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Understanding the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) Test
Are you aiming to elevate your career in home health and hospice care? Becoming a certified Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) can significantly enhance your professional standing and expertise. The HCS-D certification, offered by the American Home Care & Hospice Credentialing Center (AHCC), validates your proficiency in diagnosis coding for the home care setting. This certification demonstrates to employers, peers, and clients your commitment to accuracy and excellence in this specialized field.
This article provides essential information about the HCS-D test, a crucial step in obtaining this respected credential. We will cover what the exam entails, how to register, what to expect on exam day, and how to prepare effectively.
Exploring AHCC Credentialing Exams: Is HCS-D Right for You?
AHCC offers several credentialing exams tailored to different specializations within home care and hospice. Besides the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D), AHCC also offers:
- Home Care Coding Specialist – Hospice (HCS-H)
- Home Care Clinical Specialist – OASIS (HCS-O)
To determine which exam aligns best with your career goals and current expertise, and to access detailed candidate handbooks for each, please visit About BMSC Credentials. However, if your focus is on mastering diagnosis coding within the home care environment, the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test is your direct path to certification.
Registering for the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) Test
To earn the prestigious AHCC credential, passing the relevant exam is mandatory. For the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test, the registration process is straightforward. AHCC provides two convenient options for taking your exam:
- Computer-Based Testing Center: Take your exam at a Prometric testing center, offering a secure and professional testing environment.
- Remote Proctoring: Opt for the flexibility of taking the exam from your home or office under remote proctor supervision.
Steps to Register for Your HCS-D Exam:
To begin your registration, visit the online registration portal.
Upon successful registration, you will promptly receive a confirmation email. This email will contain crucial details and instructions on how to schedule your exam appointment with Prometric, AHCC’s trusted testing partner.
Important Note for Remote Testing: Before proceeding with registration for remote proctoring, it is imperative to verify your system’s compatibility with the ProProctor application. Visit https://rpcandidate.prometric.com/ to conduct a system readiness check. If your system does not meet the compatibility requirements, you will need to register for or reschedule your exam at a computer-based testing center. Be aware that fees may apply for exam changes and rescheduling. Refer to https://ahcc.decisionhealth.com/fees for detailed fee information.
Remote Testing Environment Checklist: If you are considering the convenience of remote testing for your Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test, ensure your testing environment is fully prepared. Further guidance on preparing for remote testing can be found here.
HCS-D Exam Duration and Passing Score
Understanding the exam structure is key to effective preparation. The Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) certification exam is structured as follows:
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Number of Questions: 90 questions
- Passing Score for HCS-D exam: 76%
This timeframe and passing score are specifically for the HCS-D test. Note that the HCS-O and HCS-H exams have slightly different durations and passing scores, as listed in the original article for comparison.
What to Expect When Taking the HCS-D Exam
Whether you choose to take your Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test at a testing center or via remote proctor, certain procedures and requirements apply to all AHCC exams. Please carefully review the following points to ensure a smooth and successful exam experience:
- Arrival Time: Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled exam start time. For remote proctoring, this pre-exam time is crucial for system checks and application setup.
- Identification Requirement: You must present a valid, government-issued photo ID with your signature. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver’s license or passport. If testing outside your country of citizenship, a valid passport is mandatory. For testing within your country of citizenship, you may use a passport, driver’s license, national ID, or military ID. Temporary IDs are not accepted under any circumstances. Your name on the ID must precisely match the name used during your exam registration with AHCC. Any discrepancies must be resolved at least ten (10) business days before your exam by contacting customer service at 1-800-650-6787. Failure to present matching and valid ID will result in denial of testing.
- Authorized Materials Only: Only officially authorized resources are permitted in the testing environment. For the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test, these materials are specifically defined.
Allowed Materials for the HCS-D Exam:
Proper preparation includes understanding exactly what resources you can bring into the testing room for the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) exam. Note that the HCS-D exam content is updated annually to reflect the current ICD-10-CM code set effective October 1st.
