Exam Preparation

Exam Description

• 2.5 hour "open book" examination
• 100 multiple choice questions
• At Exam Check-in time, candidates must present 2 forms of Identification, one of which must be valid government issued ID.
• Content based on the current OASIS data collection rules and guidance provided by CMS (Visit our Resources page).
• Exam results are reported as Pass or Fail.
• Exam score is based upon the number of questions answered correctly.
• COS-C exam pass rate for 2021 was 78%, that is, 78 out of every 100 candidates achieved a passing score in 2021.

General Guidance

• Arrive at least 30 minutes prior the exam time to sign-in and get settled.
• Candidates must be signed in and seated 15 minutes before exam start time or tardiness may cause candidate to forfeit some of the 2.5 hour exam time.
• Exam is open book & open notes: Candidates are allowed to bring ANY paper-based OASIS reference materials into the examination, including, but not limited to CMS Core OASIS Documents, OASIS Guidance Manual, CMS OASIS Q&A’s, the Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy handout and an INSTANT OASIS Answers book. Reference materials may include handwritten notes, loose notes, tabs and flags as page markers.
• Electronic equipment of any kind may not be used in or out of the exam room during the testing time. Cell phones will be turned off.
• At Pencil & Paper test and Remote Online test, beverages are permitted in the testing environment at your own risk. No additional time is given to clean up a spill. At Computer-Based Tests (CBT), NO beverages are allowed in the testing room.
• Food is not allowed in the exam room except for medical reasons.
• Independent study of the current OASIS data collection rules and guidance provided by CMS is encouraged though is not required.
• Use the domain descriptions below as a guide for any exam review and preparation and try the sample questions that are included.

Description of COS-C Exam Domains with Sample Questions and Study Resources

Sample questions and study resources for these domains are provided below:

• Time Points
• Patient Populations
• Regulations
• Item-by-Item Guidance

Description: The Time Points for Data Collection Domain tests your knowledge of situations and events which trigger mandatory OASIS data collection. You will need to understand when OASIS data for Start of Care, Resumption of Care, Recertification, Other Follow-up, Transfer, Death at Home and Discharge is required to be collected. A good understanding of Time Points means that you can not only identify specific situations when OASIS data must be collected, but can also discern when OASIS data collection would not be required. You could be presented with scenarios that include information such as the patient's age, payer, discharging facility, services ordered, events occurring during or following the clinician's visit and questions about which OASIS data would be required.

Study Focus:
• OASIS Guidance Manual, Chapter 3, M0100
• CMS OASIS Q&As included in Category 2, 3 and the M0100 Category 4b Q&As
• CMS OASIS Assessment Reference Sheet

Sample Question:

Question: On a routine revisit, your patient tells you that since the last time you visited she has had a three-day in-patient hospital stay to treat an exacerbation of COPD and now has several new medications which she doesn't know how to take properly. Select the response that reflects the OASIS data collection required by the scenario described.

a. No OASIS data collection is required
b. RFA 5 Other Follow-up assessment
c. RFA 6 Transfer to an inpatient facility-patient not discharged from agency, and RFA 3 Resumption of Care assessments
d. RFA 4 Recertification assessments

Correct Response: (c)

Description: The Patient Populations Domain tests your knowledge regarding which patients require OASIS data collection. You could be presented with a scenario that describes a patient's payer, age, services ordered, and be required to apply the CMS guidance to determine if OASIS data collection is or is not required, based on the information provided.

Study Focus:
• OASIS Guidance Manual, Chapter 3, M0150
• CMS OASIS Q&As, Category 1

Sample Question:

Question: Which of the following patients requires OASIS data collection?

a. A 78-year-old patient with a primary diagnosis of Heart Failure admitted to the Hospice Medicare benefit.
b. A 17-year-old victim of a gunshot who requires daily packing of a wound; Medicaid is the payer.
c. A 47-year-old patient who qualifies for Medicare disability insurance and requires diabetic teaching and drug monitoring.
d. A 31-year-old patient with a wound infection that is status-post Cesarean section.

