AAPC AAPC-CPC Online Practice
Questions and Exam Preparation
AAPC-CPC Exam Details
Exam Code
:AAPC-CPC
Exam Name
:Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
Certification
:AAPC Certifications
Vendor
:AAPC
Total Questions
:475 Q&As
Last Updated
:May 24, 2026
AAPC AAPC-CPC Online Questions &
Answers
Question 131:
Full Case: Patient: V. Bowen. Physician: C.S., MD. Reason for admission: Abdominal pain. HPI: admitted this morning; sudden onset RUQ pain began around 4:00 p.m. yesterday; started while eating; 8/10; chills/
sweating/nausea; no vomiting/diarrhea; last BM 2:00 p.m. yesterday; unable to pass stool or gas since;
abdominal distention; poor sleep; prior similar episodes relieved by gas tablets but not this time; no
CV regular; lungs clear. Abdomen: +BS, soft but very tender; worst RUQ; Murphy's sign; guarding and
rebound, worse with palpation. Extremities: trace edema. Labs ordered/reviewed: CMP with abnormal LFT/
bili; CBC WBC 9.9; etc. Final assessment: RUQ abdominal pain, rule out cholecystitis. Plan: NPO;
morphine IV, controlled substance; IV NS 150 cc/hr; abdominal ultrasound and HIDA ordered; consider
surgical consult based on results.
What CPT(R) and ICD-10-CM codes are reported?
A. 99222, R10.11 B. 99223, R10.11, K81.9 C. 99233, R10.11 D. 99232, R10.11, K81.9
A. 99222, R10.11
Explanation
This is an initial hospital service, admitted this morning; "reason for admission," so the correct E/M family is initial hospital inpatient/observation care rather than subsequent hospital care, 99232/99233. The encounter includes a detailed history, comprehensive exam elements focused on abdominal pathology, and meaningful initial management: NPO, IV fluids, IV morphine, ordering and reviewing lab panels, and ordering imaging, ultrasound and HIDA, with possible surgical consultation, supporting at least moderate MDM, consistent with 99222 in typical CPC exam mapping. Diagnosis coding: "rule out cholecystitis" is not a confirmed inpatient discharge diagnosis in the provided note; at this stage, the physician's final assessment is RUQ abdominal pain, rule out cholecystitis. Therefore, you report the sign/symptom code
R10.11, right upper quadrant pain, rather than K81.9, cholecystitis, unspecified, because cholecystitis is not established as definitive in the note. Option A correctly pairs an initial hospital E/M code with the symptom diagnosis supported by documentation.
Question 132:
A physician sees a patient for the first observation visit, spends 85 minutes, with moderate MDM.
What CPT(R) code is reported?
A. 99222, 99418 B. 99223, 99418 C. 99223 D. 99222
C. 99223
Explanation
99223 = Initial hospital inpatient or observation care with high total time or high MDM.
The documented total time of 85 minutes supports 99223.
Prolonged service code 99418 is not reported unless the documented time exceeds the required threshold beyond the primary E/M code.
Question 133:
A 56-year-old female patient with a history of degenerative disc disease at levels T2-T3 and T4-T5 underwent a surgical repair procedure. Two surgeons will be working together as primary surgeons.
Surgeon X: Carried out the anterior exposure of the spine and mobilized the great vessels, assisted, and performed the closure. Surgeon Z: Performed anterior discectomy and fusion at T2-T3 and T4-T5 levels using an anterior interbody technique and solely performed utilizing a structural allograft.
D. Surgeon X: 22556-62, 22585-62-51 Surgeon Z: 22556-62, 22585-62-51, 20931-62
Explanation
22556 = Initial level.
22585 = Additional level.
20931 = Structural allograft.
Modifier 62 = Co-surgeons.
Question 134:
From the left femoral artery, the catheter was advanced into the abdominal aorta, and aortography was performed to view the location of the left inferior phrenic artery. Next, the catheter was advanced into the left inferior phrenic and into the left superior suprarenal (adrenal) artery, and angiography was performed.
The angiography showed no blockage of the left adrenal artery.
What CPT(R) codes are reported?
A. 36245, 36246, 75731 B. 36245, 36246, 75733-50 C. 36246, 75731 D. 36200, 36246, 75733-50
A. 36245, 36246, 75731
Explanation
Selective catheter placement coding follows the highest-order selective catheterization achieved within a vascular family, plus additional selective placements when a different vascular family is entered. Here, access is via the femoral artery into the abdominal aorta, a nonselective aortic position, then selective advancement into the left inferior phrenic and further into the left superior suprarenal (adrenal) artery. The code set offered indicates reporting 36245, selective first-order or initial selective placement as represented by the item's structure, and 36246, additional selective advancement. Imaging is also reported: 75731 represents the angiographic imaging component matching the described abdominal/ visceral angiography in the options. Options with modifier -50 are incorrect because the study is on the left side only, not bilateral.
Option C omits a necessary catheter placement level from the option set, and option D substitutes a different catheter placement code while still incorrectly using bilateral imaging.
Therefore, option A best reflects the catheter placement progression and associated angiography per the question's choices.
Question 135:
The patient presents to the emergency department with chest pain. EKG shows NSTEMI and troponin is abnormal. The ED provider discusses the case with a cardiologist, and the patient is admitted for heart catheterization/PCI.
What is the E/M service and ICD-10-CM coding reported for the ED provider?
