CPC Exam Guide: Requirements, Costs, and Tips to Pass on Your First Try

Number of questions: 100

Time limit: 4 hours

Passing score: 70%

Cost: $425–$499 (exam) + membership required

Format: Multiple choice, open book

Administered by: AAPC

The AAPC CPC certification is a credential that validates a medical coder’s skills and knowledge of coding in outpatient and physician services. By passing the test, you show that you’re confident in using ICD-10-CM, CPT®, and HCPCS Level II codes, along with a solid understanding of compliance, insurance requirements, and how the reimbursement process works. While it’s not necessary to be certified to work as a medical coder or medical billing specialist, having a credential like the CPC on your resume can make a big difference when you’re applying for jobs – especially if you’re new to the medical field in general.

While getting CPC certified isn’t always strictly necessary to find an entry-level medical coding job, there are definitely a few solid reasons why having the credential on your resume is a good idea.

Certified medical coders may have more job opportunities

Having medical coding or medical billing training on your resume can be helpful when you’re applying for jobs as a new medical coder – employers want people who know what they’re doing and don’t have the time to train new hires on the ins and outs of coding. But even more importantly, more and more employers are prioritizing resumes that show recognized industry certifications. In fact, 61% of employers require certification for medical billing and coding specialists.

Certified medical coders can earn more money

Certification can absolutely pay off in the long run! Certified medical coders and medical records specialists make around 20% more per year than those who aren’t certified. Non-certified medical coders earned, on average, $55,721 per year in 2025, while those with at least one industry-relevant certification earned $67,260.

CPC certification can be the first step toward career advancement

As a new medical coding professional, you’re probably not thinking about promotions and advancement – yet. But, down the line, having the CPC credential can be a steppingstone to career advancement and additional, specialty certifications that can allow you to move up in your role.

Read more: Which Healthcare Certifications Pay the Most? A Guide to Higher-Earning Medical Jobs Through Certification

The AAPC doesn’t have any strict prerequisites to take the CPC exam, but they do strongly recommend that test takes have relevant training and education before sitting for the exam. Before taking the CPC exam, you’ll want to have at least basic knowledge of

• medical terminology
• anatomy and physiology
• coding systems (ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS)

Again, having a degree or diploma in medical coding isn’t a requirement to sit for the exam, but without training and education passing the test will be extremely difficult.

Besides knowledge, you’ll also need to be a member of the AAPC to take the CPC exam. As of April 2026, you can purchase an individual yearly membership, which costs $299, or a student membership, which costs $164. Both memberships come with the same benefits, including being able to sit for exams!

Pro Tip: If you’re currently enrolled in a medical coding course, your student membership may be covered. For example, Penn Foster covers the cost of the student membership for our learners enrolled in the Medical Coding Professional Program.

If you’re brand new to medical coding and don’t yet have any work experience, when you pass the CPC exam, you’ll have a CPC-A credential where the “A” stands for “Apprentice.” After you’ve gained two years of medical coding experience and submit proof to the AAPC, the “A” will be dropped, and you’ll be considered a fully Certified Professional Coder.

You can drop the “A” a little faster through a few different ways, like taking the AAPC’s Practicode course. If you successfully pass the exam and the course, you’ll only have to gain one year of coding experience to drop Apprentice status.

Pro Tip: If you’re searching for medical coding courses to prepare for the exam, it’s smart to check to see if they offer anything that can help you expedite your Apprentice status after you pass the CPC exam. For example, Penn Foster’s Medical Coding Training includes the AAPC Practicode course as part of your tuition. Together, along with passing your certification exam, you can go right to full Certified Professional Coder status!

Here’s everything you need to know about the CPC exam format and structure.

