Free CBCS Practice Test
Answer NHA CBCS-style billing and coding questions on the revenue cycle, insurance eligibility, coding guidelines, claims, payments and denials, read why each answer is right, then take a full timed exam at the real exam’s pace.
100 questions in 144 minutes, the real NHA CBCS pace, scored by test-plan domain with a worked explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillWhen a practice decides which patients may use its payment plans, which federal law prohibits it from refusing based on marital status, race, sex, religion, national origin, or age?
NHA CBCS exam format
The NHA Certified Billing and Coding Specialist exam has 100 scored questions in four domains. Billing and Reimbursement (33) and Coding and Coding Guidelines (32) are two thirds of it. Your score report rates each domain, and our full practice exam scores you the same way.
| Test-plan domain | Scored questions | What it covers | Drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Revenue Cycle and Regulatory Compliance | 15 | Revenue cycle phases, HIPAA and HITECH, PHI release, False Claims Act, Stark, anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, and compliance. | 10-question drill |
| 2. Insurance Eligibility and Other Payer Requirements | 20 | Insurance verification, benefits, preauthorization, primary and secondary payers, coordination of benefits, Medicare, Medicaid and managed care. | 10-question drill |
| 3. Coding and Coding Guidelines | 32 | Abstracting documentation, ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS Level II coding, modifiers, E/M levels and medical necessity, with the code details given in each question. | 10-question drill |
| 4. Billing and Reimbursement | 33 | Charge capture, the CMS-1500 claim, electronic claims, payment posting, EOBs and remittance, denials and appeals, aging reports and collections. | 10-question drill |
Each linked domain has a free ten-question drill with the explanation after each answer. Create a free account to save your results; each drill’s first attempt is free.
CBCS exam at a glance
- Questions
- 125: 100 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions
- Time
- 3 hours
- Code books
- Not allowed since September 24, 2024. Each coding question gives the code details you need.
- Eligibility
- High school diploma or equivalent, plus a medical billing and coding training program in the last 5 years or 1 year of supervised work experience in the last 3 years
- Passing score
- Scaled score of 390 on a 200–500 scale
- Retakes
- Wait 30 days between attempts; after three attempts, wait one year. Each retake is a full fee.
- Where
- At your school, at a PSI test center, or online with live remote proctoring
- Renewal
- Every 2 years with 10 continuing education credits
- Pass rate
- 73.82% of 6,905 CBCS exams passed in 2024
The 25 pretest questions are mixed in and not marked, so treat every question as scored. Our full practice exam gives you the 100 scored-question count in 144 minutes, the same pace as the real 3-hour exam.
No code books: what that means for coding questions
Since September 24, 2024, NHA no longer allows coding manuals in the CBCS exam. Each coding question shows the code choices and the details you need, and asks you to apply the guidelines: sequencing, combination codes, laterality, seventh characters, modifiers and E/M levels. Our coding questions work the same way.
Common questions
How many questions are on the NHA CBCS exam?
125 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours. 100 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions.
Can I bring code books to the CBCS exam?
No. Since September 24, 2024, coding manuals are neither needed nor allowed. Each coding question shows the code information you need next to it, so the exam tests how you apply ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS Level II guidelines, not how fast you look codes up.
What is on the CBCS exam?
Four domains from NHA’s CBCS test plan: Billing and Reimbursement (33 scored questions), Coding and Coding Guidelines (32), Insurance Eligibility and Other Payer Requirements (20) and The Revenue Cycle and Regulatory Compliance (15).
What score do you need to pass the CBCS?
A scaled score of 390 on a 200–500 scale.
Is the CBCS exam hard?
73.82% of the 6,905 CBCS exams NHA gave in 2024 were passes. Billing questions on claims, denials and remittance advice are a third of the exam and are where coding-focused candidates lose points.
Does this practice test match the real CBCS?
Our full practice exam has the 100 scored-question count in 144 minutes, the real exam’s pace, weighted to NHA’s four domains. Coding questions give the code details in the question, as the real exam does.
Ready for exam day?
100 questions in 144 minutes, the real NHA CBCS pace, scored by test-plan domain with a worked explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillMore healthcare certification practice
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Exam format, domains and policies are from NHA, checked November 2026: NHA: Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) · NHA CBCS test plan (2020 job analysis) · NHA CBCS FAQ (June 2025): no coding manuals since September 24, 2024 · NHA Candidate Handbook (updated October 2026) · NHA pass rates for exams administered in 2024.
Original independent practice. Every question is written for practice from NHA’s public test plan. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). CBCS is a certification of the National Healthcareer Association. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.