Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS

Preparing for the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exam means stepping outside your daily coding comfort zone.

I think of the CCS as a Swiss Army Knife, containing within it a broad range of skills and aptitudes and the ability to deploy skills in new ways when necessary. A coding credential, once achieved, is yours to keep. The CCS positions the credential holder for the broadest possible range of coding responsibilities.

Hands-on practice can broaden a coder’s knowledge and experience in preparation for the CCS. Here are two suggestions:

You’ve been preparing for the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exam for quite a while, and you’re asking yourself, how do I know when I’ll be ready to attempt it?

The Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) credential future-proofs your coding career by demonstrating your ability to adapt to industry changes. It opens doors to a wide range of roles, from inpatient and outpatient coding to auditing, CDI, compliance, education, and data analysis.

As AI absorbs repetitive, lower‑complexity cases, coders with CCS‑level mastery will be needed to guide and monitor the AI engine, keep it aligned with coding guidelines and regulatory changes, and safeguard coding quality and accuracy.

Many coders do not fail the CCS because they lack knowledge; they struggle because their study time is not organized around how AHIMA actually tests. A structured approach to CCS Exam preparation ensures the greatest chance of success.

Veterans returned from the 1990-1991 Gulf War facing unexplained symptoms – fatigue, memory issues, muscle pain, insomnia, digestive troubles, and rashes. New ICD-10-CM code T75.830-, recognizes Gulf War illness as a distinct clinical entity and helps coders accurately capture these cases.

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q4 2025 on the topic of coding a diagnosis of  “Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Without Complications, In Remission.”

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q3 2025 on the topic “Failed Back Syndrome.”

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q3 2025 on the topic “Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes.”

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q3 2025 on the topic “Present on Admission Indicator for Acute Kidney Injury with Acute Tubular Necrosis.”

Whether you’re moving up from the CCA or bringing years of coding experience to the table, it takes both confidence and knowledge in order to pass the CCS exam.

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q2 2025 on the topic “Hematuria Following Urinary Catheterization.”

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q2 2025 on the topic “Emergent Chrichothyroidotomy with Conversion to Tracheostomy.”

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q2 2025 on the topic “Retained Foreign Body Intentionally Left During Procedure.”

In a profession where precision, flexibility, and lifelong learning are key, the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) credential is more than just a title--it’s your passport to a long-lasting and rewarding career.

Understanding medical terminology and anatomy and physiology are important in this career. They are foundational to everything a coder does.

Join Faye Kelly, RHIT, CCS, for this brief (!) video preview of Libman Education’s Coding Clinic Commentary for Q1 2025 on the topic “Hepatorenal Syndrome with Acute Kidney Injury.”