Free practice + study guide

AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC)

Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam — 100 questions · 240 minutes · Passing score: 70%. PrepPass also publishes a complete study guide for this exam as a downloadable book (80 pages, 55 practice questions inside, $14.99).

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01

Test what you know · free, all of it

Five ways to practise.

The same 299 questions, dealt five ways. Pick the one that fits the time you have.

Quick 10Start here
Ten questions, no feedback while you answer. Then one report: all 10 explained, each pointing at the chapter that teaches it.
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By section
Pick Medical Terminology, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, Compliance, Surgery & Anatomy (CPT 10000-60000), E/M Services, Anesthesia. An explanation appears the moment you answer.
299 questionsuntimed
Timed mock
Sit it like the real thing, then get a score report by section.
50 questions240 minutes
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all 299, by section
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02

Learn what the questions test

Practice finds the gaps. Reading closes them. The seven chapters below are free to read online. The study guide book is a separate download, sold on its own page.

Practice · free
299
questions, each explained — finds what you don't know yet
Learn · the guide
80
pages in the study guide book, section by section

The seven sections, as chapters

free to read online
  1. 1Surgery & Anatomy (CPT 10000–60000)Surgery & Anatomy (CPT 10000-60000)Read free →
  2. 2Evaluation & Management (E/M) ServicesE/M ServicesRead free →
  3. 3Anesthesia CodingAnesthesiaRead free →
  4. 4RadiologyRead free →
  5. 5Pathology & LaboratoryRead free →
  6. 6MedicineRead free →
  7. 7Medical Terminology, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS & ComplianceMedical Terminology, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, ComplianceRead free →
Cover: CPC — Medical Coding Concepts & Guidelines Study Guide (2026)
Study guide · PDF + EPUB
CPC — Medical Coding Concepts & Guidelines Study Guide (2026)
80 pages · 55 practice questions inside · updated 2026-09-08
$14.99 one-time · yours to keep
Get the book — $14.99Read a chapter free
  • All 11 chapters — terminology through modifiers and compliance — as one PDF + EPUB you keep
  • A worked coding scenario, a key-facts box and a named-traps list in every one of the 11 chapters
  • 55 practice questions written for the book — none of them in the free bank on this site
03

Before you sit

Know the exam you're walking into.

Free study guideEvery section, onlineTopics by weightWhat to study firstHow hard is it?Honest answer, with numbersScores & retakesWhat the board publishesOne-page cram sheetNight-before factsExam blueprintOfficial outline, diagnostic
04

See the questions first

Two from the bank, answered.

Real items, with the answer marked and the reason written out — the same format as all 299.

Medical Terminology, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, Compliance

In ICD-10-CM inpatient coding, the principal diagnosis is defined as:

  1. AWhichever diagnosis is easiest to assign a code to
  2. BAny chronic condition the patient carries
  3. CThe comorbidity with the highest severity of illness
  4. DThe condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admissionCorrect

Why: The principal diagnosis is the condition determined, after study, to be chiefly responsible for the admission. In the outpatient setting the parallel concept is the 'first-listed' diagnosis — the reason chiefly responsible for the visit. Accurate sequencing drives reimbursement and data integrity, so this definition is foundational to ICD-10-CM.

Surgery & Anatomy (CPT 10000-60000)

The same surgeon performs several distinct surgical procedures through separate incisions during one operative session. Which modifier identifies the second and subsequent procedures so the payer can apply the multiple-procedure fee reduction?

  1. AModifier -59 (Distinct procedural service)
  2. BModifier -22 (Increased procedural services)
  3. CModifier -51 (Multiple procedures)Correct
  4. DModifier -50 (Bilateral procedure)

Why: Modifier -51 tells the payer that more than one procedure was performed in the same session by the same provider, so payment ranking (100% for the highest-valued, reduced for the rest) can be applied. -50 is only for mirror-image bilateral procedures, -59 unbundles services that are normally packaged together, and -22 signals substantially greater work than usual. Do not confuse the multiple-procedure concept (-51) with unbundling (-59).

Read all 299 questions with answers →

05

Watch

Answer along on YouTube.

