Pass Your AAPC Certification Exams

What are AAPC Certifications?

American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) certifications are the gold standard credentials for medical coding, billing, auditing, and compliance professionals. Founded in 1988, AAPC is the largest medical coding training and certification organization globally with over 200,000 members. AAPC certifications validate expertise in translating medical services, procedures, diagnoses, and equipment into standardized alphanumeric codes (CPT, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II) used for claims submission, reimbursement, data analysis, and regulatory compliance. Medical coding is essential for healthcare revenue cycle management, ensuring accurate billing, preventing fraud, and maintaining compliance with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer requirements.

AAPC offers 30+ specialty certifications covering physician-based coding (CPC), facility coding (CIC, COC, CCS-P), medical billing (CPB), medical auditing (CPMA, CPC-I), compliance (CPC-P), risk adjustment coding (CRC), and specialty-specific certifications for cardiology (CCC), emergency medicine (CEMC), anesthesia/pain management (CANPC), orthopedics (COSC), and many other specialties. All certifications require passing rigorous proctored exams testing coding guidelines, medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and specialty-specific coding scenarios. AAPC-certified professionals demonstrate mastery of complex coding rules and regulations essential for accurate claim submission and healthcare compliance.

AAPC certifications deliver significant career benefits. Certified Professional Coders (CPC) earn average salaries of $45,000-$60,000, with experienced coders earning $55,000-$70,000+. Specialty coders (cardiology, emergency medicine, anesthesia) earn $52,000-$72,000. Medical auditors with CPMA certification earn $60,000-$85,000. Remote coding positions are increasingly common, providing work-from-home opportunities with competitive compensation. Healthcare employers strongly prefer or require AAPC certification for coding positions, recognizing certified coders' superior accuracy rates (95-98% vs. 85-90% for non-certified coders), which directly impacts reimbursement and reduces claim denials.

Key AAPC Certification Paths

CPC (Certified Professional Coder)

CPC is AAPC's flagship certification and the most widely recognized physician-based medical coding credential with over 150,000+ certified professionals. The exam contains 100 questions completed in 5 hours 40 minutes (including 20-minute break), testing proficiency with CPT (Current Procedural Terminology), ICD-10-CM (diagnosis coding), and HCPCS Level II codes. The exam is open-book allowing test-takers to bring and use coding manuals during the exam (CPT codebook, ICD-10-CM manual, HCPCS manual), but comprehensive knowledge of coding guidelines, conventions, and medical terminology is essential for completing 100 questions within time constraints.

Content includes surgery coding (38% - all surgical specialties including integumentary, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, nervous systems, eye/ear, endocrine), evaluation and management coding (30% - office visits, consultations, hospital services, documentation requirements, medical decision-making levels), radiology (7%), pathology and laboratory (6%), medicine (11% - immunizations, chemotherapy, cardiovascular tests, physical therapy), and anesthesia (5%). Questions present realistic clinical scenarios requiring code selection based on operative reports, office visit notes, and procedure descriptions. Exam passing score is 70% (70/100 questions correct). Newly certified CPCs without 2 years of coding experience receive CPC-A (Apprentice) credential until gaining required experience through employment or training programs. CPCs work in physician offices, multi-specialty clinics, coding companies, billing services, and remote coding positions earning $42,000-$65,000 depending on experience and specialty.

COC (Certified Outpatient Coder)

COC certification validates expertise in facility-based outpatient coding for hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and same-day surgery facilities. The exam contains 100 questions completed in 5 hours 40 minutes testing CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS coding for facility outpatient services. Unlike CPC which focuses on physician services, COC emphasizes facility coding including APC (Ambulatory Payment Classifications) reimbursement methodology, hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS), modifier usage for facility billing (distinguishing from physician modifiers), NCCI edits, and compliance with Medicare facility billing requirements.

Content includes outpatient surgical coding (35%), emergency department coding (15%), observation services (8%), radiology and diagnostics (12%), laboratory and pathology (8%), medicine and ancillary services (12%), and compliance and regulations (10%). Questions test facility-specific coding scenarios including same-day surgeries, outpatient procedures, emergency visits, diagnostic testing, infusion therapy, and wound care. Passing score is 70%. COC-certified professionals work in hospital health information management departments, ambulatory surgery centers, hospital revenue cycle companies, and facility coding consulting firms earning $45,000-$62,000, with experienced hospital coders earning $52,000-$68,000.

