AHIMA Certification Apply

The exam eligibility period is 120 calendar days from the application approval date. This means that the exam must be scheduled and taken within those 120 calendar days. If a candidate applies for an exam and is deemed eligible but does not schedule a date to take the exam within the 120 calendar days, the exam application eligibility expires, and the candidate will need to reapply and pay all applicable fees.

Eligibility Extension Fees and Policy

You must apply for an extension 14 days prior to your scheduled exam date or 14 days prior to your eligibility end date.

You can apply for extensions in 30-day increments for up to 90 days. The cost for each 30-day increment is $50.

If an applicant has a documented disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) and requires test accommodations, the applicant must notify AHIMA in writing each time accommodation is required.

The applicant must personally submit a Request for Accommodation application form and documentation along with the AHIMA examination application to ADA@ahima.org. The materials must be received by the normal application closing date.

• The application should indicate the nature of the disability and the specific test accommodations needed.
• Documentation must be provided by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional who has undergone appropriate and comprehensive training, has relevant experience and has no familial relationship with the individual being evaluated. The individual making the diagnosis must be qualified to do so (e.g., an orthopedic limitation might be documented by a physician, but not a licensed psychologist).
• Requests made by a third party (such as an evaluator, employer, etc.) will not be considered.

Applicants will be notified via email within 14 business days. For questions regarding the ADA process please contact ADA@ahima.org.

Exam Re-take Policy

Candidates who have attempted but not successfully passed the CCA, CCS, RHIA, or RHIT exams are required to wait at least 30 days before their application is approved. All other candidates who have not passed any other exam must wait a minimum of 90 days before their application is approved.

To re-take an exam, candidates need to submit a new application along with the relevant resubmit exam fee.

Transcripts are kept on file and do not need to be resubmitted. Candidates who are currently in their retest waiting period are not authorized to schedule an exam appointment until a new authorization to test letter has been issued. AHIMA is not authorized to waive retest periods due to test security policies.