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Exam Review

Key Facts: CDIP Exam

140

Delivered Exam Items

AHIMA CDIP certification page

2h 55m

Exam Time After Agreement

AHIMA certification FAQ

300

Passing Scaled Score

AHIMA CDIP certification page

$259 / $329

Member / Nonmember Fee

AHIMA CDIP certification page

68%

2025 First-Time Pass Rate

AHIMA CDIP certification page

27-33%

Record Review Domain

AHIMA CDIP exam content outline

30 CEUs

Two-Year Single-Credential Renewal

AHIMA recertification guide

The current AHIMA CDIP exam delivers 140 items, including 106 scored and 34 unscored pretest items, in a three-hour appointment. Candidates qualify through one of three education-or-credential pathways; two years of CDI experience is recommended rather than required. The passing scaled score is 300, and the current fee is $259 for members or $329 for nonmembers.

Sample CDIP Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CDIP exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the primary goal of a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) program?
A.Prevent every denial by obtaining additional diagnosis codes
B.Select the diagnoses that produce the highest payment
C.Represent the patient's actual conditions and care accurately
D.Increase query volume even when the record needs no clarification
Explanation: The primary goal of CDI is to ensure that the clinical documentation in the medical record accurately and completely reflects the severity of illness, risk of mortality, and resource utilization for each patient encounter. Accurate documentation supports appropriate reimbursement, quality reporting, risk adjustment, and continuity of care.
2What is the MS-DRG (Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group) system?
A.A risk model assigning outpatient Medicare Advantage HCC scores
B.A survey assigning the hospital's overall quality star rating
C.A system determining only physician professional-fee payment
D.A classification grouping inpatient stays for Medicare prospective payment
Explanation: MS-DRGs classify inpatient hospital stays into groups based on principal diagnosis, procedures, age, sex, discharge status, and the presence of complications or comorbidities (CC) or major complications or comorbidities (MCC). Each DRG has a relative weight determining Medicare payment. CDI specialists focus on ensuring documentation supports the most accurate DRG assignment.
3What is a physician query in the context of CDI?
A.A notice that a diagnosis will be removed without clarification
B.A request to document a predetermined higher-paying diagnosis
C.A communication seeking clinically supported documentation clarification
D.An instruction allowing the coder to replace the provider's diagnosis
Explanation: A physician query is a written or verbal communication from a CDI specialist or coder to a physician requesting clarification, additional specificity, or documentation of a clinical condition supported by clinical indicators in the record. Queries must be non-leading, clinically relevant, and compliant with AHIMA and ACDIS guidelines to maintain documentation integrity.
4In FY2027 MS-DRG v44, which secondary diagnosis code is listed as a CC before applicable exclusions?
A.N17.9: Acute kidney failure, unspecified
B.E11.9: Type 2 diabetes without complications
C.J30.2: Other seasonal allergic rhinitis
D.I10: Essential hypertension
Explanation: The v44 Appendix C lists N17.9 as CC; I10, E11.9, and J30.2 are not listed as CC or MCC. Reportability, principal-diagnosis exclusions, other severity exclusions, and the complete claim must still be evaluated. A listed CC does not guarantee a different DRG or payment.
5What are the characteristics of a compliant physician query?
A.Use relevant clinical evidence and preserve independent provider judgment
B.Require multiple choice even when another compliant format fits better
C.Include unsupported diagnoses to make the response list longer
D.Emphasize the diagnosis with the greatest financial effect
Explanation: The 2026 AHIMA/ACDIS brief permits open-ended, multiple-choice, and appropriately limited yes/no formats. A supported diagnosis may appear among neutral multiple-choice options; naming it is not inherently leading. Multiple-choice queries must permit another explanation. Evidence and presentation must not steer the provider toward a preferred answer.
6What is the difference between severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) in clinical documentation?
A.SOI describes illness severity; ROM describes mortality risk
B.SOI is the number of codes; ROM is the number of procedures
C.SOI determines only payment; ROM determines only discharge timing
D.SOI is the probability of death; ROM is the extent of physiologic impairment
Explanation: Severity of illness (SOI) measures the extent of physiologic decompensation or organ system loss of function, reflecting how sick the patient is. Risk of mortality (ROM) measures the likelihood of dying during the hospital stay. Both are assigned subclass levels (1-4: minor, moderate, major, extreme) in the APR-DRG system. CDI ensures documentation captures clinical indicators that accurately reflect both SOI and ROM.
7What is the principal diagnosis in an inpatient setting?
A.The condition established after study as chiefly responsible for the admission
B.The first suspected diagnosis entered before evaluation is completed
C.The diagnosis producing the highest DRG weight among all conditions
D.The condition with the greatest resource cost, regardless of admission reason
Explanation: According to ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, the principal diagnosis is the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission of the patient to the hospital. It may differ from the admitting diagnosis. CDI specialists review documentation to ensure the principal diagnosis accurately reflects the reason for admission and that it is properly sequenced for DRG assignment.
8Which clinical indicator would support a query for sepsis documentation?
A.A positive culture without review of the clinical course
B.Infection with an acute organ-function change needing clinical clarification
C.An isolated elevated heart rate after uncomplicated exercise
D.Antibiotic use without review of its indication or other findings
Explanation: Infection and an acute organ-function change may support a clinically relevant clarification. Review baseline status, alternative explanations, and the treating provider's assessment. SIRS findings, SOFA changes, cultures, or treatment alone do not authorize diagnosing or coding sepsis. Clinical definitions and ICD-10-CM reporting rules serve different purposes.
9What is the impact of an MCC (Major Complication or Comorbidity) on DRG assignment?
A.An excluded MCC remains a severity driver in the same claim
B.Any MCC necessarily changes every inpatient claim's DRG
C.An eligible MCC may affect the severity tier when full grouping logic allows it
D.Clinical seriousness alone determines the MCC effect on a claim
Explanation: MCC is a version-specific designation for an exact diagnosis code. Its effect depends on reportability, exclusions, the DRG family's structure, and other claim inputs. Another MCC may already determine the tier, or the DRG may not split by MCC. A generic condition label does not establish MCC status or guaranteed payment.
10What is the difference between a concurrent and retrospective CDI review?
A.Both terms prohibit clarification after the patient has left the hospital
B.Concurrent review is after discharge; retrospective review is during the encounter
C.Concurrent review is during the encounter; retrospective review follows it
D.Both terms mean review limited to the final submitted insurance claim
Explanation: Concurrent review occurs during the active encounter; retrospective review occurs after it. Concurrent clarification can use the care team's current knowledge. Retrospective review can address the completed record, unresolved questions, denials, or audit findings. Appropriate timing depends on the issue and workflow; neither timing guarantees a larger documentation or financial effect.

