Castleport Test Prep

CPC Exam Prep: Free Study Guide, Practice Questions and 6-Week Plan

Use this free CPC exam prep guide to practice documentation reading, code lookup and timing for AAPC's Certified Professional Coder exam. Examples use 2026 code references, and the six-week plan assumes you've already started learning to code.

Start with this 20-minute coding session

Original, unofficial practice. Have your ICD-10-CM book or an official FY2026 ICD-10-CM file open.

Worked example W01 — from documentation to a diagnosis code

At a physician-office visit on March 16, 2026, the clinician documents: "Acute cough. Possible bronchitis; cause not confirmed at this visit." No other condition affects the care provided.

Your task: Which diagnosis code can you report from this record? Do the lookup before you open the solution.

Show the worked solution

Report R05.1, Acute cough.

  1. Pull out what's confirmed. The cough is documented as acute. Bronchitis is only "possible," and the note says the cause wasn't confirmed.
  2. Leave the uncertain diagnosis out. In outpatient and physician-office coding, you don't code a diagnosis described with uncertainty ("probable," "suspected," "rule out" and similar terms). You code to the highest certainty reached at the visit, which here is the symptom. (FY2026 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section IV.H, p. 114)
  3. Symptom codes are acceptable when no definitive diagnosis is established. (Same guidelines, Section I.B.4, p. 13, and Section I.B.18, p. 17)
  4. Look it up, then verify it. In the Alphabetic Index, go to Cough → acute. Then confirm R05.1 and read the notes at category R05 in the Tabular List. The guidelines say to use both the Index and the Tabular List every time. (Section I.B.1, p. 12; CDC FY2026 Index and Tabular List)

"Acute" comes from the clinician's words, not from a duration you work out yourself. This example gives a diagnosis code only. It doesn't choose the office-visit code or say anything about payment.

The visit date matters: CMS's original FY2026 ICD-10-CM files cover encounters from October 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026. (CMS ICD-10 code files)

Finish the session (about 20 minutes):

Suggested minutes for finishing the 20-minute opening coding session
Minutes Do this
2 Read the note and underline the confirmed condition.
8 Trace the Index-to-Tabular lookup and compare it with the solution.
8 Answer Questions 1 and 2 below.
2 Write one correction or open question in your error log.

These minutes are a study suggestion, not an exam time limit.

Choose your starting point

Where to start in this guide based on your current preparation
Where you are What to do next
New to medical terminology and anatomy Start with Question 7 and Week 1 of the plan, and stretch the foundation sessions until the examples make sense. Six weeks is a review pace, not a deadline for learning the field.
You know the basics but get lost in the books Start Week 1's navigation sessions and the print or eBook drills.
You've studied before but keep missing questions Do all eight starter questions, log why you missed or guessed each one, then start with the matching correction task. Use fresh practice questions after that; remembered answers don't count as new evidence.

AAPC describes medical terminology, anatomy and pathophysiology as the foundation for coding training. (AAPC prerequisite training FAQ) That's a description of what you need to know, not a requirement to buy a particular course. The order above is our editorial recommendation.

What the CPC exam covers

CPC exam facts: owner, format, time, passing requirement, references and test location
Exam fact Current answer
Exam owner AAPC, which issues the CPC credential
Format 100 multiple-choice questions in one sitting
Time 4 hours
Passing requirement At least 70 of 100 correct (70%)
References Open code book: AMA CPT Professional Edition, plus ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II from a publisher of your choice
Where you test At a testing center or at home with a live remote proctor

Sources: AAPC, Taking the CPC exam · AAPC passing-score FAQ · AAPC Examinee Instructions (PDF) · AAPC exam registration steps

AAPC publishes how the 100 questions are spread across 17 knowledge areas plus a block of medical-record cases (AAPC, "Breakdown of the 100-question CPC exam"):

