Castleport Test Prep

AHIMA Exam Registration: How to Apply and Schedule

You register for an AHIMA exam in two systems. First you apply and pay in your MyAHIMA account. After AHIMA approves you, Pearson VUE emails your Authorization to Test (ATT), and you book your appointment with Pearson. From approval, you have 120 calendar days to schedule and sit the exam. (AHIMA scheduling instructions)

Covers CCA, CCS, CCS-P, RHIT, RHIA, CDIP, CHDA and CHPS. By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Last verified October 22, 2026.

Register in six steps

1. Check eligibility and gather documents. Open your exam's AHIMA page (links in the fee table below) and confirm you qualify. RHIT and RHIA candidates need an official transcript on file, or an early testing form if you're in your final term. AHIMA allows up to four weeks to process a transcript, so send it first. If you need testing accommodations, prepare that request now, because it goes in with your application.

2. Decide on membership before you pay. Member exam prices are $70 to $100 lower. If you're eligible and paying the standard exam fee yourself, Student membership can pay for itself on the exam fee alone, but only if you join before you register. See the math.

3. Make your name match your ID. The first and last name on your application, your ATT and the ID documents you will use must match exactly. Fix any mismatch before you apply.

4. Apply and pay in MyAHIMA. Go to Education & Certification → Certification → Get Certified. Choose the country where you'll test, choose your exam, and click Launch. Complete every required field, accept the required policies, check the price in your cart, and pay by credit card. (AHIMA purchase instructions)

5. Wait for approval and your ATT email. The first email is only an order receipt. It is not approval, and it does not book anything. AHIMA says the ATT should arrive within five business days after your application is received and processed. Applications that need documents reviewed first take longer.

6. Schedule with Pearson VUE. In MyAHIMA, open My Exams and click Schedule. That takes you to Pearson VUE. Pick a date inside the authorized dates on your ATT, then save the confirmation email. (AHIMA scheduling instructions)

Start here: Apply in MyAHIMA · Pearson VUE's AHIMA scheduling page

Already applied? Find your next step

AHIMA registration next steps by current application status
Where you are now What to do next Official route
You haven't applied yet Check your exam's eligibility and fee below, then start the application. MyAHIMA Get Certified
You have a purchase receipt but no ATT Check your email (including spam) and MyAHIMA for any document request. If more than five business days have passed since your application was processed and nothing is pending, ask AHIMA about your existing order. If you don't know whether it has been processed, ask AHIMA to confirm its status. Don't pay a second time. AHIMA secure inquiry form
AHIMA asked for documents Send exactly what was requested. RHIT/RHIA transcript and early testing routes are below. Transcript instructions
You have your ATT Check every detail on it: your name, the exam, and the dates. Then schedule through My Exams → Schedule. Pearson VUE AHIMA page
You requested accommodations Don't schedule online. Wait for AHIMA's accommodation confirmation email, then book using the phone number it gives you. Scheduling instructions
Your ATT is wrong, or the Schedule button fails For a wrong name, exam or date range, contact AHIMA before booking. For a booking problem once you're authorized, contact Pearson VUE at 888-524-4622. AHIMA support · Pearson contact
You're booked but need a different date Change it in Pearson VUE, inside your eligibility window. Watch the fee cutoffs. Changes, refunds and extensions
Your eligibility window is ending Request an extension well before the window closes and confirm the applicable cutoff with AHIMA. Any booked appointment must be cancelled before AHIMA authorizes the extension. Once the window has ended, you have to reapply and pay again. Extension form

AHIMA exam fees and eligibility

These are AHIMA's published exam fees in U.S. dollars. A retake costs the same as the first attempt.

