How to Get CPC Certified
The CPC is AAPC's outpatient coding credential — what the four-hour exam covers, what sitting it costs, and how the CPC-A apprentice tag works.
By Marcus BellweatherOct 28, 2026 · 8 min read
The Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is issued by AAPC and tests outpatient coding across the CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II code books in 100 multiple-choice questions with a four-hour limit (AAPC, undated). You need 70 percent or higher — at least 70 of 100 questions correct — to pass (AAPC, undated).
No college degree is required to sit it, but an active AAPC membership is mandatory, and candidates without two years of coding experience receive the CPC-A apprentice credential until that experience is verified (CCI Training Center, undated; AAPC, undated).
What This Certification Covers
The credential is the Certified Professional Coder (CPC), issued by AAPC. The examination is 100 multiple-choice questions answered within four hours, and the content is organised around three code books: CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II (AAPC, undated). It is an open-codebook exam — you bring the manuals in with you — and AAPC describes it as its flagship credential and the most recognised credential among U.S. employers for outpatient coding (Medical Billing and Coding Classes, undated).
That phrasing matters. The CPC is not a government licence. No state licensing board issues it, and no state board sits behind it the way a nursing or cosmetology board sits behind a licence. It is a national exam recognised in all 50 states (Career Step, undated), and the people who require it are employers: outpatient physician practices, multispecialty groups, hospital outpatient billing departments, third-party billing companies and payers who screen coding applicants by credential. If a job posting for an outpatient coder asks for "CPC required," that requirement comes from the employer's hiring standard, not from statute.
The exam assumes a working command of medical terminology, anatomy and pathophysiology (AAPC, undated), because you are matching clinical documentation to codes rather than recalling codes from memory. Delivery is either Live Remote Proctored through Examity or at an approved in-person test site (The Health Exams, undated).
Eligibility Requirements
These are the pass/fail conditions for sitting the exam and for holding the credential, as AAPC states them. Soft advice is flagged as such.
- Active AAPC membership. Mandatory to sit the exam; memberships renew annually (CCI Training Center, undated; AAPC Help Center, undated).
- No college degree. AAPC does not require a degree to sit the CPC exam (CCI Training Center, undated).
- Two years of coding experience — for the full credential only. AAPC recommends two years of professional coding experience for full CPC certification. Pass without it and you receive the CPC-A apprentice designation instead (AAPC, undated; CCI Training Center, undated).
- Verified work experience to drop the "-A". Upgrading CPC-A to full CPC requires verifying your coding work experience with AAPC (AAPC, undated).
- A passing score. 70 percent or higher — at least 70 of 100 questions correct (AAPC, undated).
- A testing setup AAPC accepts. Either a Live Remote Proctored session through Examity or a seat at an approved in-person test site (The Health Exams, undated).
- 36 CEUs every two years, plus membership, to stay active (Career Step, undated; AAPC Help Center, undated).
Prerequisite coursework in anatomy, pathophysiology and medical terminology — sometimes bundled as a "3-in-1" course — is part of AAPC's recommended preparation (AAPC, undated), not a gate you must clear to register. Background checks, where they appear, come from the hiring employer, not from AAPC.
Steps to Get Certified
- Build the clinical groundwork. AAPC's first step is preparing for the exam, including prerequisite courses in anatomy, pathophysiology and medical terminology, sometimes sold together as a "3-in-1" course (AAPC, undated). Training for the CPC assumes a high level of knowledge in those three subjects (AAPC, undated). Course fees vary by provider — check the current catalogue price before enrolling.
- Join AAPC. Membership is mandatory to sit the exam and renews annually (CCI Training Center, undated; AAPC Help Center, undated). Some exam purchases are bundled with membership and study materials — a first attempt has been quoted at approximately $399 including both (Propelld, undated). Confirm what your purchase includes.
- Buy the exam and schedule it. Published fees are $425 for one attempt or $499 for two attempts (CCI Training Center, undated); elsewhere the exam is quoted at $399 member price or $499 non-member price, with every purchase including one free retake inside 12 months (NextExamNews, undated). Pricing changes, so verify on AAPC's site, then book either a Live Remote Proctored slot through Examity or an in-person seat (The Health Exams, undated).
