Master ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding for hospital inpatient stays, MS-DRG payment and inpatient compliance.
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The CIC (Certified Inpatient Coder) is the AAPC's credential for coders who work in hospital inpatient settings. It validates your ability to abstract information from the inpatient record, assign accurate ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes, and understand how those codes drive MS-DRG assignment and hospital reimbursement. The exam is open-book, so you can use approved code manuals.
The CIC exam evaluates your knowledge across these areas:
Conditions of Participation, HIPAA privacy and inpatient record requirements.
Principal diagnosis selection, sequencing and building inpatient procedure codes.
MS-DRGs, admission orders, certification and UB-04 reporting.
OPPS, Medicare Advantage, the anti-kickback statute and the False Claims Act.
Our question bank is built to help you master the CIC exam with targeted practice and clear explanations.
Questions structured like the real CIC exam, including the question styles you'll see on test day.
Know not just the right answer but why the others are wrong - so every question teaches you something.
Every domain on the CIC content outline is represented across the question sets.
Build the confidence you need to walk into test day calm and prepared.
Assess your knowledge and experience the CIC format before taking the actual test.
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Mix practice questions into your study from day one to find the topics that need more attention.
Revisit questions you have seen before. Spaced review locks in long-term retention.
When ready, attempt a full set in one timed sitting to build the stamina you need on test day.
Use the explanations to understand each mistake and concentrate on the weak spots.
Choose a study mode below to start preparing for your CIC exam.
Covers hospital Conditions of Participation, medical record requirements, HIPAA privacy and medical terminology.
Start Practice →Tests inpatient coding: Alphabetic Index and Tabular List use, principal diagnosis selection and coding conventions.
Start Practice →Focuses on inpatient payment: MS-DRG assignment, admission orders, certification and UB-04 reporting.
Start Practice →Reviews outpatient payment methodology, utilization review, OPPS pass-through payments and Medicare Advantage plans.
Start Practice →Covers compliance: MAC functions, Part A coverage, the anti-kickback statute and False Claims Act liability.
Start Practice →ICD-10-CM for diagnoses and ICD-10-PCS for inpatient procedures, along with the payment systems, such as MS-DRGs, that rely on them.
The CPC focuses on physician and outpatient coding with CPT, while the CIC focuses on hospital inpatient coding with ICD-10-PCS and facility payment rules.
Practice building ICD-10-PCS codes, review principal diagnosis and sequencing rules, learn how MS-DRGs are assigned, and finish with timed practice exams. Our five CIC practice sets follow these areas.
The CIC is built for hospital coding careers. It qualifies you for inpatient coder, DRG validation and coding quality roles in hospitals, health systems and remote coding teams.