CPC Exam Content Outline 2026: Every Section and Question Count
Every AAPC CPC domain, how much of the paper it is, what its questions ask you to do and the order to study it in, straight from the AAPC outline.
- 18Domains
- 100Questions
- 240 minTime
- 10%Heaviest area
- $425Exam fee
Table of Contents
The outline at a glance
AAPC (formerly the American Academy of Professional Coders) publishes the CPC outline that every AAPC CPC question is written against (Current AAPC CPC exam breakdown (2026). Exams are updated every January for new code sets; 2026 HCPCS Level II codes used on and after March 2, 2026.). This page turns that document into what you actually need before you study: how big each area is, what the questions in it ask you to do, and the order to learn it in.
- Cases (medical record coding)~10 questions10%
- Coding guidelines~7 questions7%
- CPT 10000 series (integumentary)~6 questions6%
- CPT 20000 series (musculoskeletal)~6 questions6%
- CPT 30000 series (respiratory, cardiovascular, hemic/lymphatic)~6 questions6%
- CPT 40000 series (digestive)~6 questions6%
- CPT 50000 series (urinary, reproductive, endocrine)~6 questions6%
- CPT 60000 series (nervous system)~6 questions6%
- Radiology~6 questions6%
- Pathology and laboratory~6 questions6%
- Medicine~6 questions6%
- Evaluation and Management (E/M)~6 questions6%
- ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding~5 questions5%
- Medical terminology~4 questions4%
- Anatomy~4 questions4%
- Anesthesia~4 questions4%
- Compliance and regulatory~3 questions3%
- HCPCS Level II~3 questions3%
What each domain actually asks
The official outline describes what each area covers. Below is what the questions in it ask you to do, which is what decides how you should study it.
Cases (medical record coding)
10%~10 itemsIt asks you to: Read an operative or visit note at the end of the exam and choose the complete, correct code set.
- 10 cases, 1 question each
- CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II from documentation
Coding guidelines
7%~7 itemsIt asks you to: Choose the answer that follows the official guideline or parenthetical note, often including the correct modifier.
- ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
- CPT guidelines and parenthetical notes
- Modifier use
CPT 10000 series (integumentary)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code procedures like lesion excisions and wound repairs, which requires adding lengths/sizes and applying repair complexity rules.
- Skin, subcutaneous and accessory structures
- Nails and pilonidal cysts
- Repairs
- Destruction
- Breast
CPT 20000 series (musculoskeletal)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code fracture care, arthroscopy and other musculoskeletal surgery by anatomic site and approach.
- Head, neck, back, spine
- Shoulder, arm, hand
- Pelvis, hip, leg, foot
CPT 30000 series (respiratory, cardiovascular, hemic/lymphatic)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code procedures such as endoscopies, pacemaker work or vascular access, where approach and components change the code.
- Respiratory system
- Cardiovascular system
- Hemic and lymphatic systems
- Mediastinum and diaphragm
CPT 40000 series (digestive)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code GI procedures like colonoscopies and hernia repairs, including when to report multiple techniques.
- Mouth, pharynx, esophagus
- Stomach and intestines
- Rectum and anus
- Liver, biliary tract, pancreas
- Abdomen, peritoneum, omentum
CPT 50000 series (urinary, reproductive, endocrine)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code urologic, gynecologic and obstetric procedures, including global maternity packages.
- Urinary system
- Male reproductive system
- Female reproductive system
- Maternity care and delivery
- Endocrine system
CPT 60000 series (nervous system)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code neurosurgical and nerve procedures such as injections and spinal procedures by level and approach.
- Skull, meninges, brain
- Spine and spinal cord
- Extracranial and peripheral nerves
- Autonomic nervous system
Radiology
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Pick imaging codes and decide on professional vs technical components and whether guidance is separately reportable.
- Diagnostic and interventional radiology
- Diagnostic ultrasound
- Radiologic guidance
- Mammography
- Radiation oncology
- Nuclear medicine
Pathology and laboratory
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code lab work correctly, e.g., when to use a panel code vs individual tests and which surgical pathology level applies.
- Organ and disease panels
- Drug testing and therapeutic drug assays
- Molecular pathology and MAAA
- Chemistry, hematology, microbiology
- Surgical pathology and cytopathology
Medicine
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Code specialty services such as vaccine product plus administration or infusion hierarchies.
- Immunizations
- Dialysis
- Hydration, therapeutic and chemotherapy administration
- Medical nutrition therapy
- Osteopathic manipulative treatment
- Moderate sedation
Evaluation and Management (E/M)
6%~6 itemsIt asks you to: Determine place and level of service from documentation (medical decision making or time), and new vs established patient.
- Office/outpatient, observation, inpatient
- Consultations and ED
- Critical care
- Nursing facility and home services
- Preventive medicine
- Prolonged, chronic and transitional care
ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding
5%~5 itemsIt asks you to: Code diagnoses correctly from a scenario, including sequencing and combination-code rules.
- All ICD-10-CM chapters
- Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting
- Diagnosis codes also appear inside CPT-category questions
Medical terminology
4%~4 itemsIt asks you to: Decode prefixes, suffixes and roots so you can recognize what procedure or condition a note describes.
- Terminology for all body systems
Anatomy
4%~4 itemsIt asks you to: Identify structures and locations well enough to pick the right anatomic code section.
- Anatomy of all body systems
Anesthesia
4%~4 itemsIt asks you to: Select anesthesia codes and apply time, physical status modifiers and qualifying circumstances.
