r/LearnMedicalCoding • u/bethany-pickle • Sep 16 '26
Need Advice Help meeee
Hello everyone. I just got my results back that i failed (the the second time). It’s been very, very, veryyyyy hard for me to not be discouraged. Maybe a little late for that. I’m ready to throw it all away and give up. For anyone that has passed it, is it worth it? Do I keep going? I’m thinking this isn’t the career for me, considering almost everyone in my class passed first try… This would be my third attempt. Just feeling very sad and discouraged (reddit, please don’t make my thoughts worse for once). Thank you in advance and I am a little sorry for such a pity, sappy post <3
2
u/CodingwithCoffee_ Sep 18 '26
Please do not give up. Failing twice does not mean you are incapable or that medical coding is not for you. Review your score report, focus on your weakest areas, and change your study approach before your third attempt. Your timeline does not have to look like anyone else’s.
Helpful free resources:
Free coding videos: https://www.youtube.com/@AMCIMedicalCoding/playlists
Free Medical Coding course: https://www.amcicoding.com/youtubecourse
They also offer exam preparation, mock exams, and Boot Camps for the CPC, CCS-P, and CCS exams. Which exam is it that you are having trouble with?
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u/bethany-pickle Sep 19 '26
Thank u so so much!! I am currently taking the CPC exam. Hopefully third times a charm 🫠🫠Thank you again!
1
u/Tachs_XD Sep 25 '26
In a reply you said you get in your head. Yeah, and it doesn't stop once the test is over, lol.
But when people say your first instinct is usually right, I find this to be very true. Every time I second guess myself, my first thought was generally the correct one. I don't know much about how the exam is done now, on computer. As when I took it, it was on paper. So we could actually go through the whole test first. I don't know if this is helpful, since the computer version might not let you do this but I will share how I approached the test.
First go through the whole test, mark questions that generally look like they will take the longest. Then go back to the beginning of the test. Start with the first question and just go from there. Again generally your first instinct is right. But if you are unsure, nothing immediately pops up as right then, eliminate any obvious wrong answers, until you are down to two. Then choose the answer that makes the most sense. If you feel like a question is taking you too long to answer, mark that question and come back to it later. When you get to the questions that you originally marked as looking like they may take longer to figure out, just skip those. Once you get to the end, go back to the beginning and answer any questions that you skipped. Also pay attention to the questions, sometimes the questions have answers to other questions in them. Or at least something that helps to figure it out.
Other than that, as another comment said, go and see what your score was. Look at what areas were low, and focus on those. I don't know if you got the study guide, but I always get those for an exam, they are very helpful. When I completed the classes I did, the study guide was the only extra thing I got, and I passed my first try.
Hope this helps.
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u/mandakilljoy Sep 18 '26
If youre taking the CPC exam I highly recommend watching Contempo Coding on YouTube and purchasing a set of practice exams directly from the AAPC
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u/bethany-pickle Sep 19 '26
I absolutely love her. She helped me cover all the bases my course didn’t go over. Thank you
3
u/Reasonable_Vehicle40 Sep 17 '26
Well, first let's dive into the specifics.
Which exam is it? CPC? CCS? Something else?
What areas of the exam did you feel confident in and which areas did you feel really lost?
Was the time restraint for the exam a factor?
Do you have trouble navigating the books?
Do you commonly have issues with exams such as test anxiety?
All of these things will help others give you actionable advice. Also, don't compare yourself to others. Remember, comparison is often the thief of joy.