Free CPC Practice Test
Original CPC exam practice questions in all eighteen of AAPC’s content areas, written to the 2026 code sets, with an explanation for every answer.
Where are diagnostic cardiac catheterization and coronary stent placement codes found in CPT?
450 original questions · 150 CPT surgery questions across the 10000 to 60000 series · 34 medical record cases
CPC practice questions by area
AAPC lists how many of the 100 questions come from each of its eighteen content areas, from 3 compliance questions to the 10 cases at the end. Each area has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Medical Terminology
4 of 100 questions
Prefixes, suffixes and word roots for every body system, procedure names, directional terms and the abbreviations coders read in records.
Anatomy
4 of 100 questions
The structures behind the codes: skin layers, bones and joints, the heart and vessels, the digestive, urinary, reproductive and nervous systems.
Compliance
3 of 100 questions
Medicare Parts A to D, place of service, fraud and abuse laws, NCCI edits and MUEs, NCDs and LCDs, HIPAA, ABNs and RVUs.
Coding Guidelines
7 of 100 questions
ICD-10-CM conventions and outpatient guidelines, CPT conventions and parenthetical notes, add-on codes, global surgery and modifier use.
ICD-10-CM
5 of 100 questions
Diagnosis coding across the chapters: diabetes and hypertension combinations, injuries and seventh characters, poisoning, pregnancy, neoplasms and Z codes.
HCPCS Level II
3 of 100 questions
Drug units, Level II modifiers, supplies and equipment, ambulance and the Medicare preventive G codes.
Integumentary (10000s)
6 of 100 questions
Lesion excision by excised diameter, simple, intermediate and complex repairs, debridement, biopsies, grafts, Mohs surgery, nails and breast.
Musculoskeletal (20000s)
6 of 100 questions
Fracture and dislocation care, casts and splints, joint and trigger point injections, arthroscopy, arthroplasty and spine.
Cardiovascular and Respiratory (30000s)
6 of 100 questions
Nasal and sinus endoscopy, bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, pacemakers, bypass grafts, central venous access, bone marrow and lymph nodes.
Digestive (40000s)
6 of 100 questions
Colonoscopy and EGD, moderate sedation, gallbladder and appendix surgery, hernia repair, hemorrhoids, tonsils and bariatric procedures.
Urinary, Reproductive and OB (50000s)
6 of 100 questions
Cystoscopy, stones and stents, prostate and vasectomy, colposcopy, hysterectomy and hysteroscopy, and the global obstetric packages.
Nervous System (60000s)
6 of 100 questions
Epidural and facet injections, nerve blocks, chemodenervation, carpal tunnel release, laminotomy and laminectomy, and neurostimulators.
Radiology
6 of 100 questions
X-ray views, CT and MRI with and without contrast, ultrasound, mammography, nuclear medicine, imaging guidance and radiation oncology.
Pathology and Lab
6 of 100 questions
Organ and disease panels, drug testing, urinalysis, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, cytopathology and surgical pathology levels.
Medicine
6 of 100 questions
Immunizations, injections and infusions, ECG and echo, cardiac catheterization, psychotherapy, physical medicine, dialysis and sleep studies.
E/M
6 of 100 questions
Office visits by medical decision making or time, new and established patients, consultations, ED, hospital, critical care and preventive visits.
Anesthesia
4 of 100 questions
Anesthesia code selection, time reporting and units, physical status modifiers, qualifying circumstances and medical direction modifiers.
Cases
10 of 100 questions
Short medical records and operative notes coded with CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II together, as in the ten cases that end the exam.
Ready for the full exam?
100 questions in 4 hours in AAPC’s area counts with the 10 cases last, scored against the 70-correct pass line, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe CPC exam at a glance
Answer CPC practice questions written to AAPC’s content areas, read the explanation for every answer, then take a timed 100-question, 4-hour practice exam with AAPC’s question count for each area and a score against the 70-correct pass line.
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential from AAPC covers coding for physician and outpatient services with CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II. The exam is open book, so the skill it tests is finding and applying the right code with the guidelines, not memorizing code numbers. Our questions cite codes by number and expect you to check them in your own books. AAPC does not publish how many people take the exam or a pass rate.
- Exam
- Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam by AAPC, the credential for coding physician and outpatient services. There is no experience requirement to sit it; without two years of coding experience you are certified as a CPC-A (apprentice) until you document it
- Format
- 100 multiple-choice questions in one sitting. Most are coding scenarios, and the exam ends with 10 cases that ask you to code a medical record
- Time
- Four hours, about 2.4 minutes per question
- Passing score
- 70%: at least 70 correct answers. If you do not pass, AAPC reports the areas where you scored 65% or less
- Code books
- Open book: the AMA’s CPT Professional Edition and an ICD-10-CM and a HCPCS Level II book from any publisher, current or preceding year, one copy of each, in print or as the exam platform’s eBooks. Notes only if they relate to daily coding; tabs only to mark pages
- Fee
- $425 for one attempt or $499 for two attempts ($400 or $475 at student pricing). Fees are nonrefundable and a voucher must be used within one year
- Where
- Online at home with a live remote proctor, or at a testing center. Register at least three weeks before your exam date; results appear in your AAPC account in 7 to 10 business days and require active membership
- Code year
- AAPC updates U.S. exams every January 1 to the current year’s codes and guidelines. No exams are given from December 30 until the second Monday of January
How the CPC exam works, step by step
- Buy an exam voucher from AAPC: $425 for one attempt or $499 for two. Use it within one year.
