by Deanna Gillingham | Aug 7, 2017 |
If one of your goals for 2017 is to pass the CCM Exam, this is your last chance!
The application window for the August 2017 exam is closed, but the December exam window is now open. You can sign up to take the December CCM exam that will move your career to the next level until September 30, 2017.
Completing your application is easier than ever. The entire application can be done online where you will find everything you need to complete your application. (more…)
by Deanna Gillingham | May 10, 2017 |
You’re used to taking exams as a professional, and as you know, each test is slightly different. Today, I’d like to go over the layout for the CCM Exam Prep and offer 8 Tips For Success to help you prepare.
When I began studying I didn’t know where to begin. I started by looking at CCMC’s website. They have a lot of valuable information, but it is not easy to find everything you are looking for in one spot. Here is a summary of the information you need to know when preparing for the exam.
CCM Exam Overview
The CCM Exam is administered three times a year in April, August, and December.
The application window opens five months before the exam and remains open for three months.
The CCM exam is administered at Prometric test centers. After being approved by CCMC to sit for the exam you will receive information to contact Prometric to schedule your exam date.
Quick Tip: As soon as you get your authorization from CCMC to sit for the exam, be sure to contact Prometric to get the test date of your choice, as some centers fill up fast!
In order to sit for the CCM exam, you must meet the eligibility criteria. Take a look at this post for specific eligibility information.
According to CCMC, “The CCM exam is practice-based, meaning all questions are based on the knowledge that an experienced case manager should know and understand. There is not any course or education required to take the exam or to prepare for the exam.”
The CCM Exam includes:
- 180 multiple choice questions (150 are scored, the other 30 are pretest questions that are being tested for possible inclusion of future tests)
- Covers 5 knowledge domains
- Questions are drawn from CCMC item pool
- 3 hours to complete
5 Knowledge Domains
The CCMC Exam questions cover the following five knowledge domains:
* approximately
Quick Tips for Preparing for The CCM Exam
Here are 8 specific tips for studying and taking the CCM exam:
Study Tips:
- The CCM exam was updated in December 2020, make sure you have the updated study materials.
- Plan study time according to the number of questions on the exam. Look at the number of questions in each domain and plan study time accordingly.
- A broad general knowledge is more important than memorizing facts. Have a general knowledge of the items in each domain. Here is a list of the domains.
- Know the Case Manager Philosophy and ensure your answers align with it.
- Study until you understand the information well enough to teach someone about it (especially the information you are not familiar with). When you understand the information that well, it is a good sign!
Exam Tips:
- Exam questions are direct. There are no “all of the above” or “none of the above” questions.
- Answer questions according to how Case Managers, in general, would answer, not how it is done at your place of employment.
- Breathe! When you get to the exam, write “BREATHE” at the top of your scratch paper, and look at it when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Hopefully, this helps you have an idea of what to expect on the exam.
If you are looking for study materials, the CCM Study Guide along with one of our Online CCM Prep Courses is sure to help you feel confident and ready to take the exam.
I have put together a free step by step guide to studying for the CCM exam called Successful Study Strategies. If you would like me to email it to you, simply complete the form below with your personal email address and it will be on its way to you. You will be able to save this to your computer for future use and print it off if you like. Please use your personal email address and not your work email address, as most employers’ emails will not accept emails with attachments.
by Deanna Gillingham | May 1, 2017 |
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about how amazing becoming a certified case manager is. We’ve gone over how your career will grow, your earnings will increase, and how more employment opportunities await certified case managers. We’ve even talked about the great conferences to attend!
So, you’ve been reading about case management and have decided it is a career move you’d love to pursue. Let’s go over the details of eligibility.
Are You Eligible?
As our world continues to change, the demand for patient-centered healthcare is increasing rapidly. As a result, the need for professional case managers has grown substantially.
The Commission for Case Manager Certification has heeded this need by changing the eligibility criteria for case managers seeking board certification. These changes give much better – qualified professionals the opportunity to take their career to the next level.
According to the CCM Certification Guide, there are 3 areas of qualification applicants must meet to be eligible to take the exam.
- Meet specific licensure or education requirements.
