CPC
Offered by AAPC (American Academy of Professional Coders)
The AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) is the core physician-practice medical coding credential. It tests whether you can assign CPT, ICD-10-CM, and...
COMMUNITY
Study group
No public group yet
Start the first CPC study group so the next person who lands here has somewhere to join.
FORUMS
No discussions yet
Open the first CPC thread. Ask a question or share what you're studying.
Tutors
No tutors listed for this exam yet.
We’re building our network of trusted CPC tutors. Check back soon or join the community to connect with peers.
Not ready to host?
We’ll email you when someone else starts a CPC group.
CPC exam at a glance
Format
100 questions (multiple choice plus case/fill-in items depending on the current electronic form); open book with approved paper code books
Duration
4 hours
Delivery
Meazure Learning test center or live remote proctoring (not Pearson VUE)
Passing score
70% (70 of 100)
Exam cost
$425 USD one attempt or $499 two-attempt bundle, plus required AAPC membership
Validity
Maintain with AAPC membership and continuing education; CPC-A converts to CPC after documented experience
Prerequisites
Current AAPC membership. No formal experience requirement to sit; two years of coding experience is recommended. Without experience you are typically credentialed as CPC-A.
About the CPC certification
The AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) is the core physician-practice medical coding credential. It tests whether you can assign CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II codes accurately from source documentation, apply guidelines and modifiers, and work through full cases.
The exam is 100 questions in 4 hours and is open-book for current printed coding manuals (not e-books or devices). AAPC requires current membership to sit. Candidates without the required experience typically earn CPC-A (apprentice) until they document qualifying work.
Who it’s for: People preparing for professional coding roles in physician offices, billing companies, and health systems.
Official exam page· Details verified September 2026
Exam details can change. Always confirm current requirements, fees, and exam policies with the certification provider before registering.
What the CPC exam covers
- CPT surgery series and other CPT sections
- Evaluation and management (E/M)
- ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding
- HCPCS Level II
- Coding guidelines and modifiers
- Medical terminology, anatomy, and pathophysiology
- Cases
How to study for the CPC
- 1Buy the current-year AMA CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II books and tab them the way you will use them on exam day.
- 2Practice looking up — speed with the index and guidelines matters more than memorizing codes.
- 3Work full cases under a 2.4-minute-per-item pace (100 questions / 4 hours).
- 4Drill E/M, modifiers, and ICD-10-CM guidelines; those miss patterns show up on score reports.
- 5If you are new to paid coding work, plan for CPC-A and the experience path rather than treating the exam as the last step.
Turn your exam date into a CPC study plan
Tell us when you're taking the CPC and when you're available to study. We'll build a personalized schedule you can add to your calendar.
Build My Free CPC Study PlanCPC — frequently asked questions
Is the CPC exam open book?
Yes. AAPC allows current printed CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals. Electronic code books and notes apps are not allowed.
What is CPC-A?
Apprentice status. You can pass the exam without two years of experience, then use CPC-A until you document qualifying coding work and convert to CPC.