CPC Medical Coding Practice Test 2026 | 40 AAPC CPC Questions & AnswersPrepPass on YouTube · 2026-08-25
06

The exam itself

AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC), by the numbers.

Questions100 questionsAll multiple-choice. AAPC publishes a per-area breakdown summing to 100, ending with ten case questions (one question per case) that require coding from medical record documentation. It is open-code-book: only the AMA's CPT® Professional Edition plus an ICD-10-CM and a HCPCS Level II code book of your choice are allowed, printed or as eBooks provided through the exam platform. AAPC allows the current or preceding year's books, one copy of each, and states that the upcoming year's books are not allowed.
Time240 minutesFour hours, in one sitting. AAPC: “Exams are administered in one sitting, with four hours to complete the exam.”
SectionsSurgery & Anatomy (CPT 10000-60000) · E/M Services · Anesthesia · Radiology · Pathology & Laboratory · Medicine · Medical Terminology, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS, Compliance
Passing score70%In AAPC's words: “An overall score of 70% or higher is required to pass the certification exam. For a passing score of 70%, you must get at least 70 questions correct. If you incorrectly answer more than 30 questions, you will not pass.” A candidate who does not pass is told which areas had sub-scores of 65% or less. AAPC states results are available within 7–10 business days.
Our bank299 questions · updated August 2026Written from AAPC
LanguagesEnglish
SourceAAPCVerified 2026-09-22

Full facts and sources →

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08

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09

Questions

Asked before starting.

Is the practice really free, or does it stop after a few questions?

All 299 questions, the timed mock and the report are free with no sign-up. A free account only adds saving your progress. The study guide book is sold separately, $14.99 one-time; nothing in the practice requires it.

Is your mock the same as the real AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC)?

No. Ours is 50 questions in 240 minutes; the real exam is 100 questions in 240 minutes. Use the mock for stamina and section timing, not as a score predictor.

What score do I need?

70% — as published by AAPC. Confirm the current rule with them before your exam date.

Who administers the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam?

AAPC. AAPC awards the CPC credential and sells the exam voucher. AAPC states the exam can be taken online at home with a live remote proctor, or on a computer at a testing center. AAPC does not name the proctoring or test-center vendor on these pages, so none is stated here.

How many questions are on the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam?

100 questions. All multiple-choice. AAPC publishes a per-area breakdown summing to 100, ending with ten case questions (one question per case) that require coding from medical record documentation. It is open-code-book: only the AMA's CPT® Professional Edition plus an ICD-10-CM and a HCPCS Level II code book of your choice are allowed, printed or as eBooks provided through the exam platform. AAPC allows the current or preceding year's books, one copy of each, and states that the upcoming year's books are not allowed.

How long is the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam?

240 minutes. Four hours, in one sitting. AAPC: “Exams are administered in one sitting, with four hours to complete the exam.”

How much does the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam cost?

$425 — CPC exam voucher, one attempt (AAPC, one-time); $499 — CPC exam voucher, two attempts (AAPC, one-time); $400 — Student exam pricing, one attempt (AAPC, one-time); $475 — Student exam pricing, two attempts (AAPC, one-time). Each price buys a voucher for that number of attempts; the two-attempt voucher covers a second attempt if the first is not passed. AAPC's CPC page lists the same one- and two-attempt prices for its core exams, and the student prices beside them. Keeping the credential is separate: AAPC states CPC holders must maintain their AAPC annual membership and earn 36 continuing education units every two years. AAPC also states you must register three weeks before the exam date.

What languages is the Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Exam offered in?

Not published by AAPC. None of AAPC's CPC pages we read states the language or languages the exam is given in, and none mentions a translated version. PrepPass does not state a language for this exam.

Is the AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) study guide a PDF?

Yes. CPC — Medical Coding Concepts & Guidelines Study Guide (2026) downloads as PDF + EPUB (80 pages, 55 practice questions inside), $14.99 one-time, and the files are yours to keep. The 299 practice questions on this page stay free without it. See the study guide →

Practice questions are AI-assisted study material written from AAPC and reviewed by PrepPass — for practice only, not official exam questions. Bank updated August 2026. PrepPass is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by AAPC. Always confirm current exam details with AAPC.
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