AHIMA exam fees, eligibility, appointment length and delivery by credential
Exam Member fee Nonmember fee Who can apply Appointment length Where you test
CCA – Certified Coding Associate $199 $299 High school diploma. Coding training or experience is recommended, not required. 2 hours Test center
CCS – Certified Coding Specialist $299 $399 No required credential. AHIMA lists training, experience and credential routes as recommendations. 4 hours Test center
CCS-P – Certified Coding Specialist–Physician-based $299 $399 No required credential. Listed routes, such as multi-specialty coding experience, are recommendations. 4 hours Test center
RHIT – Registered Health Information Technician $229 $299 Associate-level academic requirements of a CAHIIM-accredited HIM program, or a qualifying foreign reciprocity program 3 hours 30 minutes Test center
RHIA – Registered Health Information Administrator $229 $299 Bachelor's- or master's-level CAHIIM-accredited HIM program, a CAHIIM-approved post-baccalaureate HIM certificate, or a qualifying foreign reciprocity program 3 hours 30 minutes Test center
CDIP – Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner $259 $329 Associate degree or higher; a CAHIIM-approved post-baccalaureate HIM certificate; or a CCS, CCS-P, RHIT or RHIA credential 3 hours Test center or online (U.S.)
CHDA – Certified Health Data Analyst $259 $329 RHIT or RHIA, or a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university 3 hours 30 minutes Test center or online (U.S.)
CHPS – Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security $259 $329 Education or credential plus healthcare privacy/security experience (combinations below) 3 hours 30 minutes Test center or online (U.S.)

Sources: fees and eligibility from each exam's AHIMA page and the AHIMA Apply page. Appointment lengths come from AHIMA's exam-format and time instructions and include a 5-minute agreement screen. Delivery options come from Pearson VUE's AHIMA page.

HIM means health information management. CAHIIM is the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education. For RHIT and RHIA, AHIMA says health informatics degrees don't currently qualify; the program has to be an HIM program.

CHPS combinations. All experience must be in healthcare privacy or security. You qualify with any one of these:

  • a high school diploma or GED plus 6 years;
  • a relevant associate degree, or a CCA, CCS, CCS-P or RHIT, plus 4 years;
  • a relevant bachelor's degree, or an RHIA, plus 2 years; or
  • a relevant master's degree or higher (such as a JD, MD or PhD) plus 1 year.

AHIMA gives HIM, health informatics and IT as examples of relevant fields. (CHPS page)

Should you join AHIMA before you register?

You don't have to be a member to register. The question is whether joining saves money. Here's the math using AHIMA's published dues: $49 for Student and $149 for Professional. The comparison covers one year of national dues plus one exam at the standard fee; state-affiliation dues are extra where applicable.

AHIMA membership dues versus nonmember exam fee comparison
Exam Nonmember fee Student dues + member fee Professional dues + member fee
CCA $299 $49 + $199 = $248 (saves $51) $149 + $199 = $348 (costs $49 more)
CCS or CCS-P $399 $49 + $299 = $348 (saves $51) $149 + $299 = $448 (costs $49 more)
RHIT or RHIA $299 $49 + $229 = $278 (saves $21) $149 + $229 = $378 (costs $79 more)
CDIP, CHDA or CHPS $329 $49 + $259 = $308 (saves $21) $149 + $259 = $408 (costs $79 more)

What this means:

  • If you qualify for Student membership and will pay the standard exam fee yourself, join first to get the member price. To qualify, you must be enrolled in a relevant certificate or degree program, hold no AHIMA credential, live in the U.S. or its territories, and not already have registered for an exam. That last condition is why the order matters. Student membership is limited to four years total and must be renewed annually.
  • If you'd pay Professional dues, the exam discount alone doesn't cover them. Join only if you want membership for other reasons. AHIMA also discounts recertification for members, but that's a decision for later.

