Castleport Test Prep

CPC Allowed Books: Editions, eBooks, Notes and Tabs

The CPC allowed books for AAPC's Certified Professional Coder exam are these three code books. You can use them as your own printed manuals or as the eBooks built into the exam platform.

The three CPC allowed code books
Book What AAPC allows
CPT AMA CPT Professional Edition only. No other publisher's CPT book.
ICD-10-CM An ICD-10-CM code book from any publisher.
HCPCS Level II A HCPCS Level II code book from any publisher.

For a U.S. CPC exam in 2026: print books can be 2026 or 2025 editions, one copy of each. Platform eBooks are current-year. ICD-10-PCS is not on the CPC list and doesn't replace ICD-10-CM. Sources: AAPC's CPC code book requirements and the allowed-references list in AAPC's Examinee Instructions.

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified October 21, 2026

Which year's books can you use?

AAPC's general rule is to build exams on the current calendar year's code sets; the 2026 HCPCS transition below was an exception. You may bring print books from the current year, the year before, or a mix of the two. You can't bring two editions of the same book. (AAPC edition policy)

Print editions for a CPC exam taken in 2026:

Print edition years for a CPC exam taken in 2026
Year on the book Allowed?
2026 Yes. AAPC recommends current-year books.
2025 Yes, as the previous year.
2024 or older No. AAPC says bringing them, such as 2024 books to a 2026 exam, forfeits your exam voucher.
2027 No. Next year's books aren't allowed.

Sources: AAPC edition policy and CPC book requirements.

Last year's book is permitted, but the exam still tests this year's codes. A 2025 CPT book won't contain codes added for 2026, which is why AAPC recommends current-year books.

Testing in November or December 2026? Watch your ICD-10-CM book. The FY2027 ICD-10-CM codes took effect for patient encounters and discharges on October 1, 2026. That clinical effective date doesn't make a 2027 book eligible for a 2026 exam. Bring a 2026 or 2025 edition.

Testing in 2027? The same rule points to 2027 or 2026 print books, which means 2025 books become too old. If you test in early 2027, confirm in your AAPC account or with AAPC support which editions your date accepts. (AAPC edition policy)

Retaking in a new year? AAPC doesn't let a second attempt in the next calendar year use the previous year's exam. Your retake follows the new year's book rule. (AAPC edition policy) Timing and attempt rules are on our AAPC exam retake policy page.

A 2026-only exception: AAPC moved exams to 2026 HCPCS Level II codes on March 2, 2026. Exams before that date used 2025 HCPCS codes, and either edition was accepted on or after it. (AAPC edition policy)

Can you use eBooks instead of printed books?

Yes, AAPC has allowed eBooks since January 2025. You pick one format for the exam; you can't use print and eBooks together. (AAPC: books for exams, eBooks vs. printed books)

Print versus platform eBooks
Feature Print eBook
What you use Your own manuals Standard eBooks built into the exam platform
Edition Current or previous year Current year
Your notes, highlights and tabs Yes, within the rules below No. You get clean copies.
Finding codes Tabs, index, page flipping A search feature for codes, guidelines and index entries

Sources: AAPC format guidance and why the eBook comes from a shared library.

How to choose. You select your format when you redeem your exam voucher. After scheduling, you can switch under Courses & Exams in your AAPC account up to 48 hours before the exam. Check your saved choice early. It isn't something to sort out with a proctor at check-in. (AAPC format guidance)

Your own eBooks and PDFs don't count. eBooks you bought are for studying only. Personal eBooks, PDFs and scanned or printed reproductions aren't allowed in the exam. (eBooks vs. printed books, CPC book requirements)

Which should you pick? If you've spent weeks tabbing and annotating and you find codes faster by flipping, print keeps that work. If you code faster with search and don't lean on your margin notes, eBooks remove any question about your markings. Either way, practice in the format you'll use. The CPC is 100 questions in 4 hours.

What notes, highlighting and tabs are allowed?

AAPC's test for print books comes down to two rules. Tabs can help you find a page, and notes must be brief and about daily coding work. Don't insert or attach extra reference material. (What notes are allowed in my exam books?, Aug. 18, 2026; What is allowed in our books?)

Rules for notes, highlighting, tabs and additions
Marking or addition Rule
Handwritten notes Allowed if they're brief and relate to daily coding activities
Highlighting Allowed when it relates to daily coding work
Tabs Allowed for navigation only: words or numbers that mark a page, not added information
Notes from study guides, practice exams or exam questions Not allowed, even if you rewrite them by hand
Long written passages Keep notes brief. Don't turn blank pages into a study guide.
Sticky notes, loose pages, printed inserts or attached materials Not allowed
Altered pages (marketing pages, table of contents, reference pages) Not allowed. Don't overwrite or repurpose them to add material.

