Free Practice Questions for CIC

The CIC exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and 10 inpatient coding cases (fill-in-the-blank). You have 5 hours and 40 minutes to complete the entire exam. Each coding case may have 5-15 possible code answers, and each answer is weighted equally. The exam is open-book — you may use ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and other approved code manuals.

You need a score of 70% or higher to pass the CIC exam. The exam uses scaled scoring across both the multiple-choice and coding case sections. Focus your preparation on the coding cases, which make up approximately 65% of your total score. Consistent practice with real inpatient records and code manuals is essential.

The CIC exam is considered one of the more challenging AAPC coding exams because it tests both knowledge (multiple choice) and practical application (coding cases). The coding cases require you to abstract diagnoses and procedures from clinical documentation and assign correct ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes under time pressure. Most candidates study 80-120 hours over 8-16 weeks.

Yes, the CIC exam is open-book. You may bring your own ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and other code manuals to the exam. For online proctored exams, you may use physical books. Tabbing and highlighting your code books is strongly recommended — efficient navigation can save significant time on the 10 coding cases.

Both CIC (AAPC) and CCS (AHIMA) certify inpatient coding competency, but they differ in format and focus. The CIC has 60 multiple-choice questions plus 10 coding cases and is open-book. The CCS has 91 multiple-choice questions plus 7 coding cases and is also open-book. Both test ICD-10-CM/PCS coding. CIC is administered by AAPC; CCS by AHIMA. Both are widely recognized by employers.

The CIC exam costs $399 for a single attempt or $499 for two attempts (recommended for first-time test takers). AAPC membership is required and costs $190 per year if not already a member. Total first-time cost ranges from $589 to $689. The exam can be taken online with a live proctor or at a Pearson VUE testing center.

There are no strict prerequisites to sit for the CIC exam, but AAPC recommends at least 2 years of inpatient coding experience or completion of an AAPC-approved training program. You must be an AAPC member ($190/year). If you pass without the required experience, you receive an apprentice designation until you complete 2 years of on-the-job coding experience.

Plan for 80-120 hours of study over 8-16 weeks. Spend the majority of your time (about 40%) practicing ICD-10-PCS procedure coding, as this is the most challenging component. Dedicate another 30% to ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding and 30% to payment methodologies, compliance, and documentation. Practice with full coding cases weekly.