AAPC published distribution of the 100 CPC exam questions by category
Published category Questions
Medical terminology 4
Anatomy 4
Compliance and regulatory 3
Coding guidelines 7
ICD-10-CM 5
HCPCS Level II 3
CPT 10000 series 6
CPT 20000 series 6
CPT 30000 series 6
CPT 40000 series 6
CPT 50000 series 6
CPT 60000 series 6
Radiology 6
Pathology and laboratory 6
Medicine 6
Evaluation and management 6
Anesthesia 4
Cases 10
Total 100

Don't divide your study hours by these counts. Terminology, anatomy and guideline skills also matter when you work through coding questions and cases. A small category can still deserve a lot of time if it's where your mistakes are.

Set up the right references before you practice

AAPC reference book decisions: books, year, 2026 HCPCS exception, 2027 testing, format, notes and tabs
Decision What AAPC's rules say, and what to do about it
Which books CPT must be the AMA Professional Edition. ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II can be any publisher. Only one copy of each book. ICD-10-PCS is a hospital inpatient procedure system; it isn't a substitute for any of these. (Examinee Instructions · CMS MLN E/M booklet, p. 23)
Which year Exams use the current calendar year's code sets and update each January. For print books, you may use the current year's books, the previous year's, or a mix, but nothing older and nothing for next year. AAPC recommends current-year books. (AAPC book-year rule)
2026 HCPCS exception AAPC's exams used 2025 HCPCS Level II codes before March 2, 2026. On or after March 2, the exams use 2026 HCPCS Level II codes; either the 2025 or 2026 HCPCS book is allowed. (AAPC book-year rule)
Testing in 2027 A sitting in the next calendar year means the next year's exam, including a second attempt. Recheck AAPC's book rule before you buy books for a 2027 date.
Print or eBook You choose when you redeem your voucher and can change up to 48 hours before the exam. eBooks come from a shared library with a search tool; your personal notes and highlights don't carry over. Exam eBooks are current-year versions. (Examinee Instructions · AAPC book-format choice · AAPC on shared eBooks)
Notes and tabs in print books Handwritten notes about daily coding work are allowed. Tabs that label pages with words or numbers are allowed. Notes from study guides, practice exams or exam questions are not, and neither are tabs that add information. (AAPC: what's allowed in your books)

One clinical calendar runs alongside this. CMS's FY2027 ICD-10-CM files apply to health care encounters from October 1, 2026. (CMS ICD-10 code files) That's the date coders at work switch. It isn't AAPC's exam changeover, which follows the book-year rule above.

If you'll test with print books: practice with the exact books you'll bring. Build a tab system that labels pages and nothing more, and keep this page's questions and your error log in a separate notebook.

If you'll test with eBooks: practice in a clean copy with no notes. Get used to searching, then confirming each result where the code actually lives, because the search box finds words, not the right answer.

Review the coding decisions behind the questions

Read the note before choosing a code

Wrong answers can start before the code book opens. Documentation abstraction means pulling out only the facts the record actually states. Use four fields every time:

  1. Setting: where the service happened (office, hospital outpatient, and so on).
  2. Condition or reason for the service: confirmed, or only suspected?
  3. Service performed: what was actually done, not what was ordered or planned.
  4. Missing detail: anything the code choice needs that the record doesn't say.

For W01, that's: physician office; acute cough confirmed, bronchitis possible only; an office visit; nothing missing for the diagnosis code. When a detail is missing, write "missing." Don't fill the gap with a guess.

