Certifications & Careers

While most RHITs work in hospitals, they are also found in other healthcare settings including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. RHITs may also be employed in any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms, and health product vendors.

RHITs: 

• Ensure the quality of medical/health records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems. 
• Use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs. 
• Participating in the release and access of information by authorized entities and patients.
• Often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. Additional roles for RHITs may include cancer registrar, trauma registrar, stroke registrar, etc. — compiling and maintaining data on patients.

Candidates must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to sit for the RHIT examination:  

• Successfully complete the academic requirements, at an associate degree level, of a Health Information Management (HIM) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM); or 
• Graduate from an HIM program approved by a foreign association with which AHIMA has a reciprocity agreement 

¹ Students interested in obtaining a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Certificate of Completion, or Transfer of Credits information must contact the CAHIIM-accredited program in which they wish to enroll regarding their institutional policies. Please visit the CAHIIM program directory for a list of CAHIIM-accredited programs.

² AHIMA and the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA); Korean Medical Record Association (KMRA); and Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) shall permit a graduate of a program in HIM at the baccalaureate degree level to apply to write the appropriate certification examination consistent with the academic level achieved and given independently by the aforementioned associations. The graduate must meet the educational competencies for certification as a technician or administrator established by the association to which the application is made.

Apply to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam.

• Non-member price: $299 (Learn more about the benefits of AHIMA membership)
• Member price: $229

Eligibility for Early Testing

Students in CAHIIM-accredited HIM academic programs may be eligible to apply for and take the RHIA or RHIT certification exam early. Students who meet the following requirements are eligible for early testing:

• Students currently enrolled and in their last term of study
• Students who have completed their course work but have not yet graduated
• Graduates that are currently waiting for their official transcripts

To apply to take the exam early, purchase the exam through the AHIMA Store. Complete the online exam application, select the early testing options and upload the completed application for early testing. Please be sure to only submit your exam application with the completed application for early testing, otherwise your application will not be approved.

Candidates who apply for early testing and successfully pass their exam will have their credential granted once official transcripts that include the graduation date are received and verified. Recertification requirements are the same as for others who pass the exam.

Certified Professionals and Pass Rates 

As of 12/31/2023, there were 26,830 certified RHIT professionals.

*U.S. and Canada results only 

Exam Specifications 

The RHIT is a timed exam. Candidates have 3.5 hours to complete the exam. The total number of questions on the exam is 150. There are 130 scored items and 20 pretest items. The exam is given in a computer-based format.

AHIMA exams contain a variety of questions or item types that require you to use your knowledge, skills, and/or experience to select the best answer. Each exam includes scored questions and pretest questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Pretest questions are for data collection purposes and they do not count towards the candidate's score.

The passing score for the RHIT is 300. 

Competencies for RHITs fall into six domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the total questions on the certification exam. See the Exam Content Outline below for greater detail.