CPC Exam Requirements and Eligibility
The requirements to sit for the CPC exam are shorter than most people expect: current AAPC membership, and either completion of an approved training program covering medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS coding, or on-the-job coding experience in a medical setting. No degree, no professional credential, and no minimum age are required. The separate requirement, two years of on-the-job coding experience, only applies to earning full CPC status rather than the CPC-A designation.
This is where a lot of confusion starts. People search for “CPC exam requirements” expecting a strict gate, degree, years of experience, prerequisite courses, and find instead that the bar to sit for the exam is genuinely low. The real requirements show up afterward, in what separates a CPC from a CPC-A.
(CPC Prep is not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPC. This article describes eligibility mechanics as published by AAPC; it does not reproduce any exam content.)
What do you actually need to register and sit for the exam?
Two things: an active AAPC membership, and evidence you’ve engaged with the material either through an approved training program or through on-the-job coding exposure (AAPC: Certification/CPC, accessed 2026-07-18). AAPC does not require a degree, a minimum number of years worked, or any prior certification to register. That’s a deliberately low bar to entry, designed to let people break into the field through the exam itself rather than gatekeeping behind formal education.
| Requirement | Needed to sit for exam? | Needed for full CPC status? |
|---|---|---|
| AAPC membership | Yes | Yes, ongoing |
| Approved training or coding exposure | Yes, one or the other | N/A, already satisfied by sitting |
| College degree | No | No |
| 2 years on-the-job coding experience | No | Yes, or CPC-A designation applies |
Why does the site keep mentioning “CPC-A” here?
Because the eligibility story has two layers, and conflating them is the single most common source of confusion around this topic. Layer one: what you need to sit for and pass the exam, which is genuinely light. Layer two: what you need for full, unrestricted CPC status, which is the two-year experience requirement. Pass without that experience and AAPC certifies you as a CPC-A instead, a real and valid credential, just with a flag showing you haven’t yet met the experience bar. The full mechanics of removing that flag are on CPC vs CPC-A.
Does clinical experience count toward the requirement?
Not directly, unless it involved actually applying CPT, ICD-10-CM, or HCPCS Level II codes. A background as a nurse, medical assistant, or other clinical role builds valuable familiarity with anatomy and terminology, both of which help on exam day, but it doesn’t substitute for verified coding experience specifically. The two-year requirement is about having assigned codes, not about general healthcare exposure.
What if you have zero healthcare background at all?
You can still sit for the exam once you’ve completed an approved training program that covers the required foundation: medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS coding. Many candidates enter this way, building the prerequisite knowledge through coursework rather than a job, then pass the exam as a CPC-A and accumulate the two years of experience afterward, often in their first coding role. See how to become a CPC for how that sequence typically plays out step by step.
Is there an age requirement?
AAPC does not publish a minimum age requirement for the CPC exam beyond what’s implied by needing to complete the training or experience prerequisite realistically. There’s no explicit “you must be 18” rule the way some other certifications carry.
Confirm your own readiness against these requirements with the free CPC practice exam, and register through the process laid out on how to register for the CPC exam once you’ve met the study prerequisite.
FAQ
Do I need a college degree to take the CPC exam? No. An associate’s degree is recommended by AAPC but not required to sit for the exam.
Can I take the CPC exam with no coding experience at all? Yes, as long as you’ve completed an approved training program covering the required foundation before you sit. You’ll be certified as a CPC-A until you accumulate two years of verified on-the-job experience.
What’s the difference between requirements to sit and requirements for full CPC status? Sitting for the exam requires AAPC membership plus training or coding exposure. Full CPC status additionally requires two years of verified on-the-job coding experience; without it, you’re certified as a CPC-A instead.
Does AAPC require a minimum age to take the CPC exam? There’s no explicit published minimum age requirement beyond realistically completing the training or experience prerequisite.
Is AAPC membership required just to sit for the exam, or only afterward? Both. Membership has to be current at registration and again when your results are released, and it continues to be required to maintain your certification afterward.
Bottom line: the bar to sit for the CPC exam is genuinely low, membership plus basic training or coding exposure, and the real requirement most people are actually asking about, the two years of experience, only determines whether you’re certified as a full CPC or a CPC-A after you pass.