CPC
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CPC is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Test Treasure Publication or TTP Prep.
10 sample questions for the CPC, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.
Sections covered on the exam: Medical Terminology And Anatomy, Medicalterminology, Medical Terminology and Anatomy, Cpt Surgical Procedures, Integumentarysystem, Musculoskeletalsystem, Respiratory,Cardiovascular,Hemicandlymphatic, Coding Guidelines, CPT Surgical Procedures, ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding, Urinary,Genital,Maternityandendocrine, Nervoussystem,Eyeandear, Evaluation And Management, Evaluation and Management (E/M), Anesthesia, Radiology, Pathology And Laboratory, Pathologyandlaboratory, Medicine, Icd-10-Cm Diagnosis Coding, Icd-10-Cm, Hcpcs Level Ii, Compliance And Regulatory, Compliance and Regulatory, Medicalrecordcases, Pathology and Laboratory, Hcpcslevelii.
Question 1 · Medical Terminology And Anatomy
The operative note for a patient with an obstructing pancreatic head mass states: 'A cholecystojejunostomy was created to relieve biliary obstruction.' What was performed?
Answer: B. A surgical connection between the gallbladder and the jejunum
Break the term into parts: cholecysto- (gallbladder) + jejuno- (jejunum) + -stomy (surgical opening/anastomosis), so a new passage is created between the gallbladder and jejunum to bypass the obstruction. Removal would use the suffix -ectomy, and a stomach-to- jejunum connection is a gastrojejunostomy.
Question 2 · Respiratory,Cardiovascular,Hemicandlymphatic
A 48-year-old with chronic sinusitis undergoes bilateral functional endoscopic sinus surgery. On each side the surgeon performs a total (anterior and posterior) ethmoidectomy and a maxillary antrostomy with removal of polypoid tissue from the maxillary sinus. No frontal or sphenoid sinus work is done. What CPT codes are reported?
Answer: B. 31255-50, 31267-50
A total ethmoidectomy (anterior and posterior) is 31255; 31254 is partial (anterior) only. Maxillary antrostomy with removal of tissue from the maxillary sinus is 31267, which includes the antrostomy described by 31256. Both procedures were done on each side, so modifier 50 is appended to each code.
Question 3 · Nervoussystem,Eyeandear
A 54-year-old with electrodiagnostically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist undergoes open release of the transverse carpal ligament through a palmar incision. What CPT and ICD-10-CM codes are reported?
Answer: A. 64721-RT, G56.01
Open carpal tunnel release is neuroplasty and/or transposition of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel, 64721, with RT for the right side; 29848 is the endoscopic release. Carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper limb is G56.01; G56.11 is for other lesions of the median nerve. Laterality in the modifier must match the diagnosis.
Question 4 · Pathology And Laboratory
A physician orders the following on one specimen: glucose, BUN, creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, total calcium, and TSH. What CPT codes are reported?
Answer: D. 80048, 84443
The basic metabolic panel 80048 requires all eight components listed (with total calcium); every one was performed, so the panel is reported and TSH (84443) is added separately. 80047 is the basic panel with ionized calcium, and 80053 requires the additional hepatic and protein components that were not ordered.
Question 5 · Coding Guidelines
During the same session, a dermatologist excises a 1.5 cm benign lesion from the back (11402) and performs a tangential biopsy of a separate lesion on the left forearm (11102). NCCI bundles the biopsy into the excision. Per CMS guidance, which modifier best identifies the biopsy as a distinct service?
Answer: D. XS
The biopsy was on a separate anatomic site, so the NCCI edit can be bypassed; CMS prefers the more specific X{EPSU} modifiers over 59, and XS means separate structure or organ. Modifier 59 is used only when no more descriptive modifier applies, and XU (unusual non-overlapping service) does not describe a different anatomic site.
Question 6 · Medical Terminology And Anatomy
The operative report states: 'Choledocholithotomy was performed and two calculi were extracted.' What procedure was performed?
Answer: C. Incision into the common bile duct to remove stones
Choledocho- means common bile duct, lith/o means stone, and -otomy means incision, so the surgeon opened the common bile duct to remove calculi. Crushing stones is lithotripsy, gallbladder removal is cholecystectomy, and a duct-to-duodenum connection is a choledochoduodenostomy.
Question 7 · Respiratory,Cardiovascular,Hemicandlymphatic
A patient with bilateral infiltrates undergoes flexible bronchoscopy with fluoroscopic guidance. Transbronchial lung biopsies are taken from the right upper lobe and the right middle lobe. What CPT codes are reported?
Answer: B. 31628, 31632
Transbronchial lung biopsy is 31628 for a single lobe, and each additional lobe is the add-on 31632, not a second unit of 31628. Fluoroscopic guidance is included in these bronchoscopy codes, so 76000 is not reported. Code 31625 is endobronchial (bronchial or endobronchial) biopsy, not transbronchial lung biopsy.
Question 8 · Nervoussystem,Eyeandear
A patient has two separate chalazia in the right upper eyelid, both removed by incision and curettage in the office under local anesthesia. What CPT and ICD-10-CM codes are reported?
Answer: A. 67801-E3, H00.11
Excision of chalazion, multiple, same lid is 67801; 67800 is a single chalazion and 67805 is multiple chalazia on different lids. The eyelid HCPCS modifier for the upper right lid is E3 (E1 is upper left). Chalazion of the right upper eyelid is H00.11.
Question 9 · Pathology And Laboratory
A physician orders a comprehensive metabolic panel, a lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides), and a hemoglobin A1c on the same specimen. All components of each panel are performed. What CPT codes are reported?
Answer: C. 80053, 80061, 83036
When all tests in a panel are performed, the panel code is reported instead of the individual tests: 80053 for the CMP and 80061 for the lipid panel. Hemoglobin A1c is 83036. Listing the lipid components separately (82465, 83718, 84478) is unbundling, and 82947 is a quantitative glucose, not A1c.
Question 10 · Coding Guidelines
In a physician-owned clinic, a single-view chest X-ray is taken before a thoracentesis. After the procedure, the same physician orders and interprets a repeat single-view chest X-ray to rule out pneumothorax. How are the X-rays reported (global service)?
Answer: B. 71045, 71045-76
The second X-ray is a repeat of the same procedure by the same physician on the same day, so modifier 76 is appended to the second line. Modifier 77 is for a repeat procedure by a different physician, and 71046 describes a 2-view study, not two separate single-view studies.
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