Finish every ICD-10-CM lookup

The Alphabetic Index points you to a code. The Tabular List tells you whether that code is complete and what notes apply. Stopping at the Index leaves the Tabular instructions unchecked, which is why the guidelines require both steps. (FY2026 Guidelines, Section I.B.1)

For W01, write three things in your notebook: the Index path you followed, the final code, and any Tabular instruction you had to obey. Use Questions 1 and 2 to check that your method includes Tabular verification and preserves documented laterality. Laterality is a common trap. In Question 2, the left-side code is the only one that keeps the documented detail. (Section I.B.13, p. 15)

Separate the procedure from the approach

For surgery questions, distinguish what was completed from what was attempted. Medicare's National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) manual is direct about one case: if a laparoscopic or endoscopic approach fails and the surgeon converts to an open approach and finishes the same procedure, report only the completed procedure. (2026 NCCI Policy Manual, Chapter I, Section C, items 11–13, pp. I-11–I-12; Section M, pp. I-24–I-25)

Reference task: open the guidelines at the start of each CPT surgery section (10000 through 60000 series). For each, write two details the section asks you to tell apart, such as approach, size or number. Every section has its own rules, so don't assume one section's rule answers another's question.

Review E/M with the setting in view

Evaluation and management (E/M) codes report visits. For most E/M visit families, including office and outpatient visits, the level is chosen by medical decision making (MDM) or by qualifying time under that visit family's rules. MDM is the complexity of the problems addressed, the data reviewed and the risk of the management options. CMS also states that the amount of history and exam is no longer a factor in choosing the level for these codes. (CMS MLN E/M booklet, May 2026, pp. 23–25; AMA on MDM and qualifying time)

When office/outpatient code selection uses time, count the physician's or other qualified health care professional's qualifying total time on the date of the encounter. (AMA on office/outpatient visit time)

For office/outpatient E/M visits, before you consider a level, write down the setting, whether the patient is new or established, and whether the note supports a level by MDM or by time. A long, copied note doesn't raise the level by itself (Question 3). The scoring tables live in your CPT book; learn them there.

Read the instructions inside each CPT section

Radiology, pathology and laboratory, anesthesia and medicine each open with their own guidelines. These drills train you to separate what was recorded from what was ordered or assumed before you ever look for a code. They aren't scored, and none of them asks you to pick a code.

Instruction: Fill in the four-field worksheet. Don't treat an order as proof a service happened, and don't infer anything the record doesn't say. If a drill does not state the setting or reason for the service, mark that field "not supplied."

Documentation drills DR01 to DR04 with fictional records and expected worksheet contents
Drill Record (fictional) What your worksheet should show
DR01 · Radiology Order: three-view right ankle study. Final report: right ankle radiographs, two views performed. Ordered: three views. Documented: two views of the right ankle. Keep the modality, side and number of views performed, then read the radiology instructions. No code assigned.
DR02 · Pathology and laboratory Order: chemistry panel. The performed-tests record lists sodium and potassium only. Ordered: a panel. Documented: sodium and potassium. Unknown: whether any other tests ran. Find the panel instructions without inventing tests or deciding on a panel code.
DR03 · Anesthesia Operative record: procedure began 09:00 and ended 09:45. No anesthesia start or stop times are recorded. Documented: the procedure's start and end. Missing: anesthesia time. Keep the two separate; don't calculate anesthesia time units from surgical times.
DR04 · Medicine An ECG tracing was obtained. The interpretation is pending. Documented: the tracing. Not documented: a completed interpretation and report. Note what documentation the medicine section's instructions require before any code choice.

Keep HCPCS quantities and code sets straight

HCPCS Level II is CMS's alphanumeric code set for products, supplies and services not included in CPT, such as ambulance services and durable medical equipment. (CMS HCPCS overview)

Drug codes add a units step. The code's description defines the amount in one unit, so you report the administered amount as multiples of that. CMS's own example: a 50 mg descriptor with 200 mg given is 4 units. (Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 17, Section 70) Always write the units next to the numbers (mg ÷ mg per unit = units). Question 4 practices the arithmetic; Question 8 practices choosing the right code set.

