A twenty-day intensive for working coders, spent on the two things that decide a CCS result: guideline precision, and performing under a four-hour clock.
You already code. What you do not have is the credential that gets your CV past the first filter.
The CCS Certification Program is twenty days, built for exactly that situation. We do not re-teach anatomy. We do not spend a week on what a CPT code is. We assume you have working knowledge and we spend every session on the two things that decide a CCS result: guideline precision, and performing under a four-hour clock with a book in front of you.
The structure is deliberately unforgiving. Daily assessments. Case discussions built around the scenarios AHIMA actually favours. Full-length mocks with individual review. By day twenty you should have sat the exam format enough times that the real one feels familiar rather than intimidating.
This is the program most of our students take, and it is also the one where we are most selective about who we admit — because a twenty-day intensive only works for someone with a real base to build on.
The Certified Coding Specialist is AHIMA's mastery-level coding credential and the one most closely associated with hospital coding in the United States.
Unlike credentials that focus on a single setting, CCS spans inpatient and outpatient work. It tests ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS and CPT together, and it tests the judgement around them — whether the documentation supports the code, when to query the physician, and what the regulatory framework requires of you.
In the Indian job market, CCS is the credential most frequently named in inpatient, DRG and hospital-coding postings, and it is a common prerequisite for QA and auditor roles. Employers read it as a signal that you can handle a full hospital record, not just a clinic encounter.
By the end of this program you will be able to:
At Codeshift Healthcare Solutions, our CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) Training Program is designed to develop advanced medical coding skills and prepare participants for the AHIMA CCS certification examination. The program focuses on inpatient and outpatient coding, clinical case analysis, and accurate application of coding guidelines.
Source: AHIMA. Verify current details at ahima.org before registering.
| Awarding body | AHIMA |
|---|---|
| Total items | 107 — 97 scored plus 10 unscored pretest items |
| Time allowed | 4 hours |
| Passing score | 300 (scaled) |
| Exam fee | US $299 members · US $399 non-members |
| Retake fee | Same as the initial exam fee |
| Format | Open code book |
| Code books | Current-year editions. Exams on or after 1 May 2026 require 2026 books. |
| Domains | Coding Knowledge and Skills · Coding Documentation · Provider Queries · Regulatory Compliance · Information Technologies |
| Recertification | 20 CEUs per two-year cycle, 80% within HIIM domains |
| Recertification fee | US $100 members · US $249 non-members |
| Course name | CCS Certification Program |
|---|---|
| Credential targeted | AHIMA Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) |
| Duration | 20 Days (Intensive) |
| Mode | Online & Classroom (Chennai) |
| Instructor | Kalaivani CCS, Dr. Niresh BPT, CCS |
| Languages | English / Tamil |
| Course kit | ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS and CPT code books |
| Assessments | Daily practice assessments and full-length mock exams |
| Case discussions | Exam-oriented, daily |
| Prerequisite | Prior coding knowledge or experience |
| Certificate | Codeshift course completion certificate |
| Post-course support | Lifetime guideline updates, CEU and recertification guidance |
Twenty days only works if every one of them is spent on something that moves your score. There is no filler here, and there is no space to hide — daily assessments mean a weak area shows up on day three rather than on exam day.
The mock review is the part alumni talk about most. Anyone can hand you a score. What changes a result is sitting with a trainer, going case by case through the ones you lost, and identifying the pattern — because CCS candidates almost always fail for a small number of repeated reasons, not a scattering of random ones.
We also tell people not to take this course when it is wrong for them. If your base is not there, twenty days will not build it, and we would rather move you to BMCT than watch you fail an expensive exam.
Enough to read a chart and code it, even if imperfectly. In practice that usually means several months of hands-on coding, or a completed foundation course with real chart exposure. We assess this during counselling.
AHIMA sets the eligibility routes — coursework plus one year of coding experience, two years of related coding experience, CCA plus one year, another organisation's coding credential plus one year, or a current CCS-P, RHIT or RHIA. We will work out which route applies to you before you register.
For the right candidate, yes — this is an exam-preparation intensive, not an introduction to coding. It assumes you arrive with working knowledge and it converts that into exam readiness. For the wrong candidate it is far too fast, which is why we screen.
AHIMA's retake fee is the same as the original exam fee. Come back to us — we will review your score report with you and work out what to target.
Five of the twenty days, and it is the phase most candidates find hardest. Root operation selection is where CCS results are won and lost, and we spend the time there accordingly.
Yes — ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS and CPT are in your course kit.
We guide you through eligibility, registration and scheduling as part of the course.
No. AAPC and AHIMA fees are paid directly to those organisations.
Same syllabus, same assessments. Classroom in Chennai; online live, not pre-recorded.
Guideline updates, CEU guidance, recertification reminders and alumni network access — indefinitely, at no additional charge.
Read what Codeshift students have written about their training on Google, or watch our classes on YouTube.
Every course has a defined next step. Here is where you are, and what comes next.
Tell us your background and where you want to work. We will give you a straight assessment of which course fits — even when the answer is a different one.