Permitted Resources:
- Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual, 2025. (Recommended: Current year manual for the most up-to-date codes). Available for purchase from DecisionHealth online store.
- Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual, 2024. (Previous year manual, also acceptable).
- ICD-10 coding manuals from other vendors (2024 or 2025 Editions). Ensure any vendor manual used is a hard copy.
- FY2025 official guidelines for ICD-10-CM provided here. Only the watermarked guidelines from this specific link are permitted as an additional resource.
Key Points Regarding Allowed Materials:
- Hard Copy Manuals Only: Electronic code look-up systems are strictly prohibited during the HCS-D test. A physical, hard copy coding manual is the only permitted resource for code reference.
- Manual Annotations: Your hard copy coding manual may contain affixed alphabetic and tabular section dividers (A-Z). You are also allowed to have annotations written directly on the coding manual pages, including notes pages. However, these annotations must not include coding rules or guidelines copied from other reference materials (e.g., AHA’s Coding Clinic, Home Health ICD-10-CM Coding Answers, or similar external resources).
- Prohibited Items: Post-it notes and loose papers or any papers attached by any means are not allowed within the coding manual or as separate materials.
The testing center staff or remote proctor retains the authority to disallow any code books deemed to contain excessive writing or information that could provide an unfair advantage to the candidate. Adhering to these guidelines ensures a fair and standardized testing environment for all Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test candidates.
AHCC Confidentiality Policy
AHCC is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of all exam candidates. Policies are in place to protect your personal information and exam results. AHCC staff will only discuss application details with the candidate directly and will not disclose score results over the phone or fax.
Official communication regarding applications and score results will be conducted via:
- US mail: Upon receiving a signed request from the candidate.
- Email: If the email address used in the communication matches the address on the candidate’s official record.
AHCC will not release exam results to educational institutions or employers without explicit written authorization from the candidate.
What Happens After Your HCS-D Exam?
Following your Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test, the next steps depend on your exam outcome.
For Successful Candidates:
Congratulations! Upon passing the HCS-D test, you will receive:
- Official Certification Acknowledgment: A formal certificate acknowledging your earned credential, including your certification date, suitable for framing. You will also receive a BMSC lapel pin to proudly display your certified status. These items will be mailed via USPS within approximately 6 weeks of your exam date.*
- Directory Listing: Inclusion in the Directory of Certified Credential Holders, enhancing your professional visibility.
For Unsuccessful Candidates:
If you do not pass the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) test on your first attempt, you will receive:
- Detailed Score Report: A score report providing a breakdown of your performance in each competency area tested. Candidates taking the exam at a testing center or via remote proctor will receive this report immediately upon exam completion.
- Retake Instructions: Clear instructions on how to register to retake the exam, enabling you to re-attempt certification.
For comprehensive information on exam scoring methodologies, please consult your candidate handbook. AHCC is dedicated to ensuring the validity and integrity of all reported scores. In rare instances, technical issues or candidate misconduct may raise concerns about a score’s reliability. AHCC reserves the right to void or withhold exam results if any violation of AHCC regulations is discovered during investigation. Candidates are expected to fully cooperate with any such investigations.
To uphold exam integrity, AHCC cannot release a candidate’s specific answers to exam questions, nor will AHCC provide detailed rationales for specific correct answers.
* Please note that the physical certificate and lapel pin are mailed to US addresses only. A printable certificate is available in the CEU Tracker.
Retaking the HCS-D Exam
Candidates who need to retake the Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) exam can do so within 90 days of their initial or previous exam attempt. The retake fee is $99 in the U.S. or for remote proctoring, and $199 at international computer-based testing centers, per attempt.
To schedule your HCS-D exam retake, log in to the CEU Tracker and select “Retake Now.” If you encounter any issues logging into your CEU Tracker, please contact customer service at 1-800-650-6787 for assistance.
Embark on your journey to becoming a certified Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis. Prepare thoroughly for the HCS-D test and take the next step in your professional development.