Separate a coding edit from a payment decision

NCCI procedure-to-procedure edits flag code pairs that usually shouldn't be reported together for Medicare. Each edit carries a modifier indicator: 0 means an NCCI-associated modifier can't bypass it; 1 means it can, when the clinical circumstances actually support it; 9 means not applicable (CMS uses it for edits deleted on the same date they took effect). (2026 NCCI Policy Manual, Chapter I, Section E, p. I-14)

An indicator of 1 gives permission, not proof. The documentation still has to show why the services were separate. NCCI edits also aren't coverage decisions. (CMS Medicare NCCI FAQ Library) When a question mentions an edit, ask yourself what it's really testing: coding, coverage or authorization.

Eight CPC starter questions with explanations

Original, unofficial practice written for this page. These aren't real or recalled exam questions, and your score on eight items doesn't estimate your chance of passing.

Pick one best answer for each question, then open the explanation.

CPC-PREP-Q01 — Verify an Index result

Topic: ICD-10-CM lookup

You find a documented diagnosis in the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index. What should you do before finalizing the code?

  • A. Report the Index code without further checking.
  • B. Verify it in the Tabular List and follow the applicable instructions.
  • C. Add a seventh character to every diagnosis code.
  • D. Choose whichever nearby code has the longest description.
Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. The guidelines require both the Alphabetic Index and the Tabular List when locating and assigning a code. The Tabular List shows whether the code is complete and which instructional notes apply. A stops too early. C invents a rule: only some categories need a seventh character. D swaps the actual rules for description length.

Source: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.B.1, p. 12

CPC-PREP-Q02 — Keep documented laterality

Topic: ICD-10-CM laterality

The clinician documents a condition of the left knee only. The code family offers right, left, bilateral and unspecified-side codes. Everything else about the code fits. Which do you choose?

  • A. Right
  • B. Bilateral
  • C. Unspecified side
  • D. Left
Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. The record names the left side, and a left-side code exists. A contradicts the record. B adds a side that isn't affected. C throws away detail the clinician documented.

Source: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.B.13, p. 15

CPC-PREP-Q03 — Review an office E/M level

Topic: Evaluation and management

A physician's office-visit note contains a long copied history. A trainee argues that the note's length alone supports a higher E/M level. What should guide the level instead?

  • A. The number of paragraphs in the note
  • B. The number of diagnoses copied from the problem list
  • C. The documented medical decision making (MDM) or qualifying time under the office/outpatient E/M rules
  • D. The practice's preferred reimbursement amount
Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. For office and outpatient visits, the level is selected by MDM or by time, and the extent of the history and exam isn't a factor in choosing the level. A and B count text instead of the work the note supports. D isn't a coding rule at all. This question doesn't point to a specific level.

Source: CMS MLN Evaluation and Management Services booklet (May 2026), pp. 24–25

CPC-PREP-Q04 — Convert an amount into HCPCS units

Topic: HCPCS Level II units (arithmetic)

In this arithmetic-only exercise, a hypothetical HCPCS drug code represents 5 mg per unit. The record shows 30 mg administered, with nothing discarded. How many units represent the administered amount?

  • A. 5
  • B. 6
  • C. 30
  • D. 150
Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. 30 mg ÷ 5 mg per unit = 6 units. A repeats the unit size. C reports milligrams as if they were units. D multiplies when you should divide.

Medicare reports drug units as multiples of the amount in the code's description. This item uses an exact multiple on purpose; doses that don't divide evenly, discarded drug and coverage are separate questions. It's a unit-conversion exercise, not a dosing recommendation.

Source: Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 17, Section 70

CPC-PREP-Q05 — Interpret NCCI modifier indicator 1

Topic: Compliance (Medicare NCCI)

A Medicare NCCI procedure-to-procedure edit has modifier indicator 1. What does that tell the coder?

  • A. Add a modifier to every claim containing the pair.
  • B. Both procedures are automatically covered.
  • C. Any two different diagnoses justify a modifier.
  • D. An appropriate NCCI-associated modifier may be used when the documented circumstances support it.
Show answer and explanation

Answer: D. Indicator 1 means a modifier can bypass the edit under appropriate clinical circumstances. It allows a justified modifier; it doesn't supply the justification. A makes bypassing automatic. B confuses a coding edit with coverage. C treats different diagnoses as enough proof on their own.

