Pearson VUE Test-Center Checklist, IDs, Code Books, and ATT

Test-Center Delivery

Pearson VUE lists RHIA, RHIT, CCA, CCS, and CCS-P as in-person exams at Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers. Do not plan for OnVUE remote (webcam-proctored) testing for CCA. AHIMA offers OnVUE only for certain credentials such as CHDA, CHPS, and CDIP. If a question implies you can take CCA from home, that is a trap.

ATT and Scheduling

After AHIMA approves eligibility, Pearson VUE sends the Authorization to Test (ATT). The ATT lets you schedule within the 120-day eligibility window. Use the exact name and eligibility details on the ATT when booking and when comparing it to your IDs.

ID Checklist

Bring a primary and a secondary ID that meet Pearson VUE requirements. The primary must be a current, government-issued photo ID with signature (passport, driver license, military ID, national ID). The secondary must show your name and signature (credit card, bank card). The first and last name on both IDs must match the ATT exactly. A practical check: compare every character of your first and last name across the ATT, primary ID, and secondary ID, then verify expiration dates.

Code-Book Checklist

CCA candidates must bring their own required AHIMA code books. For exams delivered on or after May 1, 2026, AHIMA requires exactly three books: one approved 2026 ICD-10-CM volume, one approved 2026 ICD-10-PCS volume, and the AMA CPT® 2026 Professional Edition—either ISBN 978-1-64016-322-5 or the physical CPT book in bundle ISBN 978-1-64016-332-4. No separate HCPCS book is on the required list. The Candidate Guide permits handwritten comments but prohibits copied external coding rules, Post-It Notes, loose materials, and handmade tabs. Candidates without correct books are not allowed to test and forfeit fees.

Arrival and Room Rules

Arrive 30 minutes early. Expect check-in, identity verification (often a digital signature and palm or photo capture), storage of personal items in a locker, and rules on what enters the room. Phones, smart watches, and study notes stay in the locker; the center supplies scratch material per its policy. Late arrival can void the appointment.

Quick Checklist

Acceptable IDs and Name Matching

ID failures are one of the most common preventable forfeits, so know exactly what counts. The primary ID must be government-issued, current (not expired), and carry both a photo and a signature. The secondary ID needs your name and signature but not necessarily a photo.

The name-match rule is strict: the first and last name on both IDs must match the ATT. A nickname on a card, a maiden name on a license after marriage, or a missing middle-name suffix can all trigger a denial. If your legal name changed, update it with AHIMA and obtain a corrected ATT before test day — the proctor has no authority to override the record at the counter.

Walking Through Check-In

A typical CCA check-in runs like this: you present both IDs, the administrator verifies the names against the ATT, you store phone, watch, bags, and any notes in a locker, you may provide a digital signature and a palm-vein or photo capture, and then you are escorted to a workstation. The center provides any allowed scratch material; you supply only your code books, which the proctor may inspect for prohibited loose papers or extra writing. The 5-minute agreement appears first; the 115-minute exam period then includes instructions and all 105 scored and pretest items.

Code-Book Handling Rules

• Bring the 2026 required editions for any CCA exam on or after May 1, 2026 — confirm the exact titles on AHIMA's current required-books list, not a third-party blog.
• Handwritten notations or comments are allowed, but not copied coding rules or guidelines from outside references; Post-It Notes, loose materials, and handmade tabs are prohibited.
• The center does not lend code books. If yours are wrong or missing, you cannot test and you forfeit the fee.

Quick Self-Audit the Night Before

Lay out the ATT, both IDs, and the code books on a table. Read the first and last name aloud from each item and confirm they match character-for-character. Confirm both IDs are unexpired. Confirm the code-book copyright year is 2026. This three-minute check is the single highest-return habit for protecting an appointment you have already paid for.

What Happens If Something Is Wrong On-Site

If the proctor flags a name mismatch, an expired ID, or a wrong-year code book, the realistic outcome is that you do not test and you forfeit the fee — the center cannot edit the AHIMA record or lend you books. Your only recourse is the formal complaint and refund process, which rarely returns the money in these self-caused situations. That is why the work happens the night before, not at the counter.

If a genuine center-side problem occurs (a broken workstation, a scheduling error on Pearson VUE's side), document it with the administrator immediately so AHIMA can evaluate a remedy; center-caused failures are treated very differently from candidate-caused ones, but only when reported on the spot before you leave the building.