PCA CPP study plan

Map each of the eight exam domains to its weight and write a one-line study priority for each, so the two 15% domains and the terminology/anatomy foundation are scheduled first

Summarize the structure of the CPT code set (sections, subsections, category I/II/III, modifiers, appendices) and the HCPCS Level II sections in a one-page reference you can quiz yourself from

Define the key coding-guideline terms (upcoding, unbundling, medical necessity, NCCI edits, LCD/NCD, ABN, modifier -25 vs -59) in your own words with a short example of each

Drill directional and regional anatomy terms (proximal/distal, superior/inferior, the body cavities and the organs in each) until you can place 40 terms correctly from flashcards

Explain how HIPAA, the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Stark Law each constrain coding and billing behavior, with one realistic scenario per law

Apply the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines conventions (includes, excludes1, excludes2, code first, use additional code, laterality) to 20 short scenarios and justify each choice

Describe the components of a compliance plan (written policies, training, auditing/monitoring, reporting, corrective action) and how an internal audit samples records

Identify which payer policies (NCD, LCD, payer medical policy) govern a given service and where to find the authoritative source

Navigate the ICD-10-CM tabular list and alphabetic index to locate codes for 30 diagnoses spanning infectious, neoplastic, endocrine, and circulatory chapters

Apply the seven-step diagnosis coding process (identify main term, verify in tabular, check conventions, confirm specificity, code to highest specificity, sequence correctly, review) to each of 30 cases

Sequence principal and secondary diagnoses correctly in 15 multi-condition scenarios, including manifestation and combination codes

Distinguish query-worthy documentation gaps from codable specificity and draft three compliant physician queries

Differentiate the E/M categories (office/outpatient, hospital inpatient/observation, ED, nursing facility) and state which guideline set applies to each

Apply the current office/outpatient E/M level-selection rules (medical decision making vs time) to 20 documented encounters and defend the level chosen

Select and justify modifiers -25, -57, -24, and -27 in 10 encounters where a procedure and an E/M service are reported together

Explain the elements of history, exam, and medical decision making and how documentation supports the level in the categories that still use key components

Trace the surgical package (global period, pre-op, intra-op, post-op) and state what is and is not included for 90-day and 0-day procedures

Apply the integumentary, musculoskeletal, and digestive system coding rules, including lesion excision by size and site, fracture care, and wound repair by length and complexity, to 20 operative reports

Assign modifiers -50, -51, -58, -78, -79, and -22 correctly in 10 multi-procedure or staged scenarios

Use NCCI edits and the concept of bundled services to decide when a separate code is reportable

Apply radiology coding rules (professional vs technical component, -26/-TC, supervision levels, contrast) to 10 imaging scenarios

Distinguish pathology/laboratory coding concepts (panel vs individual tests, organ vs disease panels, specimen collection, CLIA-waived vs moderate/high complexity) in 10 lab scenarios

Code medicine-section services such as immunizations, injections/infusions, and cardiovascular monitoring, applying the correct hierarchy and add-on codes

Look up and validate HCPCS Level II codes (J-codes, supplies, DME, drugs by dose/unit) for 15 items, confirming units and any required modifiers

Trace a claim from encounter through charge capture, code assignment, claim scrub, submission, payer adjudication, remittance, and denial management, describing the failure point at each stage

Interpret a remittance advice and an EOB, distinguishing CARC and RARC denial reasons and the correct appeal or correction path

Explain how RVUs, the fee schedule, conversion factor, and payer contracts determine reimbursement, and calculate expected payment for three sample services

Identify the components of revenue-cycle key performance indicators (clean-claim rate, days in A/R, denial rate) and describe one improvement lever for each

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under exam conditions and record the score by domain

Re-study the two lowest-scoring domains using targeted drills until each reaches 80% or better

Build a one-page personal error-pattern log (modifier misuse, sequencing errors, specificity misses, unit errors) and review it before each practice block

Simulate the exam-day workflow: code lookup speed, flagging and returning to hard items, and time allocation per question