Practice Management Institute

Schedule an Exam

For those well-qualified candidates who wish to forgo the preparatory program and sit for the exam, an "Exam-only" option is available for the CMC, CMIS, and CMOM certifications.

To protect the integrity of the certification exams, PMI only administers testing in a live environment. An Exam Proctor is assigned by PMI to distribute, monitor, and return the exam to PMI's Professional Services Department for grading. The fee to sit for a live certification exam is $299. This fee includes the Exam Proctor, who is assigned by PMI to administer the certification exam in a community near the candidate’s home or office. An Exam Preparation Handbook is provided before the exam. This booklet does not contain learning materials. It is designed to provide an overview of the knowledge areas in which the candidate should be competent, number of sections and questions and supplies and materials needed on exam day. Click on a link below to see a sample of PMI's Exam Preparation Handbooks. The actual handbooks also include a short series of sample questions and answer keys, plus some general test preparation tips.

To submit an exam request, click on the "Request for Exam" link below and follow the directions. Excerpts of PMI's Exam Preparation Handbooks can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Certified Medical Coder (CMC ®) Examination Guidelines

PMI's certification exam differs from other organizations because we require candidates to code case scenarios to the highest degree of specificity. CMC candidates must be able to demonstrate a superior level of competency and knowledge of both diagnostic and procedural coding.

A thorough examination process is crucial for maintaining CMC certification integrity. PMI does not use a multiple-choice format, as other organizations do. We have found the fill-in-the-blank method to be a more accurate measure of a candidate's skill. This is because multiple-choice exams might allow a student to guess the correct answer by deselecting the incorrect choices. Other CMC exam safety measures include a live examination. Live monitoring of the testing process helps protect the integrity of the program. Candidates must show ID upon arrival at an official testing site and work within the allotted six-hour timeframe.

Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS ®) Examination Guidelines

The Certified Medical Insurance Specialist examination is designed to test a well-defined body of knowledge representative of professional practice in the discipline of medical insurance processing. Successful completion of this certification examination verifies that the candidate has met competency standards set forth by the PMI Certification Board for this specific specialty area.

Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM ®) Examination Guidelines

Certified Medical Office Manager candidates must be able to demonstrate a superior level of competency in practice administrative issues. A thorough examination process is crucial for maintaining CMOM certification integrity. Live monitoring of the testing process helps protect the integrity of the program. Candidates must show ID upon arrival at an official testing site and work within the allotted four-hour timeframe.

Certified Professional Standards of Excellence

Practice Management Institute’s Certified Professional Standards of were developed to promote ethical requirements and standards for its Certified Professionals. These guidelines were established and approved by the Practice Management Institute® Advisory Board for Certification Programming.

Standards of Conduct describe the actions that would reasonably be expected of a PMI Certified Professional in the performance of his/her duties. Certified Professionals are held to the highest professional standards in the medical industry. PMI Certified Professionals must agree to follow appropriate and legal guidelines according to governmental and third party payer organizations and contracts. They will support the compliance efforts and reporting system of the medical practice. They will bill only for services that are actually rendered. Services will be coded accurately and only when documentation is provided for the service. They agree to continue to learn and abide by current standards in the ever-changing business of medicine.