AHIMA CDIP EXAM PREP
WORKSHOP EXAMINATION TEST
2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ VERIFIED
ANSWERS
◉ If the physician does not document the diagnosis, the coding
professional cannot assume the patient has a diagnosis based solely on
a.An abnormal lab finding
b.Abnormal pathology reports
c.Both A and B
d.None of the above. Answer: c The coder cannot assume diagnoses on
abnormal findings such as lab reports. Abnormal findings (laboratory, X-
ray, pathologic, and other diagnostic results) are not coded and
reported unless the physician indicates their clinical significance. If the
findings are outside the normal range and the physician has ordered
other tests to evaluate the condition or prescribed treatment, it is
appropriate to ask the physician whether the diagnosis should be
added (AHA 1990, 15).
◉ These documents would be used for are used by clinicians and
providers to identify abnormal temperature, blood pressure, pulse,
respiration, oxygen levels, and other indicators.
a.Nurses' graphic records
b.Vital sign flowsheets
c.Both A and B
,d.None of the above. Answer: c Clinicians and providers utilize various
documents to identify abnormal temperature, blood pressure, pulse,
respiration, oxygen levels, and other indicators. These documents are
often called nurses' graphic records or vital sign flowsheets (Hess 2015,
43).
◉ The American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Health
Information Management Association (AHIMA), Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS), and National Center for Healthcare
Statistics (NCHS) are all
a.Cooperating parties
b.Governing bodies
c.Coding associations
d.Work independently to develop coding guidelines. Answer: a The
American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Health Information
Management Association (AHIMA), Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are all
cooperating parties that developed and approved ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-
10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting 2016a, 1).
◉ A patient was admitted with HIV and pneumocystic carini. The
patient should have a principal diagnosis in ICD-10 of:
a.AIDS
b.Asymptomatic HIV
c.Pneumonia
,d.Not enough information. Answer: a If a patient is admitted for an HIV-
related condition, the principal diagnosis should be B20, Human
immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease followed by additional diagnosis
codes for all reported HIV-related conditions (ICD-10-CM Official
Guidelines for Coding and Reporting 2016a, 17).
◉ APR-DRGs have levels (subclasses) of severity entitled:
a.Excessive, Major, Moderate, Minor
b.Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minor
c.Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minimal
d.Excessive, Major. Answer: b The APR-DRG system is distributed into
levels (subclasses) similar to MS-DRGs. These levels are entitled
Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minor (Hess 2015, 48)
◉ During an outpatient procedure for removal of a bladder cyst, the
urologist accidentally tore the urethral sphincter requiring an
observation stay. This should be assigned as the principal diagnosis:
a.The reason for the outpatient surgery
b.The reason for admission
c.Either the reason for the outpatient surgery or the reason for
admission
d.None of the above. Answer: a When a patient presents for outpatient
surgery and develops complications requiring admission to observation,
code the reason for the surgery as the first reported diagnosis (reason
for the encounter), followed by codes for the complications as
, secondary diagnoses (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and
Reporting 2016a, 103).
◉ In 1990, 3M created which DRG system that several states use for
Medicaid reimbursement and is also used by facilities to analyze some
portion of the data for Medicare Quality Indicators. What is this system
called?
a.MS-DRGs
b.AP-DRGs
c.APR-DRGs
d.CPT-DRGs. Answer: c In 1990, 3M created APR-DRGs, which several
states use for Medicaid reimbursement. APR-DRGs are used by facilities
to analyze some portion of the data for Medicare Quality Indicators
(Hess 2015, 48)
◉ A patient was admitted to an acute care facility with a temperature
of 102 and atrial fibrillation. The chest x-ray reveals pneumonia with
subsequent documentation by the physician of pneumonia in the
progress notes and discharge summary. The patient was treated with
oral antiarrhythmia medications and IV antibiotics. What is the principal
diagnosis?
