RHIA®

Overview

NCCA Accreditation

Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA®)

The Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) is a critical link between care providers, payers, and patients. The RHIA:    

  • Manages people and operational units, participates in administrative committees, and prepares budgets.
  • Interacts with all levels of an organization -- clinical, financial, administrative, and information systems -- that employ patient data in decision-making and everyday operations.
  • Is an expert in managing patient health information and medical records, administering computer information systems, collecting and analyzing patient data, and using classification systems and medical terminologies. people and operational units, participates in administrative committees, and prepares budgets.
  • Possesses comprehensive knowledge of medical, administrative, ethical, and legal requirements and standards related to healthcare delivery and privacy of protected patient information.

RHIAs serve in multiple settings throughout the healthcare industry, including hospitals, multispecialty clinics and physician practices, long-term care, mental health, and other ambulatory care settings. The profession also has expanded into non-patient care settings such as managed care and insurance companies, software vendors, consulting services, government agencies, education, and pharmaceutical companies.

Eligibility

Eligibility Requirements

Before applying to take the RHIA exam, you must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:?

  • Successfully complete the Master’s-level academic requirements of an HIM program accredited by the CAHIIM; OR
  • Successfully complete the academic requirements of an HIM  Certificate of the Degree4 (Post-Baccalaureate) program approved by the CAHIIM; OR 
  • Graduate from an HIM program approved by a foreign association with which AHIMA has a reciprocity agreement²; OR
  • Hold the RHIT certification and meet the Proviso conditions approved by the 2017 Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM).³

Please Note: Specific documentation must be submitted when applying to take the RHIA Exam. The type of documentation that must be submitted varies according to how the applicant has met the above requirements for eligibility.  See details about supporting documentation you will need to provide to AHIMA. The academic qualifications of each candidate will be verified before a candidate is deemed eligible to take the examination.

CAHIIM Accredited Programs

All currently CAHIIM-accredited programs can be found on the CAHIIM Program Directory page, including currently approved Certificate of the Degree4 programs. Check the appropriate box to find the type of program you seek.

Eligibility for Early Testing

Students in CAHIIM-accredited HIM academic programs may be eligible to apply for and take the RHIA or RHIT certification exam early. Students who meet the following requirements are eligible for early testing:

  • Students currently enrolled and in their last term of study
  • Students who have completed their course work but have not yet graduated
  • Graduates who are currently waiting for their official transcripts

To apply to take the exam early, purchase the exam through the AHIMA webstore. Complete the online exam application, select the early testing options and upload the completed application for early testing. Please be sure to only submit your exam application with the completed application for early testing, otherwise your application will not be approved.

Candidates who apply for early testing and successfully pass their exam will have their credential granted once official transcripts that include the graduation date are received and verified. Recertification requirements are the same as for others who pass the exam. The exam date will serve as the official date the credential is granted.

Master’s Application Process

CCHIIM has approved a Master’s degree eligibility pathway for CAHIIM-accredited HIM Master’s level programs utilizing the 2014 curriculum and the minimum core competencies which have been outlined by AHIMA. See a list of currently approved Master's programs.

¹ Students interested in obtaining a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Certificate of Completion, or Transfer of Credits information must contact the CAHIIM-accredited program in which they wish to enroll regarding their institutional policies. Please visit the CAHIIM program directory for a list of CAHIIM-accredited programs.

² AHIMA and the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA); Korean Medical Record Association (KMRA); and Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) shall permit a graduate of a program in HIM at the baccalaureate degree level to apply to write the appropriate certification examination consistent with the academic level achieved and given independently by the aforementioned associations. The graduate must meet the educational competencies for certification as a technician or administrator established by the association to which the application is made.

³ Registered Health Information Technicians (RHITs) who meet the following eligibility requirements will be eligible to sit for the RHIA examination during the timeframe of July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2021:

• Have at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or nationally recognized accreditor; and
• Have received their RHIT credential on or before December 31, 2018; and
• Have complied with the Standards for Maintenance of the RHIT credential.

4 Candidates with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university AND a certificate of the degree from a CAHIIM-accredited HIM program are eligible to sit for the RHIA exam. Graduates of programs that have closed or are no longer accredited, but were accredited at the time the person graduated and received their certificate of the degree, are also eligible to sit for the RHIA exam.

Applying

Earlier this year AHIMA began taking steps to better protect your data and improve the security and privacy of customer information. As part of this effort, effective November 1st we will no longer accept paper exam applications. In addition, after December 1 we will no longer accept paper checks. 

We will be transitioning to an ACH system at the beginning of 2020, which will allow you to pay via electronic fund transfer. Until we make this transition, we will only accept credit cards.

You can complete an online application at https://my.ahima.org/certification/getcertified

If you have questions please contact info@ahima.org

Submitting an Application

Before submitting an application, carefully review the information contained in the candidate guide. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure eligibility before submitting the application. Applicants who are determined to be ineligible and submit an ineligible application or request withdrawal of their application, will receive a refund of the application fee minus a $75 processing fee.

Applicants may register online.

Please Note: Each eligibility type has varying requirements of documentation that needs to be submitted during the application process. Click here for details on what supporting documentation you will need to provide to AHIMA. The academic qualifications of each candidate will be verified before a candidate is deemed eligible to take the examination.