A. 99254, I21.4, R07.9 B. 99285, I21.4 C. 99255, I21.4 D. 99284, I21.4, R07.9
B. 99285, I21.4
Explanation
An ED visit involving NSTEMI with abnormal troponin, EKG confirmation, and escalation to cardiology for admission represents high acuity and high risk of morbidity/mortality, supporting the highest-level ED E/M in typical CPC exam scenarios: 99285. The definitive ED diagnosis is NSTEMI, which is coded as I21.4.
When a definitive diagnosis is established, you generally do not separately code the presenting symptom, chest pain (R07.9), as an additional diagnosis unless the symptom is unrelated or specifically required.
Here it is the presenting symptom attributable to the MI and is not separately necessary. Options A and C use inpatient consult codes (99254/99255) rather than an ED E/M code and are inappropriate for the ED provider's service. Option D understates the acuity and incorrectly includes symptom coding as if no definitive diagnosis were made.
Therefore, the correct answer is 99285 with I21.4.
Question 136:
A patient is taken to the radiology department for a radiological cardiac catheterization. An acute MI of the left anterior descending coronary artery is found. The cardiologist performs a suction thrombectomy, followed by atherectomy and a stent to the artery. A CRNA provides MAC for this patient, who is status P5.
What code/modifier combination would you report for the services of the CRNA?
A. 01925-QZ-QS-P5 B. 00520-QZ-P5 C. 00520-QX-QS-P5 D. 01925-QZ-P5
A. 01925-QZ-QS-P5
Question 137:
A 52-year-old woman has vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN II). The surgeon performs a vulvectomy removing less than 80% of the vulva, including affected skin and deep subcutaneous tissue.
What CPT(R) and ICD-10-CM codes are reported?
A. 56625, N90.1 B. 56630, N90.1 C. 56633, D07.1 D. 56620, N90.3
C. 56633, D07.1
Explanation
The procedure includes removal of affected skin and deep subcutaneous tissue, which supports radical partial vulvectomy.
56633 = Vulvectomy, radical, partial.
VIN II is reported with D07.1, carcinoma in situ of vulva, in this answer set.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. 56633, D07.1.
Question 138:
A 47-year-old male with a history of peripheral artery disease presents with worsening claudication of the left leg. A diagnostic angiography confirms stenosis in the left iliac artery. To restore blood flow to the left leg, the vascular surgeon plans to perform angioplasty, using a balloon to dilate the vessel lumen followed by placement of an expandable stent in the left iliac artery.
What CPT(R) coding is reported for the procedure?
A. 37221 B. 37220 C. 37221, 37220 D. 37223
A. 37221
Explanation
The clinical scenario involves diagnostic angiography and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with stent placement in the left iliac artery.
To code this correctly:
CPT Code 37221: Revascularization, endovascular, open or percutaneous, iliac artery, unilateral, initial vessel; with transluminal stent placement, includes angioplasty within the same vessel when performed.
This code includes the angioplasty if it is performed in the same vessel as the stent, which is true here because both procedures are done in the left iliac artery.
Since angioplasty is inherent to the stenting when performed in the same vessel, only the stent code is reported.
No need to report angioplasty separately when performed in the same vessel as the stent.
Other options explained:
Option B, 37220 - Incorrect. This code reports iliac angioplasty without stent placement.
Option C, 37221, 37220 - Incorrect. Reporting both codes for the same vessel would be unbundling.
Option D, 37223 - Incorrect. This is an add-on code for each additional ipsilateral iliac vessel treated with stent placement.
Official CPT(R)Guideline
References:
In the CPT(R)manual, specific instructions state that angioplasty is included when performed in the same vessel as a stent and should not be reported separately.
Question 139:
A 32-year-old male has a three-year history of progressive keratoconus in left eye. Glasses and repeated attempts to fit the patient with various types of contact lenses has not helped his vision. Corneal collagen cross-linking is performed to stabilize the cornea in the left eye. Under an operating microscope, corneal epithelium is removed. Riboflavin eye drops are instilled at frequent intervals until the corneal stroma is saturated (approximately 30 minutes). Corneal thickness is assessed using pachymetry, and ultraviolet light is delivered for approximately 30 minutes.
What CPT coding is reported for this procedure?
A. 65435, 0402T, 69990 B. 0402T, 69990 C. 65435 D. 0402T
A. 65435, 0402T, 69990
Question 140:
A surgeon performs a complete bilateral mastectomy with insertion of breast prostheses during the same surgical session.
What CPT(R) coding is reported?
A. 19303-50, 19342-50 B. 19305-50, 19340-50 C. 19325-50 D. 19303-50, 19340-50
D. 19303-50, 19340-50
Explanation
For a complete bilateral mastectomy with insertion of breast prostheses performed during the same surgical session, the correct CPT(R) codes are:
19303-50: This code represents a complete mastectomy performed bilaterally, indicated by modifier -50.
19340-50: This code is for the immediate insertion of a breast prosthesis following mastectomy, also performed bilaterally.
Rationale for excluding other options: Option A, 19303-50, 19342-50: Incorrect because 19342 is for delayed insertion of a breast implant in a separate session following mastectomy. Option B, 19305-50, 19340-50: Incorrect because 19305 describes a modified radical mastectomy, which is more extensive than what is documented here.
Option C, 19325-50: Incorrect because this code represents breast augmentation, not mastectomy with prosthesis insertion.
Thus, the correct answer is Option D, 19303-50, 19340-50.
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