What's on the CPC Exam: Format, Length, and Open-Book Rules
The CPC exam is 100 multiple-choice questions, administered in a 4-hour session split into two parts of up to 2 hours 45 minutes each, open-book with approved current-year CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals, and scored against a 70% passing threshold. The two parts can be scheduled back to back on the same day or split across different days, depending on the testing option chosen.
Most people asking this question want one of two things: a sense of what to expect walking in, or clarity on exactly which materials are allowed at the testing station. Both come down to the same handful of rules, laid out below.
(CPC Prep is not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPC or Pearson VUE. This article describes exam format and logistics; it does not reproduce any AAPC exam content.)
How many questions are on the exam, and how long do you get?
100 multiple-choice questions total, given across a 4-hour window that’s split into two parts, each capped at 2 hours 45 minutes (AAPC: Taking the CPC Exam, accessed 2026-07-18). That split exists so candidates aren’t forced into one unbroken four-hour sitting; you can schedule both parts the same day or on separate days if your testing option allows it. Averaged out, that’s roughly 2.4 minutes per question, tighter than it sounds once you factor in time spent flipping through a code manual mid-question.
| Format detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 100 multiple choice |
| Total time | 4 hours, split into two parts |
| Max time per part | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% (70+ of 100 correct) |
| Book policy | Open-book, current-year approved manuals only |
Is the CPC exam open book?
Yes. Candidates may use current calendar-year, AAPC-approved editions of the CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals during the exam. Certain “expert” or “plus” editions of code books, along with any outside study guides, are explicitly not approved for use during the exam, since they include added interpretive content beyond the base code set. Electronic devices with an on/off switch, including phones and tablets, aren’t allowed in the testing room at all, whether or not you intend to use them.
What do the questions actually look like?
A portion of the exam presents mock clinical documentation, essentially a short excerpt resembling a real patient note, and asks you to identify the correct code or combination of codes based on it. The rest test more direct application of coding guidelines: modifier use, sequencing rules, and recognizing which code set governs a given scenario. None of it asks you to recall a code from memory; all of it assumes you can locate the right entry in your manual quickly and apply the surrounding guideline correctly.
What subject areas does the exam actually cover?
Roughly 17 content areas, spanning Evaluation & Management, anesthesia, surgery across multiple body systems, radiology, pathology and laboratory, medicine, medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding, HCPCS Level II, and compliance topics like fraud and abuse awareness and NCCI edits. Surgery and Evaluation & Management carry the heaviest weighting among the specialty sections, reflecting how much of that coding happens in a typical physician’s office. See medical terminology and anatomy for the CPC exam for how to build the foundational vocabulary these sections all assume.
How is the exam delivered?
Either in person at a proctored testing center or remotely through a live online proctor. Both formats follow the same open-book manual rules and the same 100-question, two-part structure; the difference is just where you physically sit for it. Scheduling logistics, including voucher validity and the annual scheduling blackout period, are on how to register for the CPC exam.
Once you understand the format, the fastest way to build real comfort with it is timed practice. Run a session on the free CPC practice exam, and keep this format breakdown handy on the free CPC Exam Prep Cheat Sheet while you study.
FAQ
How many questions are on the CPC exam? 100 multiple-choice questions, delivered across a 4-hour session split into two parts.
Is the CPC exam open book? Yes, but only with current calendar-year, AAPC-approved CPT, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals. No outside study guides or “expert” editions, and no electronic devices.
How much time do you get per question on average? Roughly 2.4 minutes per question, based on 100 questions across a 4-hour total window.
Can I take the two exam parts on different days? Yes, depending on your testing option, both parts can be scheduled the same day or on separate days.
Does the CPC exam include case-based questions? Yes. A portion of the exam presents mock clinical documentation and asks you to code it correctly, testing applied reasoning rather than simple recall.
Bottom line: the CPC exam is 100 questions across a 4-hour, two-part session, open-book with approved current-year manuals only, and built to test how fast and accurately you can apply coding guidelines, not how much you’ve memorized.