Two more things to know:

  • Some state associations add dues: $50 for Professional members who affiliate with California's CHIA or New York's NYHIMA, and $20 for Student members who affiliate with CHIA. A Student member affiliated with CHIA taking the RHIT pays $49 + $20 + $229 = $298, saving just $1 against the $299 nonmember fee.
  • Dues are non-refundable. After joining, check that your cart shows the member price before you pay. (AHIMA membership FAQs)

Applying in MyAHIMA: what to expect

The application asks for your contact details, your exam, and the country where you'll test. RHIT and RHIA applicants also choose the eligibility route they meet and their school and program format. They enter the name their transcript is under, and say who is paying for the exam. (RHIA/RHIT application walkthrough)

Two checkboxes matter:

  • "I am applying for early testing": RHIT/RHIA final-term students only. Attach the signed early testing form.
  • Special accommodations: tick it and attach your request if you need accommodations.

Before checkout, you accept AHIMA's Refund Policy, the Pearson VUE palm vein scan consent, and a Statement of Understanding. All three are required. You can also choose whether to release your result to your school, your local AHIMA chapter, and AHIMA's public recognition list; those choices are optional. (Purchase instructions)

Name doesn't match your ID? Send AHIMA a name-change request through the secure inquiry form with legal documentation, such as a government ID or marriage license. If you're already booked, Pearson's record must change too. AHIMA's instructions refer to a seven-business-day window and warn of fee forfeiture, but the cutoff wording is unclear. Contact AHIMA immediately to confirm what must be corrected and by when. (Name-change instructions)

When will my ATT arrive?

AHIMA says candidates should receive the ATT within five business days after the application is received and processed (application instructions). Some applications wait for review first:

  • RHIT/RHIA transcripts or early testing forms
  • accommodation requests

Those clocks run separately. Transcripts alone can take up to four weeks.

RHIT and RHIA: transcripts or early testing

Regular route: an official transcript.

  • It must show your degree and graduation date.
  • By mail: your school mails it directly, or you forward it in the unopened school envelope, to AHIMA, Attn: Certification Transcripts, 201 West Lake Street #226, Chicago, IL 60606.
  • Electronically: a transcript service (such as one your school uses) sends it to certificationtranscripts@ahima.org. AHIMA won't accept a transcript sent as a direct email attachment by you or your school instead of through a transcript service.
  • Allow up to four weeks for processing after it arrives. (Transcript instructions)
  • International degrees need a U.S. equivalency evaluation first, for example from WES. Send the evaluation and transcripts to certificationtranscripts@ahima.org. An equivalency evaluation does not by itself satisfy the RHIT/RHIA program or reciprocity requirements. (International transcript instructions; AHIMA FAQ)

Final-term students: early testing.

  • If you're in the last term of a CAHIIM-accredited program, you and your program director sign the Early Tester Form, effective November 18, 2025.
  • Check the early testing box on your application and attach the form. The current form also directs you to submit the completed form through AHIMA's secure inquiry form.
  • You can submit the form only twice per exam.
  • After you pass, you have one year to get your official transcript to AHIMA. If it doesn't arrive in time, your result is nullified and you'd have to retake and pass the exam.
  • You can't use the RHIT or RHIA after your name until AHIMA verifies everything.

Testing accommodations

If you have a disability covered by the ADA and need accommodations, you request them yourself, in writing, every time you apply. Third parties, such as an evaluator or employer, can't request them for you.

What to send. The AHIMA accommodation application has two parts:

  • Part I, completed by you.
  • Part II, documentation from a qualified professional who isn't related to you. It includes a diagnosis, functional limitations, the evaluation details, and the accommodations recommended with reasons. Evaluations should generally be from the last three years.

How it works.

  • Submit the request along with your exam application. The current form says to send it through AHIMA's secure inquiry form.
  • AHIMA says it notifies applicants by email within 14 business days. (Accommodation FAQ)
  • If you're approved, wait for AHIMA's confirmation email and schedule by the phone number it gives you. Booking online means the accommodations won't be in place.
  • Accommodated appointments can be changed only through Pearson's call center.

Scheduling with Pearson VUE

Your 120-day window

AHIMA's eligibility period is 120 calendar days from the date your application is approved. You must schedule and take the exam inside it. Booking a date after the window closes doesn't count. If the window closes before you test, the application expires and you reapply and pay again. Your ATT email shows your exact authorized dates, so use those rather than counting from your payment date. (Eligibility period FAQ)

AHIMA's guide recommends booking early in the window. Seats aren't guaranteed, and a late booking can leave you without a date before the window closes.

