If you need help studying for the RHIA exam or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
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What’s on the RHIA Exam?
How to Register
RHIA Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
FAQs
RHIA Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the RHIA exam, you’ll have to meet at least ONE of the requirements below:
- You must complete an accredited baccalaureate-level program in Health Information Management
- You must complete an accredited master’s level program in Health Information Management
- You must complete an accredited post-baccalaureate degree program in Health Information Management
- You must complete a foreign degree program in Health Information Management that is approved by a foreign association with which the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has a reciprocity agreement
- You must be a registered health information technician (RHIT) who meets the proviso conditions approved by the CCHIIM
If you meet one of these requirements, you’re set to begin the registration process!
What’s on the RHIA Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 150 multiple-choice questions total, but only 130 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 20 unscored questions on the RHIA exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3.5 hours. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the RHIA exam.
1. DATA AND INFORMATION GOVERNANCE
17%-20% of the exam
- Manage health record documentation and content
- Process the required clinical data elements for quality reporting
- Manage data standards based on organizational policy
- Evaluate the integrity of health data
- Understand and apply data dictionary standardization policies
- Develop policies and procedures for data management and information governance
- Complete data analysis to inform management
2. COMPLIANCE WITH ACCESS, USE, AND DISCLOSURE OF PHI
15%-18% of the exam
- Monitor access to PHI within the organization
- Ensure compliance with security initiatives
- Monitor organizational compliance with health laws, regulations, or standards
- Comply with retention and destruction policies for healthcare information
- Manage patient access to their health information
- Monitor the release of information workflows
- Advocate for patients and families in the process of obtaining health information
- Process healthcare information requests according to legal and regulatory standards
- Ensure compliance with privacy initiatives
- Follow breach of information protocols
3. DATA ANALYTICS AND INFORMATICS
23%-26% of the exam
- Provide summary reports based on trends
- Examine clinical, administrative, and specialty service applications
- Prepare to support end users in EHR applications
- Create visual representations of data for decision-making
- Optimize health information technology to improve workflow
- Support health information exchange solutions
- Use database management techniques
- Manage the integrity of the master patient index
- Audit documentation using a focused tool
- Validate healthcare statistics for organizational stakeholders
- Develop productivity reports
4. REVENUE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
20%-23% of the exam
- Educate providers on value-based care programs and guidelines
- Conduct revenue integrity activities
- Validate coding accuracy
- Verify the claims management process
- Assign diagnoses and procedure codes and groupings according to official guidelines
- Conduct clinical documentation improvement
- Monitor health plan clinical documentation requirements
- Perform fraud prevention
5. MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
23%-26% of the exam
- Implement strategies to support organizational initiatives
- Assist with entity accreditation, licensing, or certification processes
- Facilitate training and development
- Collaborate on contract management
- Perform work design and process improvement activities
- Assist with the preparation of budgets
- Perform human resource management activities
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application on AHIMA’s website. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the testing fee, which is $299. If you’re an AHIMA member, you will only have to pay $229.
RHIA Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
RHIA Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 100 and 400.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the RHIA test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test after a 45-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
FAQs
How many times can you take the RHIA exam?
You may retake the exam as many times as you need to, as long as you pay the necessary testing fees each time.
How many questions can you miss on the RHIA exam?
The RHIA exam is scored using a scaling system, so the number of questions you need to answer correctly in order to pass the exam is different for every administration of the test.
Is the RHIA exam hard?
Yes, the RHIA exam is considered to be a difficult exam. To give you an idea of the difficulty, the pass rate for the exam in 2023 was 64%.
What is the passing score for the RHIA exam?
The minimum score you need to pass is 300.