Free Practice Questions for AAPC CPC Exam

A sphincter is a muscular ring that encircles a lumen (or passage) and contracts to control the flow of substances through it. Sphincters are found throughout the body in areas such as the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the lower esophageal sphincter, pyloric sphincter, anal sphincter) and the urinary system (e.g., urethral sphincter), where they regulate the passage of food, waste, and other materials.

A. Stricture refers to an abnormal narrowing of a passage or duct in the body, often due to scarring or disease, not a muscular ring.

B. Snare is a surgical instrument, not a structure within the body.

D. Sinus refers to a cavity or channel within bone or tissue, unrelated to muscle control of flow.

Therefore, the correct answer is C. Sphincter.

In the CPT® code book, code 35860 describes an "Exploration for postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis or infection" in multiple areas, specifically including the neck, chest, abdomen, and/or extremity. This code is used when a surgeon explores these areas postoperatively to locate and address complications such as bleeding, clots, or infections.

B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not fully encompass all the areas listed in the actual description of CPT® code 35860, which includes all four regions (neck, chest, abdomen, and extremity).

Thus, the correct answer is A. Exploration for postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis or infection; neck, chest, abdomen, and/or extremity.

Procedure Code:

90945 – Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), daily

Includes repeated low-level E/M monitoring

Correct for CVVH

Diagnosis Codes:

I10 – Essential hypertension

N18.9 – Chronic kidney disease, unspecified

Why others are incorrect:

90935 / 90937 – Intermittent hemodialysis

90947 – Pediatric CRRT

ICD-9 codes (112.9, 110) are invalid

This is adiagnosticmammogram (not screening) performed onone breast (left). CPT distinguishes screening from diagnostic:77067is screening mammography and is not appropriate because there is a symptom (palpable lump) and the service is diagnostic. CPT also distinguishes unilateral vs bilateral diagnostic:77065isdiagnostic mammography, unilateral, and77066is diagnostic mammography, bilateral—so the correct selection is77065. The vignette mentions CAD, but current mammography CPT coding incorporates digital and CAD elements into the diagnostic mammography code structure in typical CPC-style testing, and the question asks which code(s) are reported, offering only single-code answers.77061is not the primary diagnostic mammography code; it relates to breast tomosynthesis add-on concepts in many coding frameworks, but the stem describes diagnostic mammography with additional views, not explicit tomosynthesis reporting. Therefore, for unilateral diagnostic mammography of the left breast, the correct code is77065.

Atranstympanic(intratympanic) injection involves placing medication through the tympanic membrane into the middle ear space. CPT69801is used to report this transtympanic injection/tympanocentesis-type service as represented in CPC-style questions. Because the physician performed the injection inboth earsduring the same session, the appropriate bilateral reporting method in this answer set ismodifier -50to indicate abilateral procedure. Reporting69801 × 2is a common trap; many payers require either modifier 50 or RT/LT rather than two units, and the CPC exam typically follows modifier logic as presented in the options. Modifier-22(increased procedural services) would require unusual extra work beyond typical complexity and is not supported by the vignette. Reporting only a single unilateral code (option A) would underreport the bilateral nature. Therefore, the best answer is69801-50, reflecting the same service performed on paired organs during the same encounter.

Colposcopy of the Cervix: This involves a visual examination of the cervix using a colposcope.

Biopsy and Endocervical Curettage: The procedures performed include taking a biopsy and scraping the lining of the cervical canal.

CPT Code 57454: This code represents a colposcopy of the cervix with biopsy and endocervical curettage.

Basal cell carcinoma is amalignantskin neoplasm, so the excision is coded from11600–11646(malignant lesion excision), not11400–11446(benign lesion excision). The scalp is in the anatomic group that includesscalp/neck/hands/feet/genitalia, and the excised diameterincluding marginsdetermines the malignant excision code range. A size of3.7 cmfalls into the3.1–4.0 cmcategory, which corresponds to11624for malignant excision in that location group. Closure is separately reportable when it is anintermediate (layered) repair, so you add12032(intermediate repair, scalp/axillae/trunk/extremities;2.6–7.5 cm) when documentation supports layered closure beyond simple repair. Diagnosis coding should reflectbasal cell carcinoma of scalp/neck, which isC44.41. Options that use benign excision or benign diagnosis codes are incorrect for basal cell carcinoma.

Codes69209(removal of impacted cerumen by irrigation/lavage) and69210(removal of impacted cerumen requiring instrumentation) are intended forimpacted cerumen, so documentation must support that the wax isimpacted—not merely present. That makes optionBthe most accurate statement. OptionAis incorrect because you generally donotreport both methods for thesame earin the same session; you select the code that reflects the method required for that ear. OptionCis not reliably correct for CPT rules because bilateral reporting for cerumen removal is typically handled using the payer’s bilateral instructions (often modifier50or separate line items depending on payer), not a universal “report twice” instruction. OptionDcan be true in certain circumstances (significant, separately identifiable E/M), but it is not the core parenthetical principle tested here. CPC exam focus: impacted requirement + select the correct method code.

Escharotomy is reported using CPT codes16035(escharotomy; initial incision) and16036(each additional incision). Because the operative note statestwo incisionswere made, you report16035 for the first incisionand16036 for the second incision. Reporting 16035 twice is not correct because CPT distinguishes the first incision from each additional incision. “-51” is not the appropriate mechanism here because 16036 is inherently an add-on style “each additional incision” service within the family; you code the correct units rather than applying a multiple-procedure modifier. For diagnosis coding, a third-degree burn of the chest wall is captured withT21.31XA(third-degree burn of chest wall, initial encounter). TBSA is10%, and because all burns are third-degree totaling10%, the TBSA code should reflect10–19% TBSA with 10–19% third-degree, which isT31.11. Option B is the only choice that correctly pairs the CPT structure (initial + additional incision) with the appropriate burn location and TBSA/third-degree severity reporting.

The outermost protective layer of the skin is called the epidermis. It serves as a barrier to protect the body against environmental elements, pathogens, and helps to retain moisture. The epidermis itself is composed of several sub-layers, with the stratum corneum being the outermost layer.

ICD-10-CM (current year), Chapter 12: Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (L00-L99).