CPB (Certified Professional Biller)

CPB certification focuses on medical billing, claims submission, payment posting, denial management, and accounts receivable follow-up rather than code assignment. The exam contains 100 questions completed in 4 hours testing healthcare reimbursement methodologies, claim form completion (CMS-1500, UB-04), payer policies, denial resolution, patient billing, collections, and revenue cycle management. CPB professionals work closely with coders but focus on claim submission, insurance verification, payment posting, patient statements, collections, and resolving billing issues.

Content includes billing processes and procedures (18%), healthcare reimbursement systems (25% covering Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, managed care contracts, fee schedules), claims processing (22% covering CMS-1500 completion, electronic claims submission, clearinghouse processes), accounts receivable management (15% covering payment posting, aging reports, collection procedures), compliance and regulations (12%), and practice management (8%). Questions address real-world billing scenarios including claim rejections, denials, appeals, coordination of benefits, and patient billing disputes. Passing score is 70%. CPB-certified professionals work as medical billing specialists, revenue cycle analysts, billing managers, and practice administrators earning $38,000-$55,000, with experienced billing managers earning $50,000-$68,000.

CPMA (Certified Professional Medical Auditor)

CPMA certification validates expertise in conducting medical coding and documentation audits to ensure compliance, accuracy, and optimal reimbursement. The exam contains 100 questions completed in 5 hours 40 minutes testing audit methodologies, compliance regulations (OIG guidance, Medicare guidelines, RAC audits), documentation requirements, coding accuracy assessment, and educational feedback. CPMA professionals conduct internal audits, external audits, pre-bill audits, post-payment audits, and physician education identifying coding errors, documentation deficiencies, compliance risks, and improvement opportunities.

Content includes audit process and methodology (15%), healthcare regulations and compliance (20% covering Medicare Fraud and Abuse laws, OIG compliance guidance, RAC/CERT audits), evaluation and management auditing (25%), procedural auditing across all specialties (25%), and documentation requirements (15%). Applicants must hold CPC, COC, or equivalent coding certification before sitting for CPMA exam. Medical auditors work for healthcare compliance companies, hospital compliance departments, payer audit departments, OIG contractors, and consulting firms earning $55,000-$80,000, with senior auditors and compliance directors earning $70,000-$95,000+.

Specialty AAPC Certifications

AAPC offers specialty certifications requiring CPC certification as a prerequisite. CEMC (Certified Evaluation and Management Coder) focuses exclusively on E/M coding - critical as E/M represents 40-50% of physician coding. CRC (Certified Risk Adjustment Coder) specializes in HCC (Hierarchical Condition Categories) coding for Medicare Advantage and ACA plans - high demand with coders earning $52,000-$70,000. CASCC (Certified Ambulatory Surgery Center Coder) specializes in ASC coding with specific expertise in ASC payment methodology and regulations.

Medical specialty certifications include CCC (cardiology), COBGC (obstetrics/gynecology), COSC (orthopedics), CANPC (anesthesia/pain management), CPCO (pediatrics), CEDC (emergency department), and many others. These credentials demonstrate advanced expertise in specialty-specific coding and command premium salaries ($52,000-$75,000) in specialty practices and hospital departments. All specialty exams contain 75 questions completed in 4 hours, require 70% to pass, and require maintaining CPC certification concurrently.

Why Choose ExamBlaze for AAPC Certifications

AAPC exams are extremely challenging with national CPC pass rates around 60-65% for first-time test-takers despite the open-book format. While coding manuals are permitted, time constraints (less than 3.5 minutes per question), complex clinical scenarios, and requirement to navigate 3,000+ page coding manuals create significant difficulty. Adequate preparation requires 200-400 hours of study including formal coding education programs ($2,000-$6,000), AAPC study guides, practice exams ($50-$150), and coding manual familiarity. Exam fees are $399-$499 for members ($550-$650 for non-members), making failed attempts costly.

ExamBlaze provides guaranteed passing scores without months of intensive preparation. Our certified medical coding experts hold multiple AAPC certifications including CPC, COC, CPMA, and specialty credentials with extensive healthcare revenue cycle experience. We provide real-time assistance during your proctored AAPC exam using secure, undetectable methods that work with both in-person and remote proctoring formats. Our experts quickly identify correct codes and answers from complex operative reports and clinical scenarios. Our pay-after-pass model eliminates financial risk - you only pay after receiving your official AAPC certification. With 450+ successful AAPC exam completions, we guarantee your certification success allowing you to start your medical coding career immediately.