CIC (National Alliance) study guide
CIC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC®) credential is issued by AAPC and validates expertise in inpatient hospital facility coding. Earning it demonstrates proficiency in assigning ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes for hospital inpatient services while applying official coding guidelines and MS-DRG assignment rules. The CIC study guide has 5 sections and about 1,922 words.
01Inpatient Coding Guidelines, Compliance, and Regulatory Requirements
Inpatient diagnosis coding is governed by the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (Section I conventions and chapter-specific rules, Section II principal diagnosis, Section III additional diagnoses), the UHDDS definitions, and AHA Coding Clinic advice. When sources conflict, the Official Guidelines outrank Coding Clinic, which outranks encoder prompts and habit.
327 words, about 2 min02ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding for the Inpatient Hospital Setting
Always search the Index, then verify in the Tabular List - the Tabular List controls. Excludes1 means 'not coded here' (the two codes cannot coexist); Excludes2 means 'not included here' (both may be coded when documented independently).
316 words, about 2 min03ICD-10-PCS Procedure Coding for Inpatient Surgeries and Interventions
Section, body system, root operation, body part, approach, device, qualifier. Valid characters are 0-9 and A-Z excluding I and O; Z means 'no device' or 'no qualifier.' Build every code from the Index, then verify character by character in the Tables - the table is authoritative.
315 words, about 2 min04MS-DRG Assignment, Sequencing Rules, and Reimbursement Methodologies
The grouper assigns a Major Diagnostic Category based on the principal diagnosis, with exceptions for MDC 14 (pregnancy) and MDC 15 (newborns). Within the MDC, a qualifying operating-room procedure drives a surgical DRG; without one, the principal diagnosis drives a medical DRG.
330 words, about 2 min05Clinical and procedural knowledge, documentation review, auditing, and quality outcomes
Questions test whether you can read an operative report and translate it. Know anatomical position and laterality, lobes and segments, vascular territory, and the difference between partial and total, unilateral and bilateral, and initial versus subsequent encounter.
634 words, about 3 min