Sources: 2026 NCCI Policy Manual, Chapter I, Section E, p. I-14 · CMS Medicare NCCI FAQ Library

CPC-PREP-Q06 — Report the completed surgical approach

Topic: Surgery documentation (Medicare NCCI)

A planned laparoscopic procedure can't be completed. During the same encounter, the surgeon converts to an open approach and completes the same procedure. Under Medicare's NCCI rule, what do you report?

  • A. The completed open procedure
  • B. The failed laparoscopic procedure only
  • C. Both approaches, because both took time
  • D. Both approaches, with modifier 59 added automatically
Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. When a laparoscopic approach fails and is converted to open, only the completed open procedure is reported. The failed laparoscopic procedure isn't reported, and neither is a diagnostic laparoscopy in its place. B leaves out the service that was actually completed. C and D report the failed approach with no valid basis.

This applies to a failed approach followed by completion of the same procedure in the same encounter. Don't stretch it to every diagnostic scope that's followed by a different operation.

Source: 2026 NCCI Policy Manual, Chapter I, Section C, items 11–12, pp. I-11–I-12; Section E, p. I-16; Section M, pp. I-24–I-25

CPC-PREP-Q07 — Read a directional term

Topic: Anatomy and terminology

An operative note describes work at the distal end of the forearm. Which end is that?

  • A. The end nearer the elbow
  • B. The side nearer the body's midline
  • C. The end nearer the wrist
  • D. The back surface, regardless of distance from the trunk
Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. Distal means farther from the trunk or from where a body part begins, so the distal forearm is at the wrist. A describes proximal. B describes medial. D describes posterior.

Source: NCI SEER Training, Anatomical Terminology, "Directional Terms"

CPC-PREP-Q08 — Choose the right code set

Topic: HCPCS Level II and reference selection

A practice needs a code for a durable medical equipment item that isn't described by a CPT code. Which code set should the coder use?

  • A. ICD-10-CM
  • B. HCPCS Level II
  • C. ICD-10-PCS
  • D. CPT only
Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. HCPCS Level II covers products, supplies and services not included in CPT, including durable medical equipment. A classifies diagnoses, not items. C codes hospital inpatient procedures. D is the code set the question has already ruled out.

Sources: CMS, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) · CMS MLN Evaluation and Management Services booklet (May 2026), p. 23

What this set doesn't cover: most of the exam, including the hands-on procedure-code selection that fills the CPT series and cases. Treat it as a way to find your first weak spot, then keep going with the plan below. Getting all eight right isn't evidence you're ready.

Your six-week CPC review plan

This is our editorial plan, not an AAPC timeline. It assumes you've begun learning terminology and coding basics and have access to the permitted CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II references.

Time: six 60-minute sessions a week for six weeks, which is 36 sessions or 36 hours. Keep one day a week for rest or catch-up.

Every session runs the same way:

Structure of each 60-minute study session
Minutes Step
10 Recall something from an earlier session without looking.
20 Read the reference section named for the day.
20 Do the lookup, worksheet or question task.
10 Correct your work and log what happened.

The opening 20-minute session fits inside Session 1. Only the eight starter questions count toward your practice tally; W01 and the four drills are unscored, and repeating a lookup doesn't make it a new question.

