CDIP: CERTIFIED DOCUMENTATION INTEGRITY
PRACTITIONER — 2026/2027 | 180 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS | GRADED A+ | 100% VERIFIED
AHIMA Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner (CDIP) Certification Examination | Core
Domains: CDI Management, Clinical Documentation Review, Regulatory Compliance, and Education.
Exam Structure
AHIMA CDIP Certification Examination is commonly structured as follows:
180 total questions (including pretest items)
Multiple-choice format (single-best-answer)
Application-, analysis-, synthesis-, and scenario-focused items
Computer-based testing
4 hours to complete the exam
Passing score: Determined by criterion-referenced methodology
Domain Weight Distribution:
Domain 1: Clinical Documentation Integrity Management – 30-34%
Domain 2: Clinical Documentation Review and Analysis – 26-30%
Domain 3: Regulatory and Standards Compliance – 20-24%
Domain 4: Clinical Documentation Integrity Education and Training – 14-18%
Introduction
This CDIP: Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner examination preparation resource for the
2026/2027 academic cycle reflects AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association)
standards for clinical documentation integrity professionals. The CDIP certification validates advanced
expertise in managing and improving clinical documentation accuracy, completeness, and compliance to
support quality patient care, accurate coding, and appropriate reimbursement.
Answer Format
All questions must be presented in bold text for clear distinction and readability.
All correct answers must be presented in bold and lime green, followed by clearly defined,
professionally reviewed rationales in italic format that reinforce clinical documentation integrity
,principles, regulatory compliance, coding guidelines, and professional judgment required for CDIP
certification success.
Domain 1: Clinical Documentation Integrity Management
1. Which of the following is the primary goal of a Clinical Documentation Integrity
(CDI) program?
A. To increase hospital revenue regardless of clinical accuracy.
B. To ensure documentation accurately reflects the patient's clinical status and treatment.
C. To reduce the number of coders required in the HIM department.
D. To replace physician documentation with coder notes.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The core purpose of CDI is to improve the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of
medical documentation to reflect the true clinical picture, which supports quality reporting, patient
safety, and appropriate reimbursement.
2. A CDI specialist reviews a chart and queries a physician for clarification on "acute
respiratory failure." The query is compliant if it:
A. Leads the physician to a specific diagnosis to increase the DRG.
B. Presents clinical indicators supporting the query and allows the physician to agree or disagree.
C. Is asked verbally without documentation in the medical record.
D. Suggests the diagnosis is necessary for billing purposes.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A compliant query must be based on clinical indicators in the record and must not lead
the provider. It should offer options or allow for free text and be part of the permanent medical
record.
3. Which metric is most critical for evaluating the financial impact of a CDI program?
A. Query response rate
B. Case Mix Index (CMI)
C. Number of queries issued
D. Length of stay
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: The Case Mix Index (CMI) reflects the relative complexity and severity of patients
treated. An increase in CMI resulting from improved documentation (and subsequent coding) is a
primary indicator of the financial and severity impact of a CDI program.
4. When developing a query policy, which organization's guidelines should serve as
the primary authority?
A. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
B. AHIMA and ACDIS
C. The State Medical Board
D. The Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) and ACDIS
(Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists) jointly publish "Guidelines for
Achieving a Compliant Query Practice," which serves as the industry standard for query policies.
5. A "concurrent" CDI review occurs:
A. After the patient is discharged and the bill has dropped.
B. While the patient is still hospitalized.
C. During an external audit.
D. Before the patient is admitted.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Concurrent review happens during the inpatient stay. This allows the CDI specialist to
interact with the clinical team in real-time, capturing accurate documentation before discharge.
6. Which of the following constitutes a "leading query"?
A. Providing the definition of sepsis and asking if the patient meets criteria.
B. Asking "Is the patient's acute blood loss anemia due to the surgery?" without clinical support.
C. Listing "acute respiratory failure" as the first option in a multiple-choice query.
D. Asking the physician to clarify the cause of a documented condition based on clinical findings.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A leading query suggests a specific diagnosis or steers the provider toward a higher-
paying code without sufficient clinical evidence to support that specific diagnosis. Implying a
relationship (like anemia due to surgery) without evidence is leading.
, 7. The "agreement rate" for CDI queries measures:
A. The percentage of queries answered by the physician.
B. The percentage of queries where the physician agreed with the CDI suggestion.
C. The number of queries written per day.
D. The time taken for a physician to respond.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Agreement rate tracks the percentage of queries where the physician accepts or
confirms the diagnosis suggested or clarified by the CDI specialist. A high rate usually indicates
clinical validity.
8. A CDI specialist identifies that a patient has documented "urosepsis." What is the
appropriate action?
A. Code sepsis immediately.
B. Query the physician to clarify if the patient has sepsis or a UTI.
C. Ignore the term as it is no longer valid.
D. Code a UTI only.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: "Urosepsis" is a nonspecific term. Coding guidelines require clarification to determine
if the patient has a simple UTI or meets the clinical criteria for sepsis due to a urinary source.
9. Which team member is primarily responsible for the final code assignment?
A. CDI Specialist
B. Attending Physician
C. Coding Professional
D. CDI Manager
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While the CDI specialist ensures documentation supports the codes, the Coding
Professional has the final responsibility for assigning the codes based on the documented
diagnoses and procedures.