Correct Response: (c)

Description: The OASIS Related Regulations Domain tests your knowledge of the OASIS CMS Regulations regarding OASIS data collection. Specifically, you will need to have a good working knowledge of the Condition of Participation, Section 484.55, The Comprehensive Assessment of Patients; including each of the five Standards: Initial assessment visit, Comprehensive assessment, Drug regimen review, Update of the comprehensive assessment and Incorporation of OASIS data items.

Study Focus:
• Condition of Participation, 484.55, Comprehensive Assessment of Patients
• CMS OASIS Q&As, Category 2 and Category 4b, M0080 Q&As

Sample Question:

Question: The Conditions of Participation require that a drug regimen review be performed as part of:

a. Every comprehensive assessment
b. The Start of Care comprehensive assessment only
c. The Start of Care, Resumption of Care and Discharge comprehensive assessments only
d. The Start of Care, Resumption of Care, Recertification, and Discharge assessments only

Correct Response: (a)

Description: The Item-by-Item Guidance Domain tests your mastery of OASIS item-specific guidance and scoring conventions for the various content areas of the OASIS data set: Demographics, Sensory Status & Wounds, Respiratory, Elimination & Neurobehavioral Status, ADLs & IADLs, Medication, Equipment, Therapy Need, Emergent Care, Inpatient Admission, Discharge, Functional Activities and Goals, and Falls. You will need to understand the intent of each OASIS item and have a working familiarity with all the special rules included in the Response-Specific Instructions for each item in Chapter 3 of the OASIS Guidance Manual and with related CMS Q&As. You may be presented with a question that is testing your knowledge of a fact regarding an OASIS item. Alternatively, you may be presented with a scenario, and asked to determine which response option should be selected for a particular OASIS item, based on the details provided in the Exam scenario. The Exam scenario will provide you all the details needed to successfully apply the CMS guidance and select the single correct response. The Exam is open book, so as time allows, you will be able to consult your references as needed.

Study Focus:
• OASIS Guidance Manual, Chapter 1, Conventions
• OASIS Guidance Manual, Chapter 3, Item Guidance
• CMS OASIS Q&As, Category 4b

Item-by-Item Content Area 1: Demographics - Clinical Record Items, Patient History and Diagnoses & Living Arrangements (M0010-M1100)

Sample Question:

Question: Your patient had orthopedic surgery on her right hip on January 5th. After postoperative complications, she was discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility on January 11th for therapy. She was discharged from the facility on January 19th. You are conducting the Start of Care assessment for an episode with a January 20th SOC date.

The correct response(s) to M1000, Inpatient Facility Discharges during the past 14 days, would be:

a. 3 - Short-stay acute hospital (IPPS)
b. 5 - Inpatient rehabilitation hospital or unit (IRF)
c. 3 - Short-stay acute hospital (IPPS) and 5–Inpatient rehabilitation hospital or unit (IRF)
d. NA - Patient was not discharged from an inpatient facility

Correct Response: (c)


Item-by-Item Content Area 2: Sensory Status & Wounds (M1200-M1342)

Sample Question:

Question:  At the Start of Care, your patient has a Stage 1 pressure ulcer on his right elbow, a Stage 2 pressure ulcer on his left elbow and a Stage 4 pressure ulcer on his left hip that closed 4 years ago.

Select the answer that contains the best responses for M1311 at the SOC assessment:

a. A1 = 1, B1 = 0, C1 = 0, D1 = 0, E1 = 0, F1 = 0
b. A1 = 1, B1 = 0, C1 = 1, D1 = 0, E1 = 0, F1 = 0
c. A1 = 0, B1 = 0, C1 = 1, D1 = 0, E1 = 0, F1 = 1
d. A1 = 1, B1 = 1, C1 = 0, D1 = 0, E1 = 0, F1 = 0

Correct Response: (a)

 

Item-by-Item Content Area 3: Respiratory, Elimination & Neuro / Emotional / Behavioral Status (M1400-M1745)

Sample Question:

Question: Your patient requires intermittent catheterization to relieve urinary retention and also experiences stress incontinence when sneezing. The best response for M1610, Urinary Incontinence or Urinary Catheter Presence would be:

a. 1 - Patient is incontinent and 2 - Patient requires a urinary catheter
b. 0 - No incontinence or catheter (includes anuria or ostomy for urinary drainage)
c. 1 - Patient is incontinent only
d. 2 - Patient requires a urinary catheter (i.e. external, indwelling, intermittent, suprapubic) only

