10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The CMC exam has 133 questions and runs 6 hours.
These 10 free CMC questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Medical Coder blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A home-care aide reports that a 79-year-old client with Alzheimer disease has become unusually quiet since yesterday morning. He now drifts off during conversation, loses track of short questions, and is much more alert at some visits than at others. Last week he was consistently alert despite poor short-term memory. Which possibility takes priority in the assessment?
Correct answer: A - Delirium superimposed on the existing dementia
A 76-year-old woman completes a properly administered Timed Up and Go in 16 seconds using her usual cane. She reports no falls and continues to shop nearby. Her daughter asks whether this means her mother should stop going out. What does the result support?
Correct answer: D - Further fall-risk assessment, not an automatic restriction on community activity.
At lunch, a client with hand arthritis cannot open packages or cut his food. Once an aide does those tasks, he eats with a spoon independently. He also relies on the aide to plan, shop for, and prepare his meals. In the six-item Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, his feeding item should receive:
Correct answer: C - 1 point, because he transfers food from plate to mouth independently.
Original Medicare is paying for a client's stay in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility after a qualifying hospital admission. On day 24, staff propose ending coverage solely because the client has 'plateaued.' The treating team documents that skilled personnel are still needed daily to maintain function safely, and all other coverage requirements remain met. The coverage discussion should be based on which principle?
Correct answer: C - Skilled maintenance care can qualify even without expected improvement.
A 58-year-old client receiving chemotherapy for metastatic cancer wants help with pain, insomnia, and the effect of illness on her family. She plans to continue cancer treatment and asks, 'Does getting extra help mean I have to give up treatment?' Which service best matches her request?
Correct answer: B - Specialist palliative care alongside oncology treatment.
During a home visit, a 67-year-old man suddenly cannot lift his right arm and his speech becomes garbled. The care manager notes that the symptoms began at 10:12 a.m. Four minutes later, his arm strength and speech appear normal, and he asks to finish the visit. What should happen next?
Correct answer: C - Call 911 and report the symptoms and their onset time.
During the first medication review after an older client returns home from the hospital, his daughter reports new confusion, dry mouth, blurred vision, and difficulty starting urination. Prompt clinical assessment is being arranged. The care manager is checking prescription and nonprescription use with the pharmacist. Which medicine has the adverse-effect profile that most closely matches this cluster?
Correct answer: D - Diphenhydramine
An assisted-living community offers a CMC $400 for each client who signs a residency contract. Its services suit some clients, residents pay the same rate either way, and the community will still accept referrals if the CMC declines payment. Which response best preserves professional objectivity without unnecessarily limiting clients' choices?
Correct answer: A - Decline the fee and compare the community with other suitable options.
A 29-year-old client with an intellectual disability chooses a supported apartment over remaining with her parents. With plain-language explanations and a visual comparison, she explains both options, their personal consequences, and consistent reasons for her choice. Both settings can meet her assessed support needs. She has no guardian, but her parents ask the care manager to postpone the plan while they seek guardianship. How should her decision be handled?
Correct answer: C - Proceed with her informed choice and the agreed supports.
A hospital care manager receives a verified request from the home-health nurse who will begin the client's care tomorrow. The nurse needs the discharge medication list and wound-care orders for treatment. A colleague says HIPAA's minimum-necessary rule requires withholding these records until each requested detail is individually justified. Which statement accurately addresses that concern?
Correct answer: D - Provider-to-provider treatment disclosures are exempt from that rule.
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