• Number of questions: 100 multiple-choice questions.
• Time limit: 4 hours.
• Where to take exam: Online with a live remote proctor or on a computer at a testing center.
• Topics covered:
  • CPT coding
  • ICD-10-CM
  • HCPCS Level II
  • Medical terminology
  • Anatomy
  • Compliance & regulations
• Can you use reference materials? Yes, the test is open book – for coding materials. You can use either physical, print books or ebooks. Ebooks are provided through the testing platform. If you choose to use print books, you must bring your own. For print books, you can tab pages for easy reference but aren’t allowed to make any longform notes.
  • You can only reference the approved books, which include
    • AMA's CPT® Professional Edition (current year)
    • ICD-10-CM (current year), any publisher
    • HCPCS Level II (current year), any publisher
• Passing score: The minimum passing score for the CPC exam is 70%.
• When do you get your results: It takes about 7-10 business days to get your exam results. You can access them through your AAPC account.

Read more: Medical Coding Professional vs. Medical Billing and Coding: What’s the Difference?

The CPC exam’s 100 questions are broken down over 17 topics.

CPT coding

Six questions each cover the following:

• 10000 series: Surgical procedures on the integumentary system (skin, subcutaneous tissue, nails, breast, repairs, and related structures).
• 20000 series: Surgical procedures on the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, and related areas from head to toe).
• 30000 series: Surgical procedures on the respiratory, cardiovascular, hemic/lymphatic systems, and mediastinum/diaphragm.
• 40000 series: Surgical procedures on the digestive system (mouth through intestines, plus liver, pancreas, and related organs).
• 50000 series: Surgical procedures on the urinary, reproductive (male and female), and endocrine systems.
• 60000 series: Surgical procedures on the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves, and related structures).

ICD-10-CM coding

Five questions cover the following:

• Diagnosis coding.
• Understanding disease classifications.

HCPCS level II

Three questions cover the following:

• Supplies, equipment, non-physician services

Medical terminology & anatomy

You’ll cover four questions each on:

• Medical terminology for body systems.
• Anatomy for body systems.

Compliance & guidelines

Three questions cover compliance, including

• Medicare, fraud, and HIPAA.

Seven questions cover coding guidelines, including

• CPT® coding guidelines and parenthetical notes, and modifier use.

Throughout the exam, you’ll also cover

• Radiology codes (6 questions)
• Pathology and laboratory codes (6 questions)
• Medicine (6 questions)
• E/M (6 questions)
• Anesthesia (4 questions)
• Cases (10 cases, 1 question each)

Read more: 6 Tips for Going Back to College or Career School as an Adult

As of April 2026, the CPC exam costs between $425 and $499, if you’re already an AAPC member. It is $425 if you purchase one exam attempt. $499 covers the cost of two exam attempts. Even if you’re very confident in your knowledge skills, it’s often most cost effective to purchase the two attempts just in case you score less than 70% on the first try.

If you’re not already an AAPC member, you’ll need to factor the cost of membership into the cost of the exam. Since you need to be a member to take the test, you’ll have to sign up and purchase that first before you can pay for the exam voucher. If you get a regular membership, plus the two exam attempts, you’re looking at a total cost of $798 (plus any other applicable fees).

Pro Tip: Some medical coding training programs may cover the cost of your exam. Before purchasing a voucher on your own, verify with your school whether or not that is included as a benefit for you. At Penn Foster, we cover the cost of two attempts (the $499 option) as part of your tuition.

The CPC exam isn’t a test you can just study for the night before. Instead of late night cramming, you’ll want to have a plan in place to prep for the exam to make sure you’re as ready to pass as possible. Diana Murphy, Healthcare Programs Instructor and CPC (among other certifications!), has this advice for students and graduates:

“Preparing for the CPC exam can feel overwhelming. Remember to practice looking up codes in each of your three coding manuals, the ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS. Know your books, use tabs to quickly get to the area you need. You can also highlight and write brief notes in your coding manuals to help you. Once you know your books, you can work at your speed in looking up codes. Use the practice CPC exam with the AAPC to work on your time management. Complete all the easier questions first and mark and save the hardest one for last!”

1. Determine the timeline that’s best for you

When you register to take the CPC exam, you can choose an available date that works for you to take it. At minimum, you can take it as early as three weeks after you register. With that in mind, you should register for a test date that gives you plenty of time to prepare.

