Exam Guide
The RHIT exam is administered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and is the premier credential for health information technicians. Earning the RHIT certification validates your expertise in managing patient health information, medical coding, data analytics, privacy compliance, and health information technology systems.
150
Questions
3.5 Hrs
Time Limit
6
Knowledge Domains
$229
Exam Fee (AHIMA Members)
Clinical data management, health record documentation standards, data integrity, information governance frameworks, and data dictionary maintenance.
HIPAA regulations, release of information procedures, patient access rights, security safeguards, breach notification, and consent management.
Healthcare statistics, data reporting, quality measures, abstracting clinical data, registries, and secondary data sources for research and decision-making.
ICD-10-CM/PCS coding, CPT/HCPCS coding, reimbursement methodologies, charge capture, compliance programs, and audit processes.
Electronic health records, health information exchange, interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR), database management, and system implementation.
Workflow analysis, project management, employee training, performance improvement, budgeting, and change management in HIM departments.
Education: Associate's degree or higher from a CAHIIM-accredited Health Information Management (HIM) program.
Program Accreditation: Your HIM program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
Timing: You may apply to sit for the exam within the last semester of your CAHIIM-accredited program or after graduation.
Fees: $229 for AHIMA members, $299 for non-members. AHIMA membership is separate and provides discounted exam pricing.
The RHIT exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions: 130 scored and 20 unscored pretest items (you cannot tell which are which). You have 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam. It is computer-based and administered at Pearson VUE testing centers. A scaled score of 300 out of 400 is required to pass, and the overall pass rate is approximately 70-75%.
Most successful candidates study for 6-10 weeks using a combination of domain-focused practice exams, coding exercises, and review of HIM fundamentals. The Data Content domain at 20% and Access/Privacy domain at 18% together account for over a third of the exam, so prioritize those areas. Revenue Management questions on ICD-10 and CPT coding also trip up many candidates.
RHITpractice provides hundreds of practice questions, timed mini exams, and full-length 150-question simulations covering all six RHIT domains with the exact weighting used on the real exam.