CAMC Part 1 Exam study guide
CAMC Part 1 Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CAMC Part 1 Exam (Certified Associate in Medical Coding, Part I) is an entry-level certification assessment for people preparing to work as medical coders in outpatient and physician-based settings. It suits students finishing a coding certificate or associate program, career changers moving into health information, and early-career coders who want a structured, externally validated benchmark of their knowledge before applying for their first coding role. The CAMC Part 1 Exam study guide has 8 sections and about 4,025 words.
01Medical Terminology and Anatomy/Pathophysiology Foundations
This domain tests whether you can read a clinical note the way a coder must: decompose the word, locate the anatomical site and laterality, and recognize the pathological process being described. Items rarely ask for a dictionary definition; they embed a term or an operative phrase inside a coding decision.
462 words, about 2 min02ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Conventions and Guidelines
This domain checks whether you apply the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting rather than simply matching a word in the index. Expect items on conventions, sequencing, combination codes, seventh characters, and the outpatient rule that you code only conditions documented as confirmed.
489 words, about 2 min03ICD-10-PCS and CPT Procedure Coding Fundamentals
This domain covers how procedures are described and coded. If your exam version uses ICD-10-PCS, expect the seven-character system and its root operations; if it uses CPT, expect the section hierarchy, code formats, and modifiers.
490 words, about 2 min04Evaluation and Management (E/M) Coding and Documentation
This domain tests the E/M rules as they apply to documentation you can actually see. For office and outpatient services 99202–99215, the level is set either by medical decision making or by total time on the date of the encounter - the reporting practitioner chooses which basis to use.
542 words, about 3 min05Healthcare Reimbursement, Payers, and Claims Processing
This domain tests how coded data becomes payment. Expect questions on payer types and benefit structure, prospective payment systems, fee schedule math, claim forms and identifiers, edits, and what happens when a claim is denied.
519 words, about 3 min06Compliance, Ethics, Fraud and Abuse, and Auditing
This domain tests whether you recognize the legal boundaries around coding and how a compliant program responds to errors. Exam items typically describe a pressure situation - a supervisor asking for a higher level, a provider asking you to code an undocumented diagnosis - and ask what a coder should do and which law applies.
487 words, about 2 min07Health Information Management, Privacy, and Record Documentation
This domain tests how the record is created, corrected, protected, and released. Expect questions on HIPAA privacy and security rules, patient rights, breach notification, documentation integrity, and core HIM functions such as chart analysis and release of information.
495 words, about 2 min08Coding Scenarios, Case Application, and Data Quality
This domain combines everything else. Case-based items give you a short note and ask for the correct code set, the right sequence, or the right next action.
541 words, about 3 min