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173 multiple-choice questions and 60 flashcards, organised into 6 chapters, written to the AAPC CPC blueprint. Every question carries a full rationale.
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AAPC CPC — 17 sections covering CPT (anesthesia, surgery by body system, radiology, pathology, medicine, E/M), HCPCS Level II, ICD-10-CM, compliance + regulatory, medical terminology/anatomy
CoStudy's Medical Coder (CPC/AAPC) bank holds 233 items organised into 6 chapters that follow the published blueprint. Every multiple-choice question carries a written rationale explaining why the correct answer is correct and why each distractor is tempting but wrong.
Each chapter follows a domain of the published exam outline. Practise one on its own:
A sample of 12 multiple-choice questions from the bank, with the full rationale shown.
The lateral malleolus is part of the:
Answer: A — Fibula
Lateral malleolus = distal end of fibula. Medial malleolus = distal tibia. Knowing landmarks important for fracture coding (laterality).
The suffix '-pexy' means:
Answer: A — Surgical fixation
-pexy = surgical fixation (orchiopexy = testis fixation). -ectomy = removal. -plasty = repair. -tomy = incision.
For an outpatient visit, when documentation says 'rule out pneumonia,' the coder should:
Answer: B — Code the signs/symptoms (e.g., cough, fever)
Outpatient rule: do NOT code uncertain diagnoses ('probable,' 'rule out,' 'suspected'). Code the signs/symptoms. Inpatient differs.
ICD-10-CM is used for:
Answer: B — Diagnoses
A) CPT. B) Correct. C/D) HCPCS Level II.
Initial hospital inpatient care, high-level MDM, is reported with:
Answer: C — 99223
99221 low, 99222 moderate, 99223 high. 99234 is observation/inpatient same-day admission and discharge.
Modifier -25 is used for:
Answer: D — Significant, separately identifiable E/M on same day as procedure
A) -50. B) Correct. C) -95. D) -76.
Repair of a retinal detachment using scleral buckling is reported with:
Answer: B — 67108
A) 67101 is repair of retinal detachment with pneumatic retinopexy, a different technique. B) Correct — 67108 is repair of retinal detachment with scleral buckling, with or without vitrectomy. C) 67113 is repair of complex retinal detachment. D) 67141 is prophylactic treatment of retinal detachment (e.g., cryotherapy/laser without existing detachment).
CBC with automated differential WBC count:
Answer: D — 85025
85025 = CBC, automated and automated differential WBC. 85027 = CBC complete, automated (no differential). 85049 = platelet count.
Injection, ondansetron HCl, per 1 mg (HCPCS):
Answer: A — J2405
J2405 = ondansetron HCl injection per 1 mg. Each unit = 1 mg. J2469 = palonosetron. J3490 = unclassified drugs.
HCPCS Level II is mostly used for:
Answer: D — Supplies, drugs, services not in CPT
A) ICD. B) Correct — DME, injectables, ambulance. C) CPT. D) Wrong.
Stark Law applies to:
Answer: A — Self-referral of designated health services to entities with financial relationship — federally-funded
Stark Law = physician self-referral prohibition for designated health services (DHS) when the physician/family has a financial relationship. Federal program-specific (Medicare/Medicaid).
NCCI edits prevent:
Answer: B — Improper code pairs (PTP) + impossibly high quantities (MUE)
A/C/D) Wrong. B) Correct.
6 sample cards from the 60 in the bank.
CPT?
Current Procedural Terminology. Maintained by AMA. 5-digit codes for medical procedures + services. Updated annually (effective Jan 1).
Modifier -24, -25, -57?
-24: Unrelated E/M during global period. -25: Significant E/M same day as minor procedure. -57: Decision for major surgery (day of or day before).
HCPCS Level II categories?
A = transportation, supplies. B = enteral/parenteral. C = outpatient PPS. D = dental. E = DME. G = procedures. J = drugs (chemo + admin). K = wheelchairs. L = orthotics + prosthetics. Q = miscellaneous.
Anatomic position?
Standing erect, facing forward, arms at sides, palms forward. Reference position for medial/lateral/proximal/distal descriptions.
LCD vs. NCD?
NCD (National Coverage Determination) = CMS national policy on whether/how a service is covered. LCD (Local Coverage Determination) = coverage policy set by the local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) when no NCD exists. Both establish medical-necessity criteria coders should check before billing.
Modifier -25 abuse?
OIG focus. -25 requires significant + separately identifiable E/M, not just paperwork. Routine -25 use is audit target.
These samples are a small slice. The full bank runs flashcards, multiple choice and timed mock exams with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.
Open Medical Coder (CPC/AAPC) →
The Medical Coder (CPC/AAPC) bank holds 233 items: 173 multiple-choice questions, 60 flashcards. 18 of them are on this page to read free, with no signup.
Yes. Every multiple-choice item carries a written rationale that states the controlling principle behind the correct answer and then addresses each wrong option in turn — why it tempts and precisely where it fails. Knowing why the plausible answer was wrong is worth more than knowing which letter was right.
It is organised into 6 chapters that follow the published exam blueprint: Medical Terminology and Anatomy; ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines and Concepts; CPT Coding — Evaluation & Management; CPT Coding — Surgery, Radiology, Pathology, Medicine; HCPCS Level II Coding; Coding Guidelines, Compliance, and Reimbursement. The number of questions in each chapter is proportional to that domain's published weight, so working through the bank exposes you to roughly the mix the real exam uses.
AAPC CPC — 17 sections covering CPT (anesthesia, surgery by body system, radiology, pathology, medicine, E/M), HCPCS Level II, ICD-10-CM, compliance + regulatory, medical terminology/anatomy
The samples on this page are free to read in full, rationales included, with no account. The complete 233-item bank, the timed mock exams and per-chapter progress tracking are part of CoStudy on the web and in the iOS app.
Last reviewed 2026-08-22. Banks are written against the certifying body's published exam outline and re-checked when that outline changes — exams get renumbered, retired and reweighted, and a bank written to a superseded outline teaches the wrong proportions. Figures that are re-indexed annually are deliberately not asserted as rules; the questions test the governing principle instead.