the primary difference between Clarity and Caboodle.
Answer: Clarity is a near-real-time reporting database, while Caboodle is
a data warehouse for long-term, cross-system analytics. Clarity is
refreshed nightly; Caboodle is updated less frequently and designed for
broader analytics.
,⩥ Can you use the Record Viewer to look up a list of columns in a
Clarity table. Answer: No. The Record Viewer is for Chronicles data.
Use the Data Dictionary in the Analytics Catalog for Clarity tables.
⩥ Where can you find the Data Dictionary for Clarity tables. Answer: In
the Analytics Catalog. The Analytics Catalog provides searchable
documentation of Clarity tables and columns.
⩥ What is a "Chronicles Master File". Answer: A data structure in
Chronicles representing a major entity (e.g., patient, encounter, order).
Each Master File contains records and items (fields) for a specific type
of data.
⩥ What is a "record" in Chronicles. Answer: A single entity within a
Master File (e.g., one patient, one provider). Records store all data for
that entity.
⩥ What is a "contact" in Chronicles. Answer: A unique set of data,
usually representing a specific time period or event, associated with a
record. Contacts allow tracking of changes or events for a record over
time.
⩥ What is the difference between a record and a contact. Answer:
Record: The entity itself (e.g., a patient). Contact: A specific event or
, time point for that entity (e.g., a patient visit). Contacts provide
historical detail within a record.
⩥ What is a "response each time" item in Chronicles. Answer: An item
that can have different values for each contact (e.g., blood pressure at
each visit). These items track time- or event-specific data.
⩥ Can a patient who has been seen twice at your facility have two
records in the Patient Master File. Answer: No. The patient should have
one record with multiple contacts for each visit.
⩥ What is the purpose of the Clarity Extract process. Answer: To move
data from Chronicles (operational) to Clarity (reporting) on a scheduled
basis. This enables efficient reporting without impacting live clinical
workflows.
⩥ What is the relationship between Clarity and Caboodle. Answer:
Clarity feeds data into Caboodle, which is then used for enterprise
analytics. Caboodle integrates Clarity data with other sources for a
comprehensive data warehouse.
⩥ What is the refresh frequency for Clarity. Answer: Nightly. Data is
typically extracted from Chronicles to Clarity once per day.
