CPC Medical Terminology Practice Questions
4 of 100 questions on the CPC exam, in AAPC’s content breakdown
100 questions across all eighteen areas in 4 hours, with a score for Medical Terminology so you know where you stand.
Free Medical Terminology drillAn operative report states the surgeon performed an "arthrodesis" of the ankle. What was done?
Medical Terminology on the CPC
Medical terminology is 4 of the 100 questions on the CPC exam, and AAPC says it covers terms for every body system. The same vocabulary runs through every coding question: you cannot pick a procedure code until you know what an "-ectomy" or a "salpingo-" is.
- Share of the exam
- 4 of 100 questions, as AAPC lists them
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 22 Medical Terminology questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What Medical Terminology questions test
- Surgical suffixes: -ectomy, -otomy, -ostomy, -plasty, -desis, -centesis, -rrhaphy and -scopy
- Prefixes for position, number, speed and size: sub-, peri-, endo-, brady-, tachy-, hyper-, hypo-
- Word roots for organs and tissues, from chol/e and nephr/o to salping/o and oophor/o
- Directional terms such as proximal, distal, medial and lateral, used in fracture and lesion notes
- Common abbreviations and lesion descriptors found in office notes and operative reports
Sit the full exam under the real clock
100 questions across all eighteen areas in 4 hours, with a score for Medical Terminology so you know where you stand.
Free Medical Terminology drillHow to study it
- Learn the surgical suffixes first; they decide which family of codes a procedure belongs to.
- Break every long term into prefix, root and suffix before you look for a code.
- Read operative note headings out loud and name the organ and the action.
- Take the terminology drill until you score 90% or better; these are the fastest points on the exam.
Common questions
How many medical terminology questions are on the CPC exam?
AAPC lists 4 medical terminology questions out of 100.
Does the CPC exam test terminology on its own?
Yes, in 4 questions, but terminology also decides most coding questions: the procedure or diagnosis term in a note points you to the right section of the code book.
100 questions across all eighteen areas in 4 hours, with a score for Medical Terminology so you know where you stand.
Free Medical Terminology drillThe other CPC areas
- Anatomy
- Compliance and Regulatory
- Coding Guidelines
- ICD-10-CM
- HCPCS Level II
- CPT 10000 Series: Integumentary System
- CPT 20000 Series: Musculoskeletal System
- CPT 30000 Series: Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Hemic and Lymphatic, Mediastinum and Diaphragm
- CPT 40000 Series: Digestive System
- CPT 50000 Series: Urinary, Male and Female Reproductive, Maternity and Delivery
- CPT 60000 Series: Nervous System
- Radiology
- Pathology and Laboratory
- Medicine
- Evaluation and Management (E/M)
- Anesthesia
- Cases (Medical Record Coding)
- CPC practice exam (100 questions, 4 hours)
- Mixed drill: all eighteen areas
- CPC practice test: exam facts and every area
Sources
- 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.