What does the CPC cheat sheet cover?

It condenses the highest-yield facts across the AAPC content outline: the CPT surgical series (10000-60000), Evaluation and Management, anesthesia, radiology, pathology and laboratory, medicine, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, plus coding guidelines and compliance. It also flags the modifiers and look-up habits that save the most time on an open-book, time-pressured exam.

Can the cheat sheet replace my code books on exam day?

No — the CPC is open book only for the approved AMA CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals plus the printed ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines. Outside notes, study guides, and printed cheat sheets are not permitted at the test center, so use this sheet to prep and to rehearse tabbing your books, not as a smuggled reference.

Will the cheat sheet alone get me past 70 percent?

Not by itself. Passing the CPC means answering at least 70 of 100 questions correctly in 4 hours, and that rewards speed at locating and applying codes — a skill you build by drilling full-length practice with your real books, not by memorizing a sheet. Use the cheat sheet to lock in the facts, then prove readiness on the practice test.

How do I download the CPC cheat sheet?

Tap the download button or the preview card at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark the page so it is one click away for your final-week cram and the morning of your exam.

Free CPC Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF

This CPC cheat sheet distills AAPC's Certified Professional Coder content outline into a fast, printable rundown of the coding facts and modifiers the exam tests most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free CPC toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.

CPC exam at a glance

Questions: 100 multiple-choice (all scored)
Time: 4 hours (roughly 2.4 minutes per question)
Passing score: 70% or higher (at least 70 of 100 correct)
Format: Open book — approved CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals plus the printed ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines
Cost: About $425 for one attempt or $499 for two; verify at AAPC.com
Administered by: AAPC, in person or online with live remote proctoring

What’s on the CPC cheat sheet

Medicine & ICD-10-CM (about 20%) — the two highest-count areas — medicine services plus diagnosis coding and the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines shortcuts.
Surgical CPT series 10000-60000 (about 36%) — integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory and cardiovascular, digestive, urinary and genital, and endocrine and nervous system coding.
E/M, Anesthesia, Radiology, Pathology & Lab (about 22%) — the level-of-service logic for Evaluation and Management plus the core rules for the diagnostic and procedural series.
HCPCS Level II, Guidelines & Compliance (about 13%) — HCPCS codes and modifiers, coding guidelines, compliance and regulatory basics, and medical terminology and anatomy anchors.

Highest-yield facts on the sheet

You need 70% — at least 70 of 100 questions correct — with every question scored and no unscored pretest items, so accuracy on each item counts.
The exam is open book only for the approved CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM, and HCPCS Level II manuals plus the printed ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines — no outside notes.
Speed at look-ups wins: 100 questions in 4 hours is about 2.4 minutes each, so tabbed books and a rehearsed navigation workflow beat memorization.
The surgical CPT series (10000-60000) and E/M carry the most questions — precise reading of operative and clinic notes drives your score most.
Modifiers and the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines settle the close calls, so drill the common HCPCS Level II modifiers and guideline rules until they are automatic.

How to use it in your final week

Skim the sheet once daily and time yourself locating three random codes in your tabbed books — speed at look-ups, not recall, is what runs the 4-hour clock down.
Front-load the high-count areas the sheet flags — Medicine, ICD-10-CM, and the surgical CPT series carry the most questions, so lock those modifiers and guidelines first.
Rehearse the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines shortcuts and the common HCPCS Level II modifiers from the sheet, since those decide close-call answers under time pressure.
Pair every review pass with a short timed practice set (100 questions in 4 hours is about 2.4 minutes each) so your pacing and book navigation stay sharp.

The cheat sheet is your review layer — your CPC practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.

CPC cheat sheet FAQ

Yes — the CPC cheat sheet downloads as a PDF with no sign-up and no payment. It sits alongside Career Employer's free CPC practice test, study guide, and flashcards so your whole review stack costs nothing.

References

1.AAPC. “Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Certification.” AAPC.com, 2026. ↑
2.AAPC. “In-Person and Online CPC Exam FAQs.” AAPC.com, 2026. ↑
3.AAPC. “What Score Do I Need to Pass the CPC Exam?.” AAPC.com, 2026. ↑
4.AAPC. “How Much Does the CPC Exam Cost?.” AAPC.com, 2026. ↑

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Your Free CPC Cheat Sheet 2026 — Downloadable PDF