- Schedule an online proctored exam or a testing center at least three weeks before your date.
- Bring your CPT Professional Edition, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II books (or use the platform’s eBooks) and answer 100 questions in 4 hours.
- Results appear in your AAPC account in 7 to 10 business days; you need at least 70 correct.
- Without two years of coding experience you start as a CPC-A and drop the A once you document it. Keep the credential with AAPC membership and 36 CEUs every two years.
Preparing for the NHA billing and coding exam instead? See our CBCS practice test.
How to use this CPC prep
- Take the free mixed drill with your code books open to see where you stand.
- Drill the six CPT surgery series first: together they are 36 of the 100 questions.
- Drill coding guidelines (7 questions) and the code-set areas: ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, radiology, pathology and laboratory, medicine, E/M and anesthesia.
- Finish with terminology, anatomy and compliance, then practice the cases until ten take you about 25 minutes.
- Take the full 100-question practice exam under the 4-hour clock, drill your two lowest areas and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the CPC exam?
100 multiple-choice questions in one sitting. AAPC lists how many come from each area: medical terminology 4, anatomy 4, compliance and regulatory 3, coding guidelines 7, ICD-10-CM 5, HCPCS Level II 3, six from each of the CPT 10000 to 60000 series (36), radiology 6, pathology and laboratory 6, medicine 6, E/M 6, anesthesia 4 and 10 cases at the end.
How long is the CPC exam?
Four hours, which is about 2.4 minutes per question. AAPC suggests reading the answer choices before the question and leaving harder questions for last, and answering every question because a guess is better than a blank.
What score do you need to pass the CPC exam?
70%, which means at least 70 of the 100 questions correct. If you do not pass, AAPC tells you the areas where your sub-score was 65% or less so you know what to study before a retake. Our practice exam shows your score against that 70-correct line and a score for every area.
How much does the CPC exam cost?
$425 for one attempt or $499 for a voucher with two attempts. AAPC’s student pricing is $400 or $475. Exam fees are nonrefundable and the voucher must be used within one year. AAPC membership is also needed to get your results and keep the credential.
Is the CPC exam open book?
Yes. You may use the AMA’s CPT Professional Edition and an ICD-10-CM and a HCPCS Level II book from any publisher, from the current or preceding year, one copy of each. Handwritten notes must relate to daily coding work, and tabs may only mark pages. Keep your books open when you use this practice test too; our questions cite codes by number and expect you to look them up.
What is a CPC-A?
Anyone can take the CPC exam, but if you pass without two years of coding experience AAPC gives you the CPC-A (apprentice) credential. The A comes off once you document two years of experience.
Which code year is on the CPC exam?
AAPC updates U.S. exams every January 1 to that year’s codes and guidelines, and no exams are given from December 30 until the second Monday of January. Our questions are written to the 2026 code sets, and every code they use is valid in both the 2026 and 2027 code sets.
Does AAPC sell CPC practice exams?
Yes. AAPC sells 50-question online CPC practice exams, now in bundles rather than one at a time, and its CPC course recommends them. The questions on this site are original practice written to AAPC’s published content areas; they are not AAPC exam or practice exam questions.
Is this CPC practice exam the same format as the real exam?
It follows AAPC’s published format: 100 four-option questions in four hours, in AAPC’s area counts, with the 10 cases at the end. You can skip, go back and mark questions for review. The result shows your score against the 70-correct pass line, a score for every area and an explanation for every question.
Ready for test day?
100 questions in 4 hours in AAPC’s area counts with the 10 cases last, scored against the 70-correct pass line, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- AAPC: Taking the CPC exam (format, time, passing score, approved books, questions per area)
- AAPC: CPC certification (what the credential covers, CEU requirement)
- AAPC: How much does the exam cost?
- AAPC: What is the Apprentice status?
- AAPC: Why is there an annual exam blackout period?
- AAPC Exam Agreement (annual January 1 update, exam rules)
- CMS: ICD-10-CM code files and Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
- CMS: HCPCS Level II quarterly code files
- CMS: National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits and policy manual
Original practice questions written to AAPC’s published CPC content areas; they are not AAPC exam or practice exam questions. CPT codes are cited by number only, and their descriptions are in the AMA’s CPT Professional Edition. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPC or the American Medical Association. CPC is a registered trademark of AAPC. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.