Submitting Official Transcripts

Electronically:

If this option is available through your school, please contact your school for vendor information. Transcripts must be received directly from the vendor i.e. national student clearinghouse, parchment, etc., and sent electronically to: certificationtranscripts@ahima.org

  • Official transcripts must contain the degree along with the conferred/awarded graduation date.
  • Official transcripts sent electronically from the candidate/registrar are considered unofficial and will not be processed.

OR

Mail: Candidates submitting official transcripts from a CAHIIM-accredited program, please mail official transcripts (unopened/sealed in a school envelope) separately to:

AHIMA
Attn: Certification Transcripts
233 N. Michigan Ave., 21st Fl.
Chicago, IL 60601

  • Official transcripts must contain the degree along with the conferred/awarded graduation date.
  • Transcripts sent via USPS mail in an opened official school envelope is considered unofficial and will not be processed.

Official Transcript Estimated Processing Time Frame

  • Official transcripts estimated processing time frame can take up to 4 weeks.
  • Official transcripts sent via Fed Ex/UPS with overnight shipping are processed within 48 business hours from the date it is received.

Exam Fees

Premier Member Price: $217.55
Member Price: $229
Non-member price: $299

Exam Application Checklist

Eligibility Period

A candidate’s eligibility period is defined in the Authorization to Test letter (ATT) as a four-month window in which candidates are required to schedule their exam appointment. Candidates who fail to schedule an examination appointment within their eligibility period indicated in their ATT will forfeit their application fee. A complete application and examination fee are required to reapply for the examination.

Candidates arriving at the test center 15 minutes after the scheduled appointment will not be allowed to test and will forfeit the testing fee. A complete application and examination fee are required to reapply for the examination.

 

 

Exam Bulk Orders

Instructions for Bulk Ordering

Organizations who purchase exams or order exams in bulk, complete the following steps:

  1. Complete an order form and email it to arinfo@ahima.org. 
  2. Once your form is sent, you will receive an invoice from AHIMA within 72 business hours. This invoice will require payment within 7 business days from the date of the invoice. Payment will be processed within 10 business days.
  3. Once AHIMA receives your payment and it is processed successfully, you will receive an e-mail with a campaign code for each exam purchased via email within 10 business days. (Example: If you purchase 15 exams, you will receive 15 campaign codes).
  4. Each campaign code is good for one time use only and customers will have up to a year to use.
  5. The campaign codes should be distributed to the individuals taking the exam. Please note: It is important to make the customer aware that the code becomes active once they submit their exam order. Once the exam order is placed, the customer will have 4 months from the order date to take the exam.
  6. If an Early testing form is needed, please download the form via the website, and upload the completed form to the early testing section of the application. This form should be uploaded at the time of the application. 
  7. If the customer already has an AHIMA account, a second account does not have to be created. To create a new account please go to https://my.ahima.org/login?return=%2faccount.
  8. Once the account is created, the customer should click on certification and select their country. Once the country is selected, the customer should select the exam they are interested in.
  9. The customer will be prompted to complete the application.
  10. Once the application is complete, it will direct the customer to the payment page. 
  11. The customer should enter their campaign code in the promotional code box and press submit. 
  12. After they submit their order, the customer will receive a confirmation email explaining the next steps. 
  13. If you have applied for the RHIT or RHIA exam and it is not an early test; your exam will be approved upon receival and acceptance of your official transcripts. 
  14. An Authorization to Test letter will come directly from Pearson VUE within 5 business days via email.

Organizations who DO NOT purchase Exams
If you do not purchase exams for your students or staff the above instructions do not apply. Students now have the capability to upload their completed Early Testing Form (if applicable) to the early testing section of the application. This form should be uploaded at the time of the application.

**PLEASE NOTE** Submission of official transcripts and certification of completion attestation are not affected by this change, and the normal process should continue.

Preparing for the RHIA Exam

To fully prepare for the RHIA exam, candidates may find it helpful to become familiar with the following information. 

Exam Specifications 

The exam is timed for 4 hours. It consists of 180 multiple-choice questions. Of the 180 questions, 160 are scored and 20 are pretest questions that are not scored. The pretest questions are administered to evaluate the question for possible inclusion as a scored question in future exams. Pretest questions are interspersed throughout the exam and cannot be identified by the candidate. Whether answered correctly or incorrectly, they do not affect the candidate's score. The exam is given in a computer-based format.

Exam Content

AHIMA certification examinations are based on an explicit set of competencies. Competencies for the RHIA exam were determined through a job analysis conducted with practitioners.  

Competencies for RHIAs fall into five domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the questions on the certification exam, as shown below. Download the RHIA Exam Content Outline for information about the competencies within each domain. The exam tests candidates only on content pertaining to the competencies shown.

Domain 1 – Data Content, Structure, and Standards 

Domain 2 – Information Protection:  Access, Disclosure, Archival, Privacy, and Security

Domain 3 – Informatics, Analytics, and Data Use

Domain 4 – Revenue Management

Additional Information

Recommended Resources for Study

Candidate Guide (see pp. 4 and 23-25 for information on the RHIA credential and exam) 

RHIA Exam Content Outline (Effective July 1, 2014) 

HIM Statistics and Coding Question Examples

Cognitive Levels 

Certification Exam Pass Rates

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