Six-week CPC review plan, 36 sessions by week and session
Week · Session Task What you finish with
1 · 1 Do the opening session. Confirm which book types and years are allowed for your test date. W01 reasoning and a reference checklist
1 · 2 Answer Question 7. Review directional terms and tie each one to a place on the body. Six term-and-location pairs, checked against the source
1 · 3 Find the Alphabetic Index, Tabular List and general guidelines. Answer Question 1 without the answer showing. A written lookup sequence and one correction
1 · 4 Answer Question 2 and revisit W01's documented details. A list of details to keep before choosing any code
1 · 5 Find the major CPT sections and their guidelines in the format you'll test with. A navigation map in your separate notebook
1 · 6 Take all eight starter questions. Mark the ones you've seen as repeats and explain every uncertain choice. An item-by-item error log
2 · 1 Find the 10000 series and read its opening guidelines. A checklist of details the section asks you to distinguish
2 · 2 Find the 20000 series and connect its terms to anatomy. Five term-and-location pairs with page or section locations
2 · 3 Find the 30000 series and compare how its subsections are organized. A map of where to start for different documented services
2 · 4 Answer Question 6, then read the NCCI rule it's based on. Two columns: approach attempted, service completed
2 · 5 Redo one hard navigation task from Sessions 2·1 to 2·3 with the answer location hidden. A fresh lookup time and the spot where you went wrong
2 · 6 Fix the week's errors. Explain each fix before rereading the answer. Three short rule-plus-example notes, kept outside your exam books
3 · 1 Find the 40000 series and read its section guidelines. A documentation checklist tied to the section
3 · 2 Find the 50000 series and tell its subsections apart. A subsection navigation map
3 · 3 Find the 60000 series and look up unfamiliar terms. Five new terms with checked meanings and locations
3 · 4 Compare one guideline from each surgery series you've studied. A list of rules that belong to one section only
3 · 5 Use the four-field worksheet on a training record you already have, or redo W01 as a method drill. Setting, condition, service and missing detail (repeats labeled)
3 · 6 Fix errors and revisit your slowest surgery-section navigation. One priority for next week, based on what actually slowed you
4 · 1 Read the E/M review section and answer Question 3. A setting, patient-type and selection-basis checklist
4 · 2 Do drill DR03, then find the anesthesia guidelines on time and other reporting details. The worksheet and a list of guideline locations
4 · 3 Do drill DR01, then read the radiology guidelines, separating the service performed from the order. The worksheet and your unanswered lookup questions
4 · 4 Do drill DR02, then read the pathology and laboratory panel guidelines. The worksheet and what you'd need to confirm before using a panel code
4 · 5 Do drill DR04, then compare the medicine section's layout with the other service sections. The worksheet and a service-to-section map
4 · 6 Rebuild this week's five navigation routes without your notes. Separate log entries for rule errors and slow lookups
5 · 1 Answer Question 8 and review what each code set is for. A one-line rule: diagnosis, professional service, equipment
5 · 2 Answer Question 4 with units written out. Repeat with 20 mg and the same 5 mg unit. 30 ÷ 5 = 6 units; 20 ÷ 5 = 4 units
5 · 3 Answer Question 5 and read the NCCI section it cites. One sentence on permission versus justification
5 · 4 Review terminology, coding guidelines and compliance topics from AAPC's category list. A list marking what you reviewed and what still needs basic study
5 · 5 Run the worksheet-and-verify sequence on an unfamiliar training record, or explain W01 from memory. Your reasoning and source trail, labeled new or repeated
5 · 6 Check every row of AAPC's category table against your study log. A coverage checklist (it shows exposure, not mastery)
6 · 1 Fix your most frequent error type. One corrected method with an example
6 · 2 Fix your second most frequent error type. A second corrected method with an example
6 · 3 Rehearse with your chosen book format, dropping any notes you won't have on exam day. Navigation habits to keep or change
6 · 4 Do a timed block of fresh practice questions if you have them; otherwise time your reference drills. Your question results or lookup times, kept separate
6 · 5 Review the timed work, including lucky guesses and unfinished items. A correction list with reasons, not just answer letters
6 · 6 Check the exam-day list below and finish your top correction. Appointment and materials confirmed, plus your next study task

Adjust the plan to your situation

  • Starting from scratch: stretch Week 1 and each new topic as long as you need. This plan reviews; it doesn't replace learning to code.
  • Only three hours a week: keep the same order and spread the 36 sessions over about 12 weeks. That's just the arithmetic, not a minimum.
  • Retaking the exam: use your log to move weak topics earlier, but still cover every category. For booking a second attempt, see the AAPC exam registration steps.
  • Exam coming up soon: put your references first, then your actual mistakes, then known gaps. A shorter plan doesn't mean you're ready sooner.
  • Full-length rehearsal: if you have a fresh full-length practice exam from another source, give it the full four hours and review it in a separate session. This page doesn't include a 100-question mock exam.