a.Pneumonia
b.Arrhythmia
c.Atrial fibrillation
WORKSHOP EXAMINATION TEST
2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ VERIFIED
ANSWERS
◉ If the physician does not document the diagnosis, the coding
professional cannot assume the patient has a diagnosis based solely on
a.An abnormal lab finding
b.Abnormal pathology reports
c.Both A and B
d.None of the above. Answer: c The coder cannot assume diagnoses on
abnormal findings such as lab reports. Abnormal findings (laboratory, X-
ray, pathologic, and other diagnostic results) are not coded and
reported unless the physician indicates their clinical significance. If the
findings are outside the normal range and the physician has ordered
other tests to evaluate the condition or prescribed treatment, it is
appropriate to ask the physician whether the diagnosis should be
added (AHA 1990, 15).
◉ These documents would be used for are used by clinicians and
providers to identify abnormal temperature, blood pressure, pulse,
respiration, oxygen levels, and other indicators.
a.Nurses' graphic records
b.Vital sign flowsheets
c.Both A and B
,d.None of the above. Answer: c Clinicians and providers utilize various
documents to identify abnormal temperature, blood pressure, pulse,
respiration, oxygen levels, and other indicators. These documents are
often called nurses' graphic records or vital sign flowsheets (Hess 2015,
43).
◉ The American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Health
Information Management Association (AHIMA), Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS), and National Center for Healthcare
Statistics (NCHS) are all
a.Cooperating parties
b.Governing bodies
c.Coding associations
d.Work independently to develop coding guidelines. Answer: a The
American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Health Information
Management Association (AHIMA), Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are all
cooperating parties that developed and approved ICD-10-CM/PCS (ICD-
10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting 2016a, 1).
◉ A patient was admitted with HIV and pneumocystic carini. The
patient should have a principal diagnosis in ICD-10 of:
a.AIDS
b.Asymptomatic HIV
c.Pneumonia
,d.Not enough information. Answer: a If a patient is admitted for an HIV-
related condition, the principal diagnosis should be B20, Human
immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease followed by additional diagnosis
codes for all reported HIV-related conditions (ICD-10-CM Official
Guidelines for Coding and Reporting 2016a, 17).
◉ APR-DRGs have levels (subclasses) of severity entitled:
a.Excessive, Major, Moderate, Minor
b.Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minor
c.Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minimal
d.Excessive, Major. Answer: b The APR-DRG system is distributed into
levels (subclasses) similar to MS-DRGs. These levels are entitled
Extreme, Major, Moderate, Minor (Hess 2015, 48)
◉ During an outpatient procedure for removal of a bladder cyst, the
urologist accidentally tore the urethral sphincter requiring an
observation stay. This should be assigned as the principal diagnosis:
a.The reason for the outpatient surgery
b.The reason for admission
c.Either the reason for the outpatient surgery or the reason for
admission
d.None of the above. Answer: a When a patient presents for outpatient
surgery and develops complications requiring admission to observation,
code the reason for the surgery as the first reported diagnosis (reason
for the encounter), followed by codes for the complications as
, secondary diagnoses (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and
Reporting 2016a, 103).
◉ In 1990, 3M created which DRG system that several states use for
Medicaid reimbursement and is also used by facilities to analyze some
portion of the data for Medicare Quality Indicators. What is this system
called?
a.MS-DRGs
b.AP-DRGs
c.APR-DRGs
d.CPT-DRGs. Answer: c In 1990, 3M created APR-DRGs, which several
states use for Medicaid reimbursement. APR-DRGs are used by facilities
to analyze some portion of the data for Medicare Quality Indicators
(Hess 2015, 48)
◉ A patient was admitted to an acute care facility with a temperature
of 102 and atrial fibrillation. The chest x-ray reveals pneumonia with
subsequent documentation by the physician of pneumonia in the
progress notes and discharge summary. The patient was treated with
oral antiarrhythmia medications and IV antibiotics. What is the principal
diagnosis?
a.Pneumonia
b.Arrhythmia
c.Atrial fibrillation