2. Create a study plan

Once you know when your exam is and how much time you have to get ready, the next step is to create a study plan that fits how you learn, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Keeping in mind the length of time you have until your exam date, break down topics and study materials into easy-to-digest portions over the coming weeks. Remember, you don’t want to cram last minute; you want to build up your knowledge and refresh everything you’ve learned throughout your studies over a period of time.

3. Practice your knowledge and test taking skills

While studying, you want to practice your knowledge. This could be done through things like flash cards, little quizzes you make for yourself (or ask a helpful friend or even an AI assistant to make), or even reviewing any exercises you completed in your training program. If you’re able, it can also be helpful to take practice exams, which you can purchase from the AAPC. One practice exam can cost about $80 for AAPC members. However, not everyone can afford the extra cost, so don’t stress if that’s you! You can still get the full practice you need through dedicated studying and review.

4. Practice time management strategies

You have four total hours to complete 100 multiple-choice questions. If you break it down, that gives you about 2.4 minutes to spend on each question. That doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but it’s important to not stress and instead try to come up with a strategy for how to make the best use of the time you do have. Knowing how long it’ll really take you to finish the exam is best done by taking a practice test, but if you can’t do that, you want to go in to the exam with a plan. A generally good strategy for test-taking is to move on from a question if you don’t know the answer within, let’s say, 30 seconds. That way, you can answer the questions you DO know and are confident about quickly and then go back to puzzle out the ones you aren’t sure of.

5. Know what to study

You know what the test covers, so you do want to take time to review all of it. But you’ll definitely want to spend more time on some things versus others. For example, there are some areas that you may not be super confident in right now; those are ones you’ll absolutely want to focus more on in studying. Also, some topics are generally more difficult than others, so you’ll want to concentrate on tougher subjects in your study plan.

6. Prep your materials

The CPC exam is open book, so your CPT®, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals are your most important tools. The better you know how to navigate them, the more confident and efficient you’ll feel during the test. Focus on quickly finding codes, guidelines, and key details by getting comfortable with how each book is organized. Adding tabs, notes, or highlights can be helpful, but keep them simple and purposeful so they don’t become overwhelming. Everyone studies differently, so customize your books in a way that works best for you. Just remember to follow exam rules—no adding extra materials—and stick with strategies that help you stay organized and focused.

7. Make sure you have everything you need to be successful

In the week leading up to your exam date, make sure you have everything you need to be as successful as possible. Besides wrapping up your studying and prepping your books for the big day, you’ll want to

• Read the test guidelines. You’ll get an email a few days before the exam with the guidelines so take the time to get familiar with them so there are no missteps!
• Check out the exam tutorial. Watch the AAPC’s exam tutorial to prepare.
• Have your ID ready. Make sure you know where your official, government issued ID is – you'll need that for exam day whether you’re taking it online or in person.

If you’re taking the exam at a testing center, make sure you confirm the time, date, and location of the exam. You’ll want to make sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early if you can, just in case!

• If you’re taking the exam by live remote proctor, a few days before the exam you should:
• Test your external webcam and make sure you have a backup if something goes wrong on test day.
• Test your internet speed. You can do this on a site like speedtest.net. The ideal speed is 5.0 mbps.
• Prep your testing space. Make sure you have a quiet, clutter free space to take the exam in. It needs to be clear of anything like whiteboards, chalkboards, sticky notes, landline phones, or other devices.

The CPC exam is not an easy test, so if you don’t pass on the first try, it’s okay! First, don’t be too hard on yourself. If you do fail, you can retake the exam. That’s why getting the two attempt test option is usually the best bet for test-takers – just in case. And, if you end up having to take the exam a second time, think about it this way: you’ll already know what the exam is like, what you didn’t know, and what you really need to focus on studying this time around.

Diana agrees that it's okay if you fail the first try. “It just means they need to analyze what they need to practice by being ready when they retake the exam,” she said. “We also give students two attempts to take the CPC exam. I like to remind people that we enjoy electricity right now, that Benjamin Franklin invented. However, did you know that he had over 1,000 failures before he got it right? What would have happened if he just stopped trying? We never give up on something we have a passion for doing!”

