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THE CPC EXAM: PREPARATION AND PRACTICE

The CPC credential stands for Certified Professional Coder, and is awarded by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

The CPC is recognized by employers more than any other professional medical coding certification in the industry.

“Professional” coding (as opposed to facility coding), is medical coding that takes place in an outpatient setting, such as surgery centers, emergency departments, and private practices, such as family physicians offices and specialists. Those who interested in coding in these environments should consider obtaining the CPC credential.

The only requirement for obtaining the CPC certification is the pass the AAPC’s 5 hour and 40 minute CPC exam. Individuals who are able to sit for and pass the CPC exam with a minimum score of 70% or higher will be awarded either the CPC or the CPC-A.

The CPC-A stands for Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice, and is awarded to individuals who have passed the CPC exam, but have less than two years of on the job medical coding experience. The CPC certification is awarded to individuals who either pass the CPC exam and have two or more years of experience, or to CPC-As who have earned at least two years of coding experience.

Earning the CPC or CPC-A requires passing the CPC exam, and passing the CPC exam requires proper preparation.

In order to properly prepare for the CPC exam it is important to know about the exam itself, this way you can focus your studies on areas that are tested.

The CPC exam is a compilation of 150 multiple choice questions which are divided into three main sections:

·         Section I:Surgery & Modifiers

·         Section II:E/M, Anesthesia, Radiology, Laboratory & Pathology, and Medicine

·         Section III:Medical Concepts

Each of these three sections are then subdivided into specific topics. Category specific questions are as follows:

Section I:Surgery & Modifiers; 60 questions divided into the following topics

·         Integumentary; 10000 series

·         Musculoskeletal; 20000 series

·         Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Hemic and Lymphatics Systems, Mediastinum, and Diaphragm; 30000 series

·         Digestive; 40000 series

·         Urinary, Male & Female Genitals, Maternity and Delivery; 50000 series

·         Endocrine, Nervous System, Eye and Ocular Adnexa, and Auditory; 60000 series

Section II: E/M, Anesthesia, Radiology & Pathology, and Medicine; 47 questions divided into the following topics

·         Evaluation and Management (E/M); 99000 series

·         Anesthesia; 00100 series

·         Radiology; 70000 series

·         Laboratory & Pathology; 80000 series

·         Medicine; 90000 series

Section III: Medical Concepts; 43 questions divided into the following topics

·         Medical Terminology

·         Gross Anatomy

·         ICD-9-CM

·         HCPCS Level II

·         Coding Guidelines

·         Practice Management

Since over 71% of the CPC exam is focused on national level I codes (CPT codes) individuals preparing for the CPC exam should also spend the majority of their time studying the CPT codes.

Studying should include:

·         Reading and Re-reading coding guidelines in the CPT manual

·         Becoming familiar with the CPT book layout, such as knowing what each appendix is, where convention keys are, how to locate modifier explanations, and knowing the difference between general coding guidelines, category specific coding guidelines, and code set specific coding guidelines.

·         Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice should be performed in multiple ways. Individuals should practice looking codes up in the index, but should also practice taking the four options on a multiple choice exam and going straight to the tabular to select one, since this is how the CPC exam should be taken.

It is also important to practice taking timed examinations. Although 5 hours and 40 minutes sounds like a great deal of time, running out of time is the largest complaint among examinees.

The 150 question CPC exam contains questions that are as simple as a single sentence that requires a true or false answer, and can be as difficult as a whole page operative note which requires multiple CPT and ICD-9-CM codes. Since the 150 question exam has a time limit, the average time allotted for reading and answering each question is just under 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Taking multiple, comprehensive CPC practice exams, that are timed, is a great way to prepare for the CPC exam.

Other CPC exam taking tips include:

·         Answer the short questions and the questions you know first

·         Skip the longer and more difficult questions and be sure to skip them on the answer sheet as well

·         Know your modifiers well. Many answers on the CPC exam contain two answers with a modifier and two without a modifier. Knowing your modifiers well can help you to eliminate two of the four options quickly.

·         Skip the index and go straight to the tabular and locate the four options provided on the CPC exam

·         Don’t leave any answers blank. Make an educated guess.