Test center or at home?

  • CCA, CCS, CCS-P, RHIT and RHIA: in person at a Pearson VUE test center only.
  • CDIP, CHDA and CHPS: at a test center, or online at home through Pearson's OnVUE system, if you're located in the United States.

(Pearson VUE AHIMA page, updated September 2026; AHIMA remote exams page)

Before you pick OnVUE, read Pearson's AHIMA OnVUE requirements and run the system test on the exact computer and network you'll use. Pearson's requirements include:

  • a quiet, private space where you remain alone; public spaces such as offices, libraries and coffee shops aren't allowed;
  • one monitor, a webcam and a microphone, and no headphones;
  • no VPN, and no corporate or public network.

Company restrictions can prevent a work laptop from meeting OnVUE requirements. Remote candidates can't leave the camera view during the exam. AHIMA's FAQ says there are no breaks for remote testing.

Testing outside the United States

International candidates apply the same way and can book available appointments year-round at Pearson VUE centers offering their exam. You still have the same 120-day window. OnVUE isn't available outside the U.S. (International process instructions)

Plan-by dates for changes, refunds and extensions

AHIMA's pages use different day-count wording for some changes. Use the rules below for planning, and confirm the cutoff and any fee with AHIMA or Pearson before acting.

AHIMA change, cancellation, refund and extension rules with planning actions
What you want to do AHIMA's published rule What to do
Change or cancel at no charge The Candidate Guide and credential-page prose say 15 business days; the credential-page table says 15 days. Change early and check the fee Pearson shows before confirming.
Change or cancel with a fee $30, paid to Pearson and not refundable, from 14 days before until one full business day (24 hours) before Act at least one full business day before; confirm the cutoff with Pearson if close to it.
Change after that, or no-show Not allowed; the exam fee is forfeited Contact Pearson promptly if you have a problem.
Request a refund At least 14 business days before your exam date or your eligibility end date. $75 processing fee. Cancel any booked appointment first. Use the earlier date for planning and confirm the applicable cutoff with AHIMA.
Request an extension AHIMA's eligibility help says 14 days before your exam date or eligibility end; its guide says 14 business days. A booked appointment must be cancelled before AHIMA authorizes the extension. Allow at least 14 business days as a planning buffer and confirm the cutoff with AHIMA. An expired authorization cannot be extended.

Sources: CCS-P page, Exam Cancellation and Exam Refund sections; AHIMA scheduling instructions; extension form; Candidate Guide.

Put these dates in your calendar:

  1. Record the exact eligibility end date printed on your ATT.
  2. Record your booked exam date, time and time zone.
  3. If you need a change, refund or extension, confirm its cutoff with Pearson or AHIMA using those dates. Do not assume that business days exclude weekends only.
  4. Before you confirm any change, check the charge Pearson shows on screen.
  5. Save the resulting confirmation. If AHIMA approves an extension, use the new authorized end date it provides.

Reschedule or cancel

Change your appointment through Pearson VUE: online from My Exams, or by phone at 888-524-4622. The new date must fall inside your authorized window. Cancelling the appointment doesn't refund your exam fee. A refund is a separate request to AHIMA.

Request a refund

  1. Cancel your Pearson appointment first.
  2. Then ask AHIMA for the refund through the secure inquiry form. AHIMA's exam pages also list refunds@ahima.org.
  3. Include your name, AHIMA ID and exam.

AHIMA keeps a $75 processing fee on top of any $30 Pearson fee. Card refunds take up to four weeks. You can't get a refund once your eligibility has ended or the fee has been forfeited.