- Qualify within one of CCMC’s employment category experience categories.
- Be of good moral character, consistent with the CCMC Code of Professional Conduct.
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by Deanna Gillingham | Mar 27, 2017
The April Certified Case Manager exam is coming up!
Are you excited? Feeling ready? Well, Deanna has updated the post even though the exam has remained the same. Click the link below to go to the newest article. https://casemanagementstudyguide.com/last-minute-tips-to-pass-the-ccm-exam/
Here are a few tips for the last week of preparation.
Day Before the Exam
- Ensure you know where the exam will be administered, and this is a good time to do a “test drive” so you’re aware of traffic issues, where to park, etc.
- Take the day off from studying
- Watch your caffeine intake
- Help prepare your body for sleep by doing a physically tiring activity such as jogging, swimming or biking
Night Before the Exam
- Eat a healthy dinner that won’t cause heartburn or indigestion
- Set out or pack everything you need for the next morning, clothes, notes, directions to the testing center, etc.
- The few minutes right before you go to sleep are great for memorization, read over the main points in your notes, vocabulary words, etc.
- Set an alarm, maybe two, just in case
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by Deanna Gillingham | Jan 5, 2015
This is the time of the year when we decide what we want to accomplish in the new year. As I sat down to write my goals for 2015, I started by reviewing the ones I had for 2014 and reflecting on the year that had just past. I had one huge goal related to my career, to become a certified case manager by passing the CCM Exam. This goal was important, because as a condition of my employment I needed to pass it within the next year. Sure I could change jobs, but I loved being a case manager.
But taking a certification exam was not something I wanted to do. You see, years earlier I had obtained my certification in oncology nursing. I found it to be an extremely stressful and time consuming process. And to make matters worse, after I obtained my certification I found out my employer, who encouraged the certification, did not pay any extra to their certified nurses. I stated I would never put myself through that again, yet I found myself 15 years later eating those words.
I decided to make the best of it and do things differently this time. After years of homeschooling my children, I had picked up a thing or two about learning. One thing I knew about myself was that I learned better when I was teaching. At the time I did not know anyone else taking the exam, so I decided to create a website where I could “teach” others as I was studying for the exam.
I began studying by reading case management exam prep books. When I felt I was ready to take the exam I went online to apply. After applying I received the “exam blueprint” from The Commission for Case Management Certification. I realized that I had no idea what some of the topics covered on the exam even were, let alone feeling prepared to be tested on them. I got more exam prep books, but could not find all the information I was looking for.
I started doing my own research on the topics covered on the exam. I spent countless hours searching the
internet and other resources trying to find all the information I felt I needed to pass the exam. I also searched online for other case managers preparing for the CCM exam and started a virtual study group. We were all working in different areas of case management and were able to help each other understand the different areas covered on the exam.
After 10 months of studying and preparing I finally sat for my certification in April. I felt prepared but nervous, it had been 15 years since I had taken a test like this. After completing all the questions I truly felt I had not passed. Then I went back and looked at the flagged questions. There were not as many as I initially thought. I reviewed these and it seemed my initial answers
were correct for most of them. I was feeling more confident that I would indeed pass. I sat there with my hand over the submit button knowing once I clicked on it there was no turning back. I finally pushed the submit button. It seemed like it took forever before I saw my results…preliminary pass. It felt as if the world had been lifted off my shoulders.
Even though I had passed the exam, I could not give up working on my website and coaching others who were taking the exam. I knew how stressful and time consuming it had been for me, and wanted to help others as much as I could. I also began writing the exam prep book I wish I had when studying for the exam.
While writing CCM Certification Made Easy, I requested a raise based on my new certification. It appeared history was repeating itself. I was told that case management certification was a condition of my employment, and that no matter what I did, I was locked into my current salary. But this time I didn’t give up, and a few short months later I landed a new job, working out of my home, with a 15% pay increase.
In December I achieved my childhood dream of writing a book. My goal to pass the exam turned into a huge accomplishment. I never realized how obtaining certification could change my life.
If passing the CCM exam is on your list of goals for 2016 I hope you will check out my book, on my website www.CaseManagementStudyGuide.com
