CPC Certification (AAPC): Exam, Eligibility, and the CPC-A Rule (2026)

Updated September 13, 2026 · Medical Billing Path Editorial Team

Key takeaway: The CPC from AAPC is the credential most often named in physician office and outpatient coding job postings. It tests CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS coding with the manuals open. New holders carry the CPC-A apprentice designation until they document experience, so plan for that step when you budget time to a fully credentialed job.

If you want to code clinic visits and outpatient procedures, this is the exam most programs are built around. New holders carry an A after the name until AAPC’s published experience routes are done. This site is not affiliated with AAPC. Confirm current fees, formats, and policies on AAPC’s site. We do not quote exam fees or membership dues.

What the CPC exam covers

As published by AAPC, the blueprint groups questions into areas that mirror the CPT manual plus the other code sets and compliance knowledge:

CPT surgical coding by body system (integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, nervous, and others)
Evaluation and management (E/M) services
Anesthesia, radiology, pathology and laboratory, and medicine section codes
ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding and official guidelines
HCPCS Level II supplies and drugs
Medical terminology, anatomy, and compliance and regulatory topics

The exam is open-book for the approved manuals, which is why speed with the books is a skill programs drill. Confirm the current question count, time limit, and delivery options on AAPC’s site before you register.

What a posting that names the CPC usually wants

“CPC required” in a physician-office ad usually means outpatient CPT and E/M, an EHR you will learn on the job, and either a full CPC or a CPC-A they are willing to train. “CPC, 2 years, remote” is a different ad. Count ten local postings before you treat either story as the rule. The exam-prep page is for how to study. This page is for whether this is the letter your town hires.

Eligibility and preparation

There is no education prerequisite to register. AAPC recommends prior education in anatomy and terminology and about 80 contact hours of coding instruction, and requires AAPC membership to sit for the exam and hold the credential. Most candidates prepare through a certificate program or AAPC’s own course; see medical coding programs.

You do not need to be a nurse. You need to be willing to tab a CPT book and practice under a timer.

The CPC-A apprentice designation

Pass the exam without documented experience and you are a CPC-A. Employers know the designation and many hire CPC-As, but some postings ask for a full CPC. AAPC publishes the routes to remove the apprentice label, which have included documented coding experience and combinations of experience plus qualifying education. Read the current policy on AAPC’s site before you rely on any one route.

If you are a parent planning “school, then home-based coding,” the A is why that plan usually has an on-site first job in the middle.

Renewal

AAPC credentials renew on a two-year cycle through continuing education units and annual membership. The number of units depends on how many AAPC credentials you hold. Confirm current rules with AAPC.

Open-book format, membership, and inpatient limits

Open-book is not easy. It is a speed test with rules. Untabbed manuals are how people run out of time.
E/M will be on the exam and on the job. Do not let a program treat it as a footnote.
Membership is part of holding the credential, not an optional newsletter. Budget for renewal time (and check current cost on AAPC’s site).
The CPC is not a hospital inpatient credential. If that is the job you want, read the CCS and RHIT guides before you enroll in an outpatient-only certificate.

CPC compared with the alternatives

The CCA from AHIMA is the closest entry-level alternative and has no apprentice designation. The CBCS from NHA is a combined billing and coding entry credential. Our which certification guide compares all of them.

How people actually study

Tab the manuals. Drill mixed timed sets. Do not save E/M for last. A working parent with two evenings a week should protect one of those evenings for a timer, not only for reading. Untimed accuracy is homework. The exam is a clock. Details and original practice cases: CPC exam prep.

Questions to ask a CPC-prep program

How many timed, full-length practice exams are included?
Are current-year manuals included, and which editions does the exam allow?
Do you explain the CPC-A rule in writing before I enroll?
What happens if I do not pass on the first attempt?
Is membership bundled, and what happens if I delay the exam after class ends?

If admissions cannot answer those in writing, pick a different program. Use the enrollment checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CPC-A?

CPC-A is the apprentice designation AAPC attaches to a new CPC who has not yet documented coding experience. AAPC publishes the ways to remove the A, which have included two years of documented experience, or one year of experience plus qualifying coding education, or completing AAPC’s practicum-style program. Check AAPC’s current policy, because the options have changed over time.

Do I need a course before taking the CPC exam?

AAPC does not require a course. It recommends an associate degree or equivalent education and roughly 80 contact hours of coding instruction before sitting for the exam, and the exam allows the current CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS manuals. Most candidates take a program built around the exam blueprint.

How is the CPC exam structured?

As published by AAPC, the CPC is a timed, proctored, multiple-choice exam of about 100 questions covering CPT coding by body system, evaluation and management, anesthesia, radiology, pathology, medicine, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, compliance, and medical terminology and anatomy. Confirm the current question count, time limit, and delivery options on AAPC’s site before you register.

Will employers hire a CPC-A?

Many physician practices, outpatient centers, and billing companies do. Some postings ask for a full CPC with the A removed. Read ten local ads before you assume either story. The first job is how most people document the experience AAPC requires.

Is the CPC enough for hospital inpatient coding?

Usually not by itself. Hospital inpatient work uses ICD-10-PCS and DRG assignment, which the CPC does not emphasize. That work more often asks for the CCS or an RHIT. The CPC is the outpatient and physician-office credential.

How do I keep the CPC current?

AAPC credentials renew on a two-year cycle through continuing education units and membership. The unit count depends on how many AAPC credentials you hold. Confirm current rules and fees on AAPC’s site. We do not quote fees.

Next steps

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