Request an extension

The extension form offers three options:

AHIMA eligibility extension options and fees
Extra time Fee
30 days $50
60 days $100
90 days $150

Ninety days is the maximum, and extension fees aren't refundable. Submit the completed form through AHIMA's secure inquiry form. Cancel any scheduled appointment before AHIMA authorizes the extension; it won't authorize one while you're still booked or after your window has ended. AHIMA then bills you in MyAHIMA, and you have 48 business hours to pay or the request closes.

Registering for a retake

A retake means a new application, the full exam fee, and a new ATT. AHIMA makes you wait after your last attempt before it approves the new application:

  • 30 days for CCA, CCS, RHIT and RHIA
  • 90 days for CCS-P, CDIP, CHDA and CHPS

You can apply during the wait, but you can't book until the new ATT arrives. AHIMA says it can't waive these waits. Transcripts stay on file. (AHIMA Apply page; retest waiting period FAQ; Candidate Guide, printed page 15)

Before test day: the checklist that protects your fee

Check your ID, materials, appointment and approved arrangements before test day.

  1. Two valid, unexpired IDs with names that exactly match your ATT. For a test-center appointment, the primary ID needs your name, photo and signature, such as a driver's license, passport or military ID. The secondary ID needs your name plus a signature or recognizable photo; a signed credit or debit card is one example. See Pearson's test-center ID policy for the full requirements, including country-of-issue rules. For OnVUE, AHIMA also tells candidates to prepare two IDs; follow the online accepted-ID requirements and have an accepted government-issued photo ID. U.S. military IDs and other prohibited secure-access IDs cannot be used for OnVUE check-in.
  2. The right code books (CCA, CCS and CCS-P only). Exams delivered on or after May 1, 2026 require the books on the 2026 list for your exam: CCA list, CCS list, CCS-P list. Handwritten notes are allowed, unless they copy guidance from other references such as Coding Clinic. Sticky notes, loose papers and handmade tabs aren't allowed. RHIT, RHIA, CDIP, CHDA and CHPS use no books.
  3. The right test center. Check the address in your Pearson confirmation. Going to the wrong center forfeits the fee.
  4. On time. Arrive 30 minutes early. AHIMA's ATT email says arriving more than 15 minutes late counts as a no-show. For OnVUE, start check-in up to 30 minutes early. It includes photos of you, your IDs and your room.
  5. Accommodations in place. If you were approved, check that your booking was made through the phone number AHIMA gave you.
  6. OnVUE ready (CDIP, CHDA and CHPS at home). Pass the system test on the same device and network, and clear your desk.
  7. Ready to accept the agreement. Each exam opens with AHIMA's confidentiality and conduct agreement. Declining it ends the session and forfeits the fee.

This is a manual list to read through yourself; nothing on this page is saved, submitted or checked against your MyAHIMA or Pearson VUE account.

Sources: AHIMA scheduling instructions; Candidate Guide, "Penalties," "Identification Requirements" and "Test Center Restrictions"; CCA, CCS and CCS-P pages.

Who to contact

Who to contact for each AHIMA registration question
You need help with Contact
Your application, eligibility, documents, name changes, refunds or extensions AHIMA: secure inquiry form, certification@ahima.org, or (800) 335-5535
Booking, moving or cancelling an appointment Pearson VUE AHIMA line (Americas): 888-524-4622, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central, closed on local holidays (details and other regional contacts)
Accommodation requests AHIMA, through the accommodation application

Pearson can't issue refunds. Book your seat through Pearson.

Sources and verification

Last verified: October 22, 2026. We checked AHIMA's application, scheduling, eligibility and fee pages, its linked forms and help articles, the 2026 code book lists, AHIMA membership dues, and Pearson VUE's AHIMA and OnVUE pages. We did not submit an application, pay for an exam, or book an appointment. Where AHIMA's pages disagree, this guide uses the applicable specific source or flags the conflicting wording and directs you to confirm the cutoff. AHIMA and Pearson VUE decide individual eligibility and appointments.

AI tools assisted with drafting and source checks, following our editorial standards.

More health-information exam resources are on our health information hub.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by AHIMA, CCHIIM, or Pearson VUE. Exam and credential names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners.