Terry Ma just passed her CPC exam! I will go over to our page on Facebook and celebrate! :)
Thank you! It's good to have that done with and out of my way so I can concentrate on finishing up Module IV!
There were only three people testing for CPC in my group, so it was nice and quiet in the room. Having a stopwatch/timer with me really helped gauge my time during the test and I think helped me finish a few minutes ahead of the clock, which gave me a chance to check the bubbles for missing answers or darken in bubbles that weren't as filled in as I thought they should be.
The girl sitting next to me forgot her HCPCS book, so I told her she could use mine and left it between us so she could reach it. I don't think she needed it though, because when they called the last 30 minutes, she wasn't anywhere near done with the test. I don't know if the other lady finished or not, she left so quickly. I did chuckle to myself a bit at the before the exam - they were all rather taken back that I would spend so much time on a course "just to learn to code."
As far as prepping for the exam, I worked the supplemental exercises Debby provided, and repeated the practice exams with the timer, to get a feel for working with the clock. All three of my books were tabbed, and that made a big time savings, especially in the CPT book. I read through all the sectional instructions. I bought the study guide from AAPC, but honestly, with everything we study, I really don't think the guide is necessary. A nice refresher, but I didn't use it all that much.
Three days before the test I stopped studying altogether. Since I had to go out of town to take the test, I drove down a couple days early, with my mom for company and support. We played tourist and ate waaaaay too much good food. She swears I woke her up every night, coding problems in my sleep :) Once I sat down to test, I forgot everything else around me and didn't get up until it was done. I even forgot the water and peanuts I had brought with me.
I'm not sure which is tougher, the exam or waiting for the results :)
Congratulations Terry! :)
Congratulations! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. You did great!
Congratulations, Terry! How exciting for you!!!
Congratulations Terri!
I am doing an Irish jig for you Terry! Congrats! Going through a board certification examination is unnerving... I know you are delighted to have that behind you. Like you, I am now spending the next several weeks finishing up Module IV... and I am NOT looking forward to going through the process again with the CCS. :)
Ooh, I'm not either Donna. Right now I'm just concentrating on my next deadline. I was so braindead for a few days after getting home I'm sadly behind and doing double duty to catch up.
Sounds silly, but I was so excited to see the PASS that I had to use my inhaler so I could breathe :)
It doesn't sound silly to me at all!
Congratulations, Terry!
I knew you could do it! Onward to the CCS!
Ha! I can relate to your need for the inhaler.... My heart was racing with nervousness when I logged in to AAPC to check results. I felt more nervous looking at my results than I did actually taking the exam. Such a relief to see PASS.
What I'm having trouble with now is getting the brain back to functioning enough to buckle down to regular studying. It's like "I passed the exam, now go away and leave me alone!" The last few days have been a real struggle, heheh.
Congratulations Terry!
Thanks for all the details. I love details. I take my exam in May. I hope I am as prepared and I hope I pass. I really cannot wait to detail it out for everyone. Doesnt it feel great to have that over with?