CDIP Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CDIP exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CDIP Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CDIP Topics to Study (78)
✍️ Sample CDIP Questions & Answers
1. In the context of CDI and clinical validation, what does 'clinical evidence' include that payer 'clinical criteria' does NOT always include?
Clinical evidence encompasses all care team documentation, while payer criteria are often narrow, proprietary thresholds that may not reflect the full clinical picture.
2. Which organization publishes the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting that CDI professionals must follow for ICD-10-CM/PCS?
The Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting are published cooperatively by the AHA, AHIMA, CMS, and NCHS (the four cooperating parties).
3. In the MS-DRG grouping logic, what happens when NEITHER a CC nor an MCC is present for a condition that has a three-way DRG split?
When no qualifying CC or MCC is coded, the MS-DRG grouper assigns the case to the lowest-weight base DRG in the three-way split, reducing reimbursement.
4. A CDI program wants to measure how often records are complete at the time of discharge. Which metric best captures this?
The deficiency rate at discharge measures the percentage of records that are incomplete at the time the patient is discharged, directly reflecting documentation completeness.
5. A CDI specialist reviews a record where the attending physician documents 'sepsis' but the clinical indicators only support 'SIRS.' What is the most appropriate action?
When clinical indicators conflict with documented diagnoses, a clarification query allows the physician to confirm or clarify their clinical reasoning without the CDI specialist overriding the record.
6. Which element is essential in every compliant physician query to ensure documentation integrity?
Compliant queries must include the clinical indicators that prompted the question, providing the physician with objective evidence to inform their response.