The NHA Certified Billing & Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam is a multiple-choice certification exam administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) for entry-level medical billing and coding professionals. Based on NHA's current public CBCS test plan and 2024 CBCS FAQ, the exam includes 100 scored items plus 25 pretest items, has a 3-hour testing window, and no longer allows candidates to bring coding manuals into the exam room. All code information needed for application-style coding items is provided within the exam question.
The CBCS validates your ability to support the complete healthcare revenue cycle, including patient intake, insurance verification, coding guidelines, claims submission, reimbursement, denial management, and compliance. According to NHA's 2024 pass-rate report, the CBCS had a 73.82% passing percentage across 6,905 exams administered, with 16,700 active certifications as of December 31, 2024. This guide covers the current official domain outline, eligibility requirements, scoring, CMS-1500 and 837P basics, coding systems, salary data, and an 8-week study plan.