About the CDIP Exam

The AHIMA CDIP credential assesses clinical coding practice, education and leadership, record review and document clarification, CDI metrics and statistics, and compliance.

Exam sponsor: AHIMA; delivered through Pearson VUE test centers or OnVUE for candidates located in the United States. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

140 delivered items: 106 scored and 34 unidentified pretest items

Time Limit

3 hours total: 5-minute agreement plus 2 hours 55 minutes for the exam; no planned break

Passing Score

300 scaled score

Exam / Certification Fees

$259 AHIMA member / $329 nonmember

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: 68% first-time pass rate (2025). AHIMA reported 591 first-time testers and a 68% pass rate in 2025; the rates were 68% in 2024 and 65% in 2023. This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

15-18%

Clinical Coding Practice

Use coding resources, assign and sequence diagnoses and procedures, apply conventions and guidelines, evaluate DRGs, and resolve coding-CDI discrepancies

21-26%

Education and Leadership Development

Promote CDI, collaborate across disciplines, develop policies, use escalation processes, educate stakeholders, and explain organizational implications

27-33%

Record Review and Document Clarification

Review clinical documentation, prioritize records, identify gaps, use compliant queries, interact with providers, and manage post-discharge clarification

8-11%

CDI Metrics and Statistics

Use dashboards, audit quality, analyze query trends, benchmark providers, assess performance metrics, and adjust workflow

18-23%

Compliance

Apply ethical and regulatory standards, identify technology risks and noncompliant queries, conduct second-level review, and maintain query policies

Preparing for the CDIP Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 300 scaled score
  • Assessment: 140 delivered items: 106 scored and 34 unidentified pretest items
  • Time limit: 3 hours total: 5-minute agreement plus 2 hours 55 minutes for the exam; no planned break
  • Exam / certification fees: $259 AHIMA member / $329 nonmember Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CDIP: Suggested Study Strategy

1Use the current AHIMA content outline as the scope boundary; AHIMA does not require or endorse a particular preparation product
2Give Record Review and Document Clarification the largest share of attention because its official range is 27-33%
3Practice Education and Leadership scenarios as well as coding because that domain carries a 21-26% range
4Evaluate queries for clinical support, neutrality, compliance, appropriate escalation, and defensible record documentation
5Practice dashboard, audit, response-trend, benchmarking, and workflow decisions for the CDI Metrics and Statistics domain
6Use timed mixed sets against the 175-minute exam period and review all items because pretest questions are unidentified

Frequently Asked Questions

How many items are on the current CDIP exam?

AHIMA delivers 140 items: 106 are scored and 34 are unidentified pretest items that do not affect pass or fail.

How long is the CDIP exam appointment?

The three-hour appointment includes a five-minute agreement and 2 hours 55 minutes for the exam. There is no planned break.

What score is required to pass CDIP?

Passing requires an AHIMA scaled score of 300. A scaled score is not a raw percentage or number of correct answers.

What is the current CDIP exam fee?

The fee is $259 for AHIMA members and $329 for nonmembers. AHIMA membership is not required.

What are the CDIP eligibility requirements?

Meet one route: an associate degree or higher, the approved post-baccalaureate HIM certificate pathway, or a CCS, CCS-P, RHIT, or RHIA credential.

Is CDI work experience required for CDIP?

No. AHIMA recommends at least two years of CDI experience, but it is not a mandatory eligibility requirement.

Can I take CDIP through remote proctoring?

Yes, OnVUE is available to candidates located in the United States. Pearson VUE test-center delivery is also available.

How soon can I retake CDIP?

Submit a new application and full fee. AHIMA waits 90 days before approving another appointment; transcripts do not need to be resubmitted.

How many CEUs does CDIP renewal require?

A single CDIP requires 30 CEUs every two years, with at least 80% in HIIM domains. Standard single-credential renewal is $100 for members, $50 for emeritus members or $249 for nonmembers.