5 Tips to Prepare for Your CCI Exam

You've always been a go-getter, which is why you decided to take the CCI exam. CCI offers cardiovascular healthcare workers the opportunity to advance their careers through their CCI certification exam. Whether you've just graduated from an accredited program or you've been working in your field for years, earning this prestigious credential will be a boon to your career going forward.

No matter where you are on your professional path, test prep presents specific challenges that can make even experienced professionals anxious. Fortunately, with an organized study schedule and Exam Edge CCI practice exams, you can be certain that you're prepared for this important career goal.

CCI test prep is crucial to your success on the exam. Learning more about CCI and what they do is a great place to start.

What is the Cardiovascular Credentialing International Group?

The Cardiovascular Credentialing International group, or CCI, is a nonprofit corporation that offers professional certification to a range of cardiovascular healthcare professionals, such as Registered Vascular Specialists (RVS) or Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialists (RCIS).

Since 1968, they have overseen the CCI exam and provided professional support and continuing education opportunities. The goal of CCI is to promote growth in cardiovascular healthcare by holding members to a high professional benchmark.

The primary function of CCI is to administer the CCI certification exam. They also provide opportunities for continuing education and support in accessing and joining other professional organizations in cardiovascular healthcare fields.

Is CCI certification the same as licensing?

CCI certification is separate from state licensure — although both demonstrate that you have met the highest standards in your specialty. Some states do use the CCI certification exam in their licensing process. Either way, taking the CCI test will prove to current or future employers that you believe in and can demonstrate your medical skills and knowledge.

Who should take a CCI exam?

There are multiple ways to qualify for each specialty exam depending on where you are in your career. Specific specialties include Registered Congenital Cardiac Sonographers (RCCS), Registered Phlebology Sonographers (RPhS), Certified Rhythm Analysis Technicians (CRAT), and more. For a list of all cardiovascular specialty CCI exams, visit their website. Don't forget to check out all of the CCI practice tests offered by Exam Edge.

What are the benefits of having a CCI certification?

One of the primary reasons professionals decide to pursue CCI Cardiovascular Credentialing is to gain access to more job opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many employers require professional certification of their employees. Hospitals and healthcare facilities want to demonstrate that their employees meet and exceed the requirements of their jobs.

People have other reasons to take the CCI test — some simply value challenging themselves professionally. Others want to earn patient confidence by demonstrating to them their abilities, commitment, and know-how. You can discover more reasons to consider professional certification on the Exam Edge blog.

No matter your reasons, CCI practice exams should be an integral component of your study plan. Let's take a look at how you can prepare yourself for this challenging and valuable exam.

Helpful Tips to Prepare You for the CCI Exam

1) Take practice tests
More and more studies show that practice tests are an effective tool for learning and studying when compared to traditional study methods. Forget rereading notes and endlessly highlighting study materials for your CCI test. Known as the “testing effect,” this phenomenon shows that learning occurs when students practice recalling information as they would on test days. Think of your mind as a muscle: in order to make it stronger, you need to do repeated exercises on a regular basis. In the same way, practice tests help your brain learn to easily retrieve knowledge through repeated practice. On test day, you not only have the knowledge and experience, but the ability to access the correct answer efficiently, much like you would on the job. Exam Edge's CCI practice exams are modeled after the real exam, so you become familiar with the style of questions you will encounter. Our tests can be accessed 24/7 online from any device, so they will easily fit your busy schedule. You can take each test four times so you can see your improvement over time. All of these features make our practice tests the best way to improve your recall abilities.

2) Create a study schedule
Once you decide to take the CCI exam, you should start studying as soon as possible. Early preparation is key to success on test day. However, you don't want to dive in without a plan. Using Exam Edge practice tests as your CCI study material, make a plan to take one test a week. Each test gives you a score when you finish, you can easily track your progress. Ideally, you want to have at least a month to study before test day.

3) Make flashcards using CCI practice exam feedback

Flashcards are a great tool to use when you are preparing for your certifying exam. They help you practice recall and will enhance your learning over time. Overwhelmed by the thought of making hundreds of flashcards? The good news is, you don't have to! You only need to create them for what you don't know. But how can you figure out what you don't know? Our CCI practice exam will track which questions you do not answer correctly. This makes it easy to discover your knowledge gaps. Additionally, every question comes with a detailed explanation of the answers, so you don't need to go digging through textbooks to learn more. Don't want to write out flashcards by hand? There are a lot of phone apps that let you make flashcards, so you always have them with you. Even the process of making flashcards is an opportunity to absorb new information.

4) Practice paced studying

Paced studying is the opposite of cramming. Studying begins early and includes time in between study sessions. The brain can quickly tire from recalling so much knowledge, so it is key to give yourself a day or two between each practice testing session. On your days off, you can easily squeeze in 15 minutes to look at your flashcards. Slow and steady truly does win the race toward a passing score.

5) Don't study the day before test day
This may seem counterintuitive, but cramming more studying in the day before testing leaves you tired and stressed the next day. Instead, eat a healthy meal and go to bed early so you wake up refreshed and ready for your CCI test. Be sure to check to see if you need to bring anything to test day like proper identification. Other Exam Edge CCI practice exams include Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES), Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS), Cardiographic Technician (CCT), and more. With multiple tests for each specialty, you can create a paced study schedule that works for your life. Buy a Multi Test Value Pack to save and start preparing for your future certification today.