- Get your code books and sit the exam. It is open-codebook: current CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II manuals (Medical Billing and Coding Classes, undated). You answer 100 multiple-choice questions in four hours and need 70 or more correct (AAPC, undated).
- Receive CPC or CPC-A. Pass without two years of coding experience and AAPC issues the CPC-A apprentice credential — a temporary step that employers respect and value (AAPC, undated).
- Upgrade and maintain. AAPC's fourth step is upgrading CPC-A to full CPC by verifying coding work experience (AAPC, undated). After that, keep membership active and submit 36 CEUs every two years, drawn from AAPC workshops, local chapter meetings, online courses, webinars and conferences (Medical Billing and Coding Classes, undated).
Cost and Timeline by Path
The exam fee is the one figure you can pin down; tuition is set by each provider and should be checked against their current price list. The only deadlines AAPC fixes are the 12-month window on an included free retake (NextExamNews, undated) and the two-year CEU cycle (Career Step, undated) — everything else runs on your study pace.
| Path or Provider | Total Cost | Time to Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Self-study with the CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II code books | $399–$499 exam fee (Propelld, undated; CCI Training Center, undated; NextExamNews, undated), plus current AAPC membership dues and the code books | You set the schedule; no provider deadline applies |
| AAPC's own preparation courses, including the "3-in-1" anatomy, pathophysiology and medical terminology bundle (AAPC, undated) | Exam fee as above plus AAPC's current course tuition | The published course schedule — check AAPC's current syllabus |
| A career school or distance provider offering coding programs, such as CCI Training Center, Career Step or Penn Foster | Exam fee as above plus the school's quoted tuition | The program length each school publishes |
Self-study is the cheapest route and keeps the total close to the exam fee alone. The trade-off is real: nobody checks your progress, there is no instructor to explain why a coding answer was wrong, and if the exam assumes anatomy and pathophysiology you never formally studied (AAPC, undated), you absorb the cost of a retake rather than a tuition payment. A structured program costs more and holds you to someone else's calendar, but it sequences the prerequisite subjects for you.
Frequently asked questions
How often do I renew, and what does renewal involve?
You do not retake the exam. To keep the CPC active you maintain an active AAPC membership, which renews annually, and submit 36 continuing education units every two years (AAPC Help Center, undated; Career Step, undated). CEUs can come from AAPC workshops, local chapter meetings, online courses, webinars and conferences (Medical Billing and Coding Classes, undated). Let either the membership or the CEUs lapse and the credential stops being active.
What happens if I fail the exam?
Every exam purchase includes one free retake, which must be used within 12 months (NextExamNews, undated); the two-attempt bundle is priced at $499 (CCI Training Center, undated). Beyond the included retake there is no waiting period and no cap on attempts — additional sittings are simply paid for again (NextExamNews, undated). Confirm current retake terms with AAPC before you buy, since fees and bundles change.
Is the CPC valid in every state?
Yes. The CPC is a national exam recognised in all 50 states (Career Step, undated), so there is no state-by-state reciprocity process to work through and no separate state coding licence behind it. Moving states does not require re-examination — you keep the credential as long as membership stays active and you file 36 CEUs every two years.
What is the CPC-A, and how do I remove the "-A"?
If you pass without two years of coding experience, AAPC issues the CPC-A apprentice credential rather than full CPC status (AAPC, undated). It is described as a temporary step that employers respect and value (AAPC, undated). You upgrade by verifying your coding work experience with AAPC (AAPC, undated) — check their current documentation requirements, as the acceptable forms of verification are set by AAPC.
What is the CPC pass rate?
AAPC does not publicly publish official CPC pass-rate statistics. Figures in the 50–60 percent range for first attempts circulate through exam-prep providers, but these are described as informal estimates rather than official numbers (CPC Pathway, undated). Treat any pass rate quoted in marketing material with caution, and judge your readiness against the 70 percent passing threshold instead (AAPC, undated).
Sources
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Marcus writes a running column on the economics of work, from gig platforms to apprenticeships. He's skeptical of easy career advice and prefers questions to conclusions.