10. A query should be closed without an answer if:
A. The physician agrees with the suggestion.
B. The patient is discharged and the query cannot be resolved.
PRACTITIONER — 2026/2027 | 180 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS | GRADED A+ | 100% VERIFIED
AHIMA Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner (CDIP) Certification Examination | Core
Domains: CDI Management, Clinical Documentation Review, Regulatory Compliance, and Education.
Exam Structure
AHIMA CDIP Certification Examination is commonly structured as follows:
180 total questions (including pretest items)
Multiple-choice format (single-best-answer)
Application-, analysis-, synthesis-, and scenario-focused items
Computer-based testing
4 hours to complete the exam
Passing score: Determined by criterion-referenced methodology
Domain Weight Distribution:
Domain 1: Clinical Documentation Integrity Management – 30-34%
Domain 2: Clinical Documentation Review and Analysis – 26-30%
Domain 3: Regulatory and Standards Compliance – 20-24%
Domain 4: Clinical Documentation Integrity Education and Training – 14-18%
Introduction
This CDIP: Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner examination preparation resource for the
2026/2027 academic cycle reflects AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association)
standards for clinical documentation integrity professionals. The CDIP certification validates advanced
expertise in managing and improving clinical documentation accuracy, completeness, and compliance to
support quality patient care, accurate coding, and appropriate reimbursement.
Answer Format
All questions must be presented in bold text for clear distinction and readability.
All correct answers must be presented in bold and lime green, followed by clearly defined,
professionally reviewed rationales in italic format that reinforce clinical documentation integrity
,principles, regulatory compliance, coding guidelines, and professional judgment required for CDIP
certification success.
Domain 1: Clinical Documentation Integrity Management
1. Which of the following is the primary goal of a Clinical Documentation Integrity
(CDI) program?
A. To increase hospital revenue regardless of clinical accuracy.
B. To ensure documentation accurately reflects the patient's clinical status and treatment.
C. To reduce the number of coders required in the HIM department.
D. To replace physician documentation with coder notes.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The core purpose of CDI is to improve the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of
medical documentation to reflect the true clinical picture, which supports quality reporting, patient
safety, and appropriate reimbursement.
2. A CDI specialist reviews a chart and queries a physician for clarification on "acute
respiratory failure." The query is compliant if it:
A. Leads the physician to a specific diagnosis to increase the DRG.
B. Presents clinical indicators supporting the query and allows the physician to agree or disagree.
C. Is asked verbally without documentation in the medical record.
D. Suggests the diagnosis is necessary for billing purposes.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A compliant query must be based on clinical indicators in the record and must not lead
the provider. It should offer options or allow for free text and be part of the permanent medical
record.
3. Which metric is most critical for evaluating the financial impact of a CDI program?
A. Query response rate
B. Case Mix Index (CMI)
C. Number of queries issued
D. Length of stay
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: The Case Mix Index (CMI) reflects the relative complexity and severity of patients
treated. An increase in CMI resulting from improved documentation (and subsequent coding) is a
primary indicator of the financial and severity impact of a CDI program.
4. When developing a query policy, which organization's guidelines should serve as
the primary authority?
A. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
B. AHIMA and ACDIS
C. The State Medical Board
D. The Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) and ACDIS
(Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists) jointly publish "Guidelines for
Achieving a Compliant Query Practice," which serves as the industry standard for query policies.
5. A "concurrent" CDI review occurs:
A. After the patient is discharged and the bill has dropped.
B. While the patient is still hospitalized.
C. During an external audit.
D. Before the patient is admitted.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Concurrent review happens during the inpatient stay. This allows the CDI specialist to
interact with the clinical team in real-time, capturing accurate documentation before discharge.
6. Which of the following constitutes a "leading query"?
A. Providing the definition of sepsis and asking if the patient meets criteria.
B. Asking "Is the patient's acute blood loss anemia due to the surgery?" without clinical support.
C. Listing "acute respiratory failure" as the first option in a multiple-choice query.
D. Asking the physician to clarify the cause of a documented condition based on clinical findings.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A leading query suggests a specific diagnosis or steers the provider toward a higher-
paying code without sufficient clinical evidence to support that specific diagnosis. Implying a
relationship (like anemia due to surgery) without evidence is leading.
, 7. The "agreement rate" for CDI queries measures:
A. The percentage of queries answered by the physician.
B. The percentage of queries where the physician agreed with the CDI suggestion.
C. The number of queries written per day.
D. The time taken for a physician to respond.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Agreement rate tracks the percentage of queries where the physician accepts or
confirms the diagnosis suggested or clarified by the CDI specialist. A high rate usually indicates
clinical validity.
8. A CDI specialist identifies that a patient has documented "urosepsis." What is the
appropriate action?
A. Code sepsis immediately.
B. Query the physician to clarify if the patient has sepsis or a UTI.
C. Ignore the term as it is no longer valid.
D. Code a UTI only.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: "Urosepsis" is a nonspecific term. Coding guidelines require clarification to determine
if the patient has a simple UTI or meets the clinical criteria for sepsis due to a urinary source.
9. Which team member is primarily responsible for the final code assignment?
A. CDI Specialist
B. Attending Physician
C. Coding Professional
D. CDI Manager
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While the CDI specialist ensures documentation supports the codes, the Coding
Professional has the final responsibility for assigning the codes based on the documented
diagnoses and procedures.
10. A query should be closed without an answer if:
A. The physician agrees with the suggestion.
B. The patient is discharged and the query cannot be resolved.