Read more: Should Moms Go Back to School? How Education Fits with Parenting

After you complete the CPC exam, it takes about 7-10 business days to get your results. Those results can be found in your AAPC account! Once you’ve passed, you’re usually considered a CPC-A, or in Apprentice status. As mentioned earlier, you’ll be in Apprentice status until you gain two years of medical coding experience.

However, if you’ve taken the Practicode course and approved training, you can expedite the timeframe for experience or even skip that altogether!

Another thing to keep in mind is that, even though you have earned your certification, it’s not a one and done thing. You’ll need to maintain your membership with the AAPC and renew your credential every two years by earning 36 continuing education units (CEUs). If either of these lapse, you may have to start again with the exam (including the membership and exam fees) to regain your credential.

The CPC exam isn’t the only certification for the field out there, though it is often considered the gold standard. Other medical coding or billing certifications include AHIMA's Certified Coding Associate (CCA) for all-around coding and the NHA's Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam. What exam you decide to take is really up to what direction you’re hoping your career to go toward! If you’re someone who wants to focus in on coding, rather than billing or even both, the CPC is likely your best path. The CPC exam is also great for

• People totally new to medical records, or the healthcare field in general.
• Professionals in the field who aren’t credentialed but want to validate their knowledge and experience.

Read more: Which Medical Coding & Billing Certification Exam Should You Take

You don’t need a college degree or a medical background to take the CPC exam, but you don’t want to go into the exam without some training and knowledge. If you’re hoping to become a certified medical coder, one of the best ways to get started is by going back to school and learning the skills you need to be successful.

What to know about Penn Foster’s Medical Coding Program

Whether you’re completely switching gears to a brand new career or just starting out in the workforce, the first step toward becoming a professional medical coder is often getting some training under your belt. If your end goal is becoming certified, you’ll want to find a training program that can best help you prepare for that. You’ll absolutely want to do your research to find the best fit for your life, your budget, and your goals.

With a program like Penn Foster’s online Medical Coding Professional Career Diploma, you can learn the basic healthcare and coding skills that can help you confidently prepare to sit for the CPC exam and start your new career – all on your schedule. That means you can start when you’re ready and study when you have time instead of rearranging your life to make school work.

“It's truly self-paced,” said Adrianna V., a 2025 Medical Coding Professional graduate, “which has allowed me to build a schedule that works around my life. It’s been flexible and manageable, which I really appreciate!”

Skills you’ll learn that align with the CPC exam

Besides being flexible and affordable, “all our courses are aligned to build your knowledge and prepare you to be able to take the CPC exam,” Diana tells us.

Throughout your medical coding classes, you’ll cover:

• ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS coding
• Medical terminology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Healthcare documentation and billing processes

“The thorough coverage of healthcare and the medical field is beneficial,” Savanna G., a current Medical Coding Professional student, told us. “The labs and curriculum are creative. I think the exercises are helping me retain a decent amount of knowledge!”

What you get with the Medical Coding Professional Program

As part of the Medical Coding Professional Program with Penn Foster, you also get a student membership with the AAPC, access to the AAPC Practicode course, up to two vouchers to take the CPC exam, and CPC practice exams as part of your curriculum.

“Our courses give plenty of exercises to help you practice looking the codes up and help you get to know your coding manuals,” mentions Diana.

“Online Medical Coding courses allow individuals to be able to pursue their dreams with flexibility and self-paced studies,” Diana says, “enabling individuals a way to balance their responsibilities in their lives and study to achieve their dreams or goals. Online courses can be intimidating; however, our instructors are here to help them!”

Ready to add the CPC credential to your resume and take the first step toward a new career? You can get started 24/7/365 by enrolling online or, if you have more questions about how Penn Foster or the Medical Coding Professional Program works, you can contact our expert Admissions Specialists for help at 1-800-471-3232.

Can’t decide between the Medical Coding Professional and the Medical Billing and Coding Programs? Check out this comparison chart!