Examworthyexamworthy.comAAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) cheat sheet
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At a glance
Format: Multiple choice, open book with approved code manuals
Domain weight map
Heaviest first - spend your time hereHow this exam thinks
The CPC does not test whether you can recall a code; it tests whether the documentation in front of you supports the code, the modifier, and the sequence you chose.
Spot the trap
Tempting wrong answers, and why they failTempting but wrong
Append modifier 51 to the higher-valued primary procedure to flag the multiple-procedure relationship.
Why it fails
Modifier 51 signals a secondary procedure, but the primary is the higher-valued service and stays unmodified; placing 51 on the primary reverses the intended sequencing.
CPT Surgery and Modifiers
Tempting but wrong
Can 90460 report the injection of an adult's flu vaccine?
Why it fails
No. 90460 applies only to patients through 18 years when the physician counsels, so it is wrong for a 45-year-old without counselling. Use the 90471 series instead.
Radiology, Pathology and Laboratory, and Medicine
Tempting but wrong
One administration of a per 1 mg drug equals one unit of service.
Why it fails
This treats one administration as one unit, ignoring that the descriptor bills per 1 mg; a 4 mg dose is under-reported and the claim is paid for a quarter of the drug given.
ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II Coding
Tempting but wrong
Is the gastro-oesophageal junction where the proximal oesophagus meets the lower pharynx?
Why it fails
No. That describes the pharyngo-oesophageal junction near the upper oesophageal sphincter, tempting because it is also an oesophageal boundary, but it sits at the neck, not the stomach.
Anatomy, Medical Terminology, and Coding Guidelines
Tempting but wrong
Anaesthesia for a knee replacement is coded under bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot.
Why it fails
That code covers bones of the lower leg, ankle, and foot, not replacement of the knee joint itself, so it does not match a documented arthroplasty even though the knee sits at the top of the lower leg.
Anesthesia and Evaluation and Management
Tempting but wrong
Combining two E/M services into one higher code makes this unbundling.
Why it fails
Unbundling means splitting one service into several codes to gain payment. Here a single visit is simply reported at an inflated level, so the mistake is tempting but names the wrong violation.
Compliance, Regulatory, and Practical Application
Tempting but wrong
Use modifier 59 on the second procedure to flag two distinct procedures done in one session.
Why it fails
Modifier 59 marks a distinct procedural service that would otherwise be bundled by an NCCI edit; these two codes are not an edit pair, so 59 is the wrong tool and 51 is what the multiple-procedure situation calls for.
CPT Surgery and Modifiers
Tempting but wrong
Is the vaccine product bundled into the 90471 administration code?
Why it fails
No. The vaccine product is never bundled into an administration code, so the supply code (for example 90686) must also be reported alongside 90471.
Radiology, Pathology and Laboratory, and Medicine
Key terms
Exam-day rules
- Read the whole note before you look at the options; decide what was done, then find the code.
- When two codes are both plausible, pick the one the documentation supports, and be able to say why the runner-up does not match the note.
- Do not add a modifier the documentation does not justify, and do not omit one it clearly requires.
- Level E/M by medical decision making or total time; treat any option that counts history and exam elements as a distractor.
- For anaesthesia, use the single highest base-unit code for the session, then add time and status units - never sum base units across procedures.
Revision schedule
- Week 1Get fluent in the manuals
- Week 1-2Lock down terminology and anatomy
- Week 2-3Master modifiers and the surgical package
- Week 3-4Drill the rule-heavy domains
- Week 4-5Practise full practical cases