Use your mistakes to choose the next session

Copy this log into a notebook or spreadsheet. Log lucky guesses too; they're mistakes you haven't made yet.

Error log template with one example row
Date and item My answer and why Cause Correct rule or method Source or book location Next task Recheck date
Example: Q04 I chose 30 because I treated the mg as units. Units Divide the amount given by the amount in one unit. CMS Chapter 17, Section 70; Q04 Redo an exact-multiple problem with units written out. You choose
Error cause and matching correction task
Cause Correction task
Documentation or terminology Underline the fact that decides the answer; define any unfamiliar term.
Reference navigation Redo the route with the answer location hidden; note the wrong turn.
Rule application State the rule and the condition that makes it apply here.
Lost specificity Compare the record with every detail the chosen code requires.
Units or arithmetic Write the starting unit, the conversion and the result unit before calculating.
Timing Work out whether the lookup or the reasoning was slow, and practice that part.
Lucky guess Explain the answer and check the source before marking it learned.

These labels help you decide what to study. They don't measure your ability or predict a score.

Practice a pace you can sustain

The CPC gives you 4 hours for 100 questions. That's 240 minutes ÷ 100 = 2.4 minutes per question on average, or 2 minutes 24 seconds.

Even-pace checkpoints for 100 questions in 240 minutes
Time used Even-pace checkpoint
60 minutes 25 questions
120 minutes 50 questions
180 minutes 75 questions
240 minutes 100 questions

These are checkpoints for pacing yourself, not sections the exam enforces or a limit per question. Some questions, especially cases, take longer than others. Practice skipping a slow item and coming back to it so one question can't eat your clock.

Before exam day

  1. Appointment and ID. Your confirmation and your government photo ID should show the same first and last name. (AAPC registration prerequisites · AAPC exam registration steps)
  2. Book format and year. Confirm print or eBook in your AAPC account at least 48 hours ahead, and check that your books fit the year rule.
  3. Allowed materials. Remove anything that breaks AAPC's notes and tabs rules, such as notes copied from practice questions.
  4. Testing setup. For an at-home exam, follow AAPC's at-home exam instructions and run the system check on the computer and connection you'll use. For a testing center, follow your confirmation instructions.
  5. Accommodations. If you need them, request them through AAPC before you schedule; for an at-home exam, AAPC asks for approval before you buy or schedule. (AAPC accommodations FAQ)

About CPC-A: CPC-A is the apprentice designation for people who pass this exam without meeting AAPC's experience requirement. It isn't a separate or easier exam. (AAPC CPC-A) Our medical billing and coding certification guide explains how the "A" is removed. Still deciding between credentials? Compare CBCS vs CPC.

Sources and verification

Last verified: October 20, 2026. We checked AAPC's published CPC format, passing requirement, book-year, eBook, and notes-and-tabs rules, and its Examinee Instructions. The question distribution comes from AAPC's "Taking the CPC exam" page. We checked each practice item and lesson against the CMS, CDC, AMA and NCI sources named beside it. The worked example was checked against the FY2026 ICD-10-CM guidelines and code files. The plan, drills and error log are our own study tools. This is a source check, not professional review, and AAPC hasn't reviewed or approved this page.

Main sources:

The Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team researched and wrote this guide with AI assistance and checked it against the sources above. See our editorial standards.

Independence. Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by AAPC. The practice items on this page are original and unofficial. Exam and credential names identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Nothing here guarantees a passing score, certification, employment or income.

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team

Health information exam resources