A navigation tab and a sticky note aren't the same thing. Index tabs that label a page are fine. A sticky note is out, even with a reasonable coding reminder on it.

Seven examples of applying the rules

These are our own examples, showing how AAPC's published rules apply. They aren't rulings from AAPC.

  1. A tab labeled "E/M" on the first page of the E/M section. Navigation tab. It marks a page with a word.
  2. A margin note in CPT: "Check the descriptor for 'bilateral' before adding modifier 50." Daily-coding reminder. A brief reminder you'd use on the job. (CMS bilateral-procedure guidance, p. I-34)
  3. A margin note in HCPCS: "Check the drug-code descriptor's billing-unit amount." Daily-coding reminder. Brief and about daily coding. Written on a sticky note instead, it would be prohibited. (CMS drug-code billing guidance, section 10)
  4. "Practice exam B, #42 — answer is C" written beside a code. Prohibited. Practice-exam content.
  5. A "most-tested codes" list copied by hand from a study guide onto a blank notes page. Prohibited. Study-guide content.
  6. A tab printed with a table of modifiers and their meanings. Prohibited. The tab adds information instead of just marking a page.
  7. Your CPT book taken apart and moved into a three-ring binder. Prohibited. AAPC doesn't allow books to be taken apart or placed in a separate binder. (AAPC materials guidance)

One questionable margin note isn't worth a problem at check-in. If a note is borderline or your book has an unusual condition the rules don't clearly cover, ask AAPC support how to handle it before exam day. Castleport can't approve a specific book.

What other materials aren't allowed?

  • Photocopied manuals, and books moved into binders. Neither is permitted. (What books and materials can I use?, Aug. 18, 2026)
  • Separate notebooks or paper notes. Not permitted. (Notes rules)
  • Study guides and other coding references. AAPC's prohibited list includes study guides, Procedural Coding Expert, CPT Plus! (PMIC) and CPT Insider's View (AMA). Check the full list in AAPC's Examinee Instructions for any title you're unsure about.
  • ICD-10-PCS and specialty references. These aren't on the CPC list. They're used on other AAPC exams.

"Any publisher" for ICD-10-CM and HCPCS means a regular code book of that code set. It isn't approval for every coding aid with "ICD-10-CM" in its title. (AAPC: ICD-10-CM book of your choice, prohibited-reference list)

For technology, ID and room rules, follow your exam confirmation and AAPC's exam-day instructions. Outside the U.S., arrangements can differ. At Indian testing centers, for example, AAPC provides the code books.

Check your CPC exam books before exam day

Run through this about a week out, while there's still time to fix a problem.

  1. Confirm your exam date's year. For a 2026 exam, use the edition table above. If a rescheduled date or a retake moves into another year, recheck AAPC's edition policy.
  2. If you chose print, count your books. Exactly three: AMA CPT Professional Edition, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II. Put ICD-10-PCS and anything else away.
  3. For print, check each cover. The CPT book should say AMA and Professional Edition. Every book should be the current or previous year, with nothing older and nothing labeled for next year.
  4. Check your saved format in Courses & Exams. Make any change at least 48 hours before the exam. If you chose eBooks, keep printed books out of the exam workspace.
  5. For print, page through every note. Notes from a practice exam, study guide or test question aren't allowed. Keep notes brief, and ask AAPC how to handle any existing note that may violate the rule.
  6. For print, check what's added to the books. Tabs should only label pages. Take out sticky notes, loose pages, inserts and photocopies. Don't take books apart or move their pages into separate binders.
  7. Read your exam confirmation's reference instructions, and contact AAPC about anything unusual before exam day.

This checklist organizes AAPC's published rules. It doesn't replace AAPC's decision about your materials.

Once your books are set, practice with them open. Our CPC exam prep guide covers how to study, and the CPC exam requirements page covers eligibility and exam format. For buying a voucher and scheduling, see AAPC exam registration.

Sources and verification

Last verified: October 21, 2026. We checked AAPC's published CPC book list, allowed edition years, print and eBook options, the format-change deadline, and the rules for notes, tabs, inserts, copies and binding. We also checked the allowed-references list in AAPC's Examinee Instructions PDF, the CMS clinical-code effective date and the CMS guidance behind the two coding reminders. We did not test AAPC account screens or inspect anyone's books.

AI tools assisted drafting and source checks. These checks do not constitute credentialed subject-matter review. See our editorial standards.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher, not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by AAPC or the American Medical Association. Exam, credential and code-set names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners.