CPC vs CPC-A: What's the Difference and How to Remove the A
CPC-A is the designation AAPC assigns to someone who passed the CPC exam but hasn’t yet verified two years of on-the-job medical coding experience. It’s not a lesser exam or a partial pass, it’s the same 100-question test, same passing score, same credential body. The only difference is the experience verification attached to it. Once that experience is documented, the “A” comes off and the credential becomes a full CPC.
This distinction confuses a lot of newly certified candidates who expected “CPC” on their certificate and got “CPC-A” instead. It’s not a failure or a downgrade; it’s simply how AAPC handles candidates who pass the exam before they’ve built professional coding experience, which is most first-time candidates without a prior coding job.
(CPC Prep is not affiliated with or endorsed by AAPC. This article describes the general apprentice-designation process as published by AAPC.)
Why does AAPC assign the “A” at all?
Because passing an exam and performing the job in real conditions aren’t the same skill, and AAPC wants employers to know the difference at a glance. A candidate can demonstrate strong exam-level knowledge without ever having coded a real claim under production pressure, with incomplete documentation, ambiguous cases, and a supervisor expecting a certain daily volume. The CPC-A designation signals “certified, knowledge verified, real-world coding experience not yet verified” rather than hiding that gap.
What are the three ways to remove the “A”?
There are three documented pathways, and a candidate only needs to complete one of them.
| Pathway | What it requires |
|---|---|
| 1. Two years’ experience | Two letters of recommendation verifying 2 years of on-the-job coding using CPT, ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM, or HCPCS Level II; one letter on employer letterhead |
| 2. One year + coursework | One year of on-the-job experience plus completion of AAPC’s 80-hour coding course or its Practicode program |
| 3. Course + Practicode | Completing AAPC’s 80-hour coding course AND 600 real-world clinical coding cases through Practicode with a 70% or higher overall score |
Source: AAPC: Apprentice Removal, accessed 2026-07-18.
Does an externship count toward the experience requirement?
Yes. Externship time counts toward the two-year (or one-year, for the combined pathway) experience requirement, alongside paid employment, since AAPC’s concern is verified hands-on coding time, not whether it was compensated. Experience from a previous employer, a current employer, or a combination of both is accepted, as long as it’s properly verified.
Who can actually verify your experience letters?
Only an employer, supervisor, or HR representative can verify time spent coding within an organization. A coworker’s letter is accepted as the second supporting letter, but the primary verification has to come from someone in an official capacity at the organization where the coding happened, on that organization’s letterhead. A friend or unrelated colleague vouching informally doesn’t meet the requirement.
How long does apprentice removal actually take once you apply?
Typically 2 to 4 weeks after all required documentation is submitted. That’s a relatively quick turnaround once the paperwork is in order, which is why most of the real delay in removing the “A” comes from accumulating the underlying experience itself, not from AAPC’s processing time.
Can you work as a CPC-A while you’re building toward removal?
Yes, and most people do exactly that. Many employers hire CPC-A candidates directly into coding roles, since the designation already proves exam-level knowledge. The coding experience gained in that first job is frequently the exact experience that gets submitted later to remove the “A,” making CPC-A employment the fastest realistic path for most candidates rather than a detour.
See how to become a CPC for how apprentice removal fits into the overall certification timeline, and what is a CPC for what the full, unrestricted credential actually certifies once the “A” is gone.
FAQ
Is CPC-A a failing grade on the CPC exam? No. CPC-A candidates pass the exact same exam with the exact same passing score as full CPCs. The designation reflects unverified professional coding experience, not a different or lesser exam result.
How long does it typically take to remove the CPC-A designation? Processing itself takes 2 to 4 weeks once documentation is submitted, but the real timeline depends on how long it takes to accumulate the required on-the-job experience or complete Practicode.
Can I remove the CPC-A designation without any job experience at all? Yes, through AAPC’s Practicode program alone, which involves coding 600 real-world clinical cases at a 70% or higher overall score, no employer verification required for that specific pathway.
Does externship experience count toward removing the “A”? Yes, externship time counts alongside paid employment, as long as it’s properly verified by the organization involved.
Who can sign my experience verification letter? An employer, supervisor, or HR representative from the organization where you coded. A coworker can serve as a secondary verifier, but the primary letter needs to come from an official capacity, on letterhead.
Bottom line: CPC-A isn’t a lesser credential, it’s the same CPC exam result with an experience-verification flag attached, and any one of three documented pathways, most commonly on-the-job experience, removes it once you’ve built the real-world coding time behind the exam knowledge.