- Time reporting
- Qualifying circumstances
- Physical status modifiers
- Anesthesia for surgical, diagnostic and obstetric services
Compliance and regulatory
3%~3 itemsIt asks you to: Apply payment policy and compliance rules, e.g., when an ABN is needed or whether two codes bundle under NCCI.
- Medicare Parts A-D
- Place of service reporting
- Fraud and abuse
- NCCI edits
- NCDs/LCDs
- HIPAA
- ABNs
- RVUs
HCPCS Level II
3%~3 itemsIt asks you to: Select the right HCPCS supply, drug or service code (and units/modifiers) for a Medicare scenario.
- HCPCS modifiers
- Supplies
- Medications
- Professional services for Medicare patients
Study it in this order
Weight is the only honest guide to where your hours go. The areas that make up the first half of the paper are core; the next third is support; whatever is left is a quick win you review last, not skip.
| Domain | Weight | Items | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases (medical record coding) | 10% | ~10 | Core |
| Coding guidelines | 7% | ~7 | Core |
| CPT 10000 series (integumentary) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| CPT 20000 series (musculoskeletal) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| CPT 30000 series (respiratory, cardiovascular, hemic/lymphatic) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| CPT 40000 series (digestive) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| CPT 50000 series (urinary, reproductive, endocrine) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| CPT 60000 series (nervous system) | 6% | ~6 | Core |
| Radiology | 6% | ~6 | Support |
| Pathology and laboratory | 6% | ~6 | Support |
| Medicine | 6% | ~6 | Support |
| Evaluation and Management (E/M) | 6% | ~6 | Support |
| ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding | 5% | ~5 | Support |
| Medical terminology | 4% | ~4 | Quick win |
| Anatomy | 4% | ~4 | Quick win |
| Anesthesia | 4% | ~4 | Quick win |
| Compliance and regulatory | 3% | ~3 | Quick win |
| HCPCS Level II | 3% | ~3 | Quick win |
Item counts are the weight applied to 100 scored questions and rounded, so treat them as approximate.
How the exam is built
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 |
| Time | 240 minutes |
| Question types | Multiple choice (scenario-based coding questions), 10 medical-record cases, 1 question each |
| Delivery | One sitting of 4 hours, either online at home with a live remote proctor (24/7 scheduling; external webcam required) or on a computer at a testing center. Printed code books or platform-provided eBooks (with search; no personal notes/tabs) are allowed. An online calculator is provided; physical calculators not permitted. |
| Passing standard | An overall score of 70% or higher: at least 70 of the 100 questions correct. If you fail, AAPC shows categories with sub-scores of 65% or less. |
| Fee | $425 — $425 for one attempt or $499 for two attempts (core exam pricing). Student exam pricing: $400 for one attempt, $475 for two. Current AAPC membership is also required (individual membership renewal $229 + tax). |
| Retakes | Buy a 2-attempt voucher ($499, or $475 student) or purchase a new attempt. Examinees using their second attempt in the next calendar year must take that year's exam, not the previous year's. Results arrive in 7-10 business days. |
Where candidates lose marks
These are the places the outline and the real exam part ways, the parts of the outline candidates misjudge most often:
- Using the wrong year's books: only the current or preceding year's books are allowed (one copy each); older books and next year's books are banned, and 2026 HCPCS codes applied from March 2, 2026.
- Illegal annotations: handwritten notes must relate to daily coding; notes from study guides, practice exams or exam questions, and altered or printed-over pages, are prohibited - and if you choose eBooks you lose all personal notes and tabs.
- Running out of time: 100 questions in 240 minutes is about 2.4 minutes each, and the 10 medical-record cases come at the end; answer easy questions first and never leave a blank (no penalty for guessing).
- Neglecting CPT surgery: the 10000-60000 series is 36 questions, and AAPC says the exam focuses on CPT, so navigating the CPT manual quickly matters more than memorizing codes.
- Skipping guidelines and parentheticals: coding-guideline, modifier and NCCI/compliance questions reward reading the rules, not just matching a term in the index.
Turn the outline into practice
ExamCert AI has 1,000 CPC practice questions with explanations, built around the same outline this page walks through. Work them by domain, find the weak area, and fix it before test day.
Practise CPC on ExamCert AIHow to Become a Medical Coder in 2026FAQ
How many questions are on the CPC exam?
The CPC exam has 100 multiple-choice questions covering 17 knowledge areas plus 10 medical-record cases, to be completed in one 4-hour sitting.
What is the passing score for the CPC exam?
You need an overall score of 70%, which means at least 70 of 100 questions correct. If you fail, AAPC reports the areas where you scored 65% or less.
Is the CPC exam open book?
Yes. You may use the AMA's CPT Professional Edition and your choice of ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II books from the current or preceding year, in print with permitted notes and tabs, or as eBooks provided by the exam platform.
Which section of the CPC exam has the most questions?
CPT surgery: the 10000 through 60000 series have 6 questions each for 36 total. Radiology, pathology/lab, medicine and E/M add 6 each, and there are 10 case questions at the end.
Sources
Figures on this page come from AAPC and the other primary sources below:
- AAPC - Taking the CPC exam (format, fees, books, breakdown)
- AAPC - How much does the exam cost? (support)
- AAPC - How to remove your Apprentice (A) designation
- AAPC - CEU Policies
- AAPC - CEU Questions and Answers
- AAPC - Membership
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook - Medical Records Specialists
Checked September 25, 2026. Fees, outlines and eligibility rules change — confirm with AAPC before you book.