Correct Response: (d)

 

Item-by-Item Content Area 4: ADLs/IADLs (M1800-M1910)

Sample Question:

Question: Your patient had abdominal surgery last week and now has an open wound which requires daily dressing changes. You are completing your comprehensive assessment and note that she is wearing a housedress with slippers and no socks. She tells you that she hasn't tried to put on her regular clothes (which she describes as her underwear, pants, shoes and socks) because she is "afraid something will break" referencing her open wound if she bends too much. You ask her if she would try to dress while you are there with her and she demonstrates that she is too afraid and uncomfortable for the mobility required to dress her lower body. The patient usually wears pants, underwear, socks, and shoes with orthotic inserts.

The correct response for M1820, Ability to Dress Lower Body, would be:
a. 1 - Able to dress lower body without assistance if clothing and shoes are laid out or handed to the patient.
b. 2 - Someone must help the patient put on undergarments, slacks, socks or nylons and shoes.
c. 3 - Patient depends entirely upon another person to dress lower body
d. UK – Unknown

Correct Response: (c)

 

Item-by-Item Content Area 5: Medications, Care Management, Therapy Need and Plan of Care (M2001-M2200)

Sample Question:

Question: On Tuesday, the Start of Care date, in order to complete the drug regimen review, the physical therapist provided the RN in the office with a list of all medications the patient was taking, the patient's physical and cognitive status and details regarding the patient's stated noncompliance with her prescribed oral antibiotic regimen which the therapist thought was a significant medication issue. The nurse finished the drug regimen review and called the report of the patient to the physician’s office. The physician’s office called the home health agency office nurse back on Wednesday with an appointment for the patient to be seen on Thursday. The agency nurse communicated the appointment to the patient immediately after speaking with the physician on Wednesday and also called the therapist to inform her of the physician’s response to the medication issue. The therapist used the information to complete the SOC assessment.
Based on this scenario, how would M2001 Drug Regimen Review and M2003 Medication Follow-up be answered on the Start of Care assessment?

a. M2001 = 0 – No. No issues found during review; M2003 = skipped
b. M2001 = 1 – Yes. Issues found during review; M2003 = 0 – No follow up or completed interventions by midnight of the next calendar day.
c. M2001 = 1 – Yes. Issues found during review; M2003 = 1 – Yes – Follow up and interventions completed by midnight of the next calendar day.
d. M2001= 9 – NA. Patient not taking any medications; M2003 = Skipped

Correct Response: (c)

 

Item-by-Item Content Area 6: Emergent Care, Inpatient Admission and Agency Discharge (M2301-M2420, M0906)

Sample Question:

Question: A record review indicated that Mrs. Black was admitted to the home health agency on August 30. Two weeks later she was seen in the ER for chest pain and released after treatment with a GI cocktail. Mrs. Black is in her second certification period and the nurse made a prn visit after receiving a call that the patient's port-a-cath, used for chemotherapy, was oozing blood. After assessing the patient who also had complaints of weakness and nausea, the nurse placed a call to the physician who arranged for the patient to be directly admitted to a hospital bed where the patient remained as an inpatient for two days.

When completing the Transfer to Inpatient OASIS assessment, the correct response(s) for M2301, Emergent Care, would be:

a. 0 – No
b. 1 – Yes, used hospital emergency department WITHOUT hospital admission
c. 2 – Yes, used hospital emergency department WITH hospital admission
d. UK – Unknown

Correct Response: (b)

 

Item-by-Item Content Area 7: Functional Activities and Goals, and Falls (GG0100-GG0170, J1800-J1900)

Sample Question:

Question: Prior to her recent illness, Mrs. Cole walked around her home with a cane and supervision. During the SOC assessment, the physical therapist determines that it is unsafe for the patient to attempt ambulation and works with Mrs. Cole on lower extremity strengthening and balance activities. When completing the SOC assessment, GG0170I - Walk 10 feet would be:

a. 01. Dependent
b. 09. Not applicable
c. 10. Not attempted due to environmental limitations
d. 88. Not attempted due to medical conditions or safety concerns

Correct Response: (d)