CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL CODER · 2026 PREPARATION
CPC Practice test and 2026 study guide.
Prepare for the Certified Professional Coder exam with an original 100-question practice test, answer explanations and a guide to the tested coding areas. Review medical terminology, anatomy, coding rules and documentation using the appropriate 2026 references.
Free practice • Answer explanations • Focused study guidance
MEET THE TEST
What does CPC practice cover?
Understand the scope of this practice resource.
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is AAPC’s assessment for professional medical coding. It tests how you interpret medical documentation and apply CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II coding rules across outpatient services.
The CPC exam has 100 multiple-choice questions and a four-hour time limit. AAPC lists 17 coding areas and ten medical-record cases. The areas include medical terminology, anatomy, compliance, coding guidelines, diagnosis and supply codes, procedure-code families, radiology, laboratory services, medicine, evaluation and management, and anesthesia. A passing result requires at least 70 correct answers.
Our original practice form follows the published area counts and includes ten original medical-record cases. It uses 2026 references and September 2026 clinical dates for the FY 2026 ICD-10-CM context. Explanations apply Medicare-specific rules only where the question identifies that setting. Practice results show what to review; they do not establish your certification result or reproduce AAPC’s testing software.
What practice is available here?
| Study form | Length | Practice time |
|---|---|---|
| CPC 2026 complete practice form | 100 questions | 240 minutes* |
*240 minutes covers answering and review. This original form follows the published coding-area allocation, including ten medical-record cases. Use the appropriate 2026 coding references; practice feedback does not establish a certification result.
FIND YOUR FOCUS
CPC skills to review.
Use these study areas as a checklist.
Medical foundations
Medical terminology and anatomy each account for four questions in the published exam breakdown.
- Recognize procedure terms and anatomical locations
- Use documentation to distinguish organs, structures and approaches
- Check laterality and the extent of a documented service
Rules, diagnosis and supplies
Compliance has three questions, coding guidelines seven, ICD-10-CM five and HCPCS Level II three.
- Apply sequencing and documentation rules
- Distinguish coding guidance from payer-specific coverage
- Translate supplied medication amounts into the stated billing units
Procedure coding
Each of the six published procedure-series areas has six questions. The 60000-series description focuses on nervous-system procedures.
- Review integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory and cardiovascular services
- Work through digestive, urinary and reproductive-system coding
- Apply the documented nervous-system procedure and relevant reporting rules
Other professional services
Radiology, pathology and laboratory, medicine, and evaluation and management each have six questions; anesthesia has four.
- Distinguish global, professional and technical services where applicable
- Review tests, imaging and other medicine services
- Use the relevant E/M and anesthesia documentation to select a supported response
Medical-record cases
The final ten questions use medical records to assess integrated coding decisions.
- Extract the documented diagnosis and service
- Check sequencing, modifiers, units and separately reportable services
- Resolve the case using the specified reference year and clinical setting
START WITH PRACTICE
Free CPC practice test.
Work first, then use the explanations to review.
These are independent preparation materials. Practice feedback is for learning and does not predict an official score or licensing result.
SMALL STEPS. STEADY PROGRESS.
Make your next study session useful.
Choose a step you can finish today.
Start with AAPC’s exam breakdown and mark the coding areas you need to revisit. Include the smaller areas in your plan alongside procedure coding.
Practice finding the applicable rule in your permitted references. Verify the code’s site, approach, laterality and reporting conditions before comparing choices.
Attempt the full form within 240 minutes using appropriate coding references and an onscreen calculator. Track where reference lookups consume time.
After your attempt, review uncertain answers as well as mistakes. Record the documentation clue or rule that distinguishes the supported choice.
Check current exam-day reference policies with AAPC. Reference editions and clinical coding dates need to stay aligned when you move between study resources.
QUICK ANSWERS
CPC: common questions.
Understand the format, then choose your next step.
What is the CPC exam?
AAPC’s Certified Professional Coder exam tests professional medical-coding knowledge, including interpretation of documentation and application of CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II rules.
How many questions are on the CPC exam?
The examination has 100 multiple-choice questions with a four-hour time limit. Its published breakdown includes 17 coding areas and ten medical-record cases.
What does the free CPC practice test include?
The original practice form contains 100 four-choice questions and explanations for every answer, with the published area counts and ten original medical-record cases. It is a study resource rather than an official AAPC test.
Which coding year does this practice form use?
This form uses 2026 coding references. Its clinical records use September 2026 dates for the FY 2026 ICD-10-CM context; the fiscal-year diagnosis-code update should not be confused with calendar-year CPT and HCPCS reference policies.
Which references and calculator can I use?
AAPC permits the specified AMA CPT Professional Edition and approved ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II references under its current or preceding-year policy. Its electronic examination provides a calculator and prohibits a physical calculator. Confirm the current approved-reference and exam-day rules directly with AAPC.
What is the CPC passing requirement?
AAPC states that at least 70 correct answers out of 100 are required. This original practice form offers study feedback and does not establish whether you will pass the official examination.
Does this practice page include the complete coding manuals?
No. Use the appropriate permitted coding references alongside the practice form. The answer explanations discuss the relevant rules but do not replace complete CPT, ICD-10-CM or HCPCS Level II references.
CHECK THE DETAILS
Official sources and further guidance.
- AAPC CPC certification overview Checked 2026-10-07
- AAPC CPC and CPB exam format, breakdown and reference policies Checked 2026-10-07
- CMS National Correct Coding Initiative policy manual Checked 2026-10-07
Research checked October 7, 2026. Follow the provider’s current directions for registration, policies, and official scoring.Prepared by the Effortless Math team. Editorial standards.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Start where you are. Build from there.
Try a practice form, review an uncertain answer, and choose one skill for your next session.
Choose practiceChoose a practice form. Read its directions before starting, and use the explanations after you work through the questions.