If you sit the CPC exam in 2027, bring the 2027 editions of the AMA CPT Professional Edition, an ICD-10-CM book and a HCPCS Level II book. AAPC says all of its exams are based on the current calendar year's code sets and are updated every January, so a 2027 exam is written on 2027 codes.
Your 2026 books are not banned. AAPC lets you use the previous year's editions, or mix years, but says this puts you at a disadvantage. Books older than one year are not allowed, and neither are next year's books. This guide explains the rule, what changed in the 2027 code sets, how print and eBook options work, and a short checklist for getting your books exam-ready.
Which code books do you need for the CPC exam?
The CPC exam is open book, with exactly three manuals. AAPC's CPC exam FAQ lists them:
| Book | Publisher rule | Edition for a 2027 exam | Where the CPC exam uses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPTProcedures and services | AMA CPT Professional Edition only | 2027 recommended2026 allowed | About 64 questionsSurgery series, E/M, anesthesia, radiology, lab, medicine |
| ICD-10-CMDiagnoses | Your choice | 2027 recommended2026 allowed | 5 questionsPlus diagnosis coding in the 10 cases |
| HCPCS Level IISupplies, drugs, modifiers | Your choice | 2027 recommended2026 allowed | 3 questionsPlus HCPCS coding in the cases |
The question counts come from AAPC's own breakdown of the 100-question exam. The CPT figure is our sum of the CPT sections AAPC lists (six surgery series at 6 questions each, plus E/M, anesthesia, radiology, laboratory and pathology, and medicine). The exam also has 4 questions each on medical terminology and anatomy, 7 on coding guidelines and modifiers, 3 on compliance, and 10 case-based questions that pull CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS together.
100
multiple-choice questions on the CPC exam
AAPC CPC exam FAQ
4 hours
to finish, with a warning at 30 minutes left
AAPC CPC exam FAQ
70%
minimum score to pass
AAPC CPC exam FAQ
3
code books allowed on the desk, one of each type
AAPC CPC exam FAQ
Some popular coding references are not allowed in place of these. AAPC's at-home exam checklist names products you cannot use, including study guides, Procedural Coding Expert, CPT Plus!, AMA's CPT Insider's View and ICD-10-CM Easy Code. For an online exam, AAPC also says printed guidelines are not allowed.
AAPC's code book year rule for CPC exam candidates
AAPC's support page on which year's books to use sets out the rule in a few lines:
- All AAPC exams are based on the current calendar year's code sets, and AAPC "strongly suggests" current-year books.
- AAPC exams are updated every January for the new code sets.
- You may use books from the preceding year, the current year, or a mix, but only one copy of each book.
- Books older than one year are not allowed.
- Upcoming year's books are not allowed.
Applied to 2027, that gives four possible editions and only two you can bring:
The 2027 bundle on AAPC's store makes the same point: its notes say candidates should buy code books published in the year they plan to take the certification exam.
Check your own test date
Pick your exam date to see which year's exam you will sit and which editions apply.
Why 2026 books put you at a disadvantage in 2027
Allowed is not the same as safe. The 2027 code sets add, delete and rewrite codes, and a 2026 book cannot show you any of it. On a 2027 exam, an answer built on a deleted code is wrong even if it was right last year.
CPT 2027: 453 changes, and a new way to code maternity care
The AMA released the CPT 2027 code set on September 9, 2026, with 453 editorial changes. The updates take effect January 1, 2027.
The largest single change matters directly for the CPC exam. The AMA's maternity care FAQ says the traditional global maternity codes will be deleted on January 1, 2027. Prenatal and postpartum care move to E/M services, and labor management and delivery get their own new codes. In total, 35 maternity codes changed: 17 deleted, 12 new and 6 revised.
AAPC's exam outline puts maternity and delivery inside the 50000 series, one of the six surgery sections with 6 questions each. A 2026 CPT book still prints the old global codes and has none of the new ones.
The AMA lists other areas that changed for 2027:
- three new codes for left ventricular assist devices
- nine new codes for diaphragmatic hernia repair
- updated prostate biopsy codes and guidelines
- a new time-based structure for biofeedback
- new and revised radiology codes, including a new head and neck MR angiography table
- six new codes for unattended sleep studies
- 10 new codes for AI-related services
ICD-10-CM 2027 is already in effect
ICD-10-CM runs on the federal fiscal year, not the calendar year. CMS says the 2027 ICD-10-CM files apply to encounters and discharges from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, and it has posted the FY 2027 Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting alongside them. So the "2027" ICD-10-CM book is the one coders use at work from this October. Under AAPC's rule, though, it only becomes the right exam book from January.
HCPCS Level II: the late arrival
The HCPCS Level II book comes out last. On AAPC's 2027 bundle page, the HCPCS Level II Expert 2027 is listed as shipping in January, after the ICD-10-CM (end of September) and CPT (October) books.
For 2026, AAPC added a specific HCPCS rule: exams used 2025 HCPCS Level II codes until March 2, 2026, and from that date candidates could use either the 2025 or 2026 HCPCS book. AAPC had not published a matching date for 2027 on the pages we could read. Since a previous-year book is allowed anyway, a 2026 HCPCS book is a legal stopgap for an early-2027 exam. Check AAPC's support page before you test.
Code set calendar: when each 2027 book arrives
Sep 9, 2026
AMA releases the CPT 2027 code set
453 editorial changes, effective January 1, 2027.
End of Sep 2026
AAPC ships the ICD-10-CM Expert 2027
Oct 1, 2026
FY 2027 ICD-10-CM codes take effect
For encounters and discharges through September 30, 2027.
Oct 2026
AAPC ships the AMA CPT 2027 Professional Edition
Jan 1, 2027
CPT 2027 takes effect
AAPC updates its exams for the new code sets every January. For any 2027 exam, 2025 books are no longer allowed.
Jan 2027
AAPC ships the HCPCS Level II Expert 2027
Ship dates are from AAPC's 2027 Exam Book Bundle page as it read in September 2026. AAPC lists the bundle, which holds the 2027 AMA CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM Expert and HCPCS Level II Expert books, as the preferred book bundle for the CPC exam and several other AAPC exams. Other publishers' ICD-10-CM and HCPCS books are allowed too.
Print books or eBooks on exam day
AAPC now lets you choose print books or eBooks for the exam. You make the choice under "Courses & Exams" in your AAPC account and can change it up to 48 hours before the exam. The trade-off is your notes against search.
- Your own copies, so your tabs, highlights and short notes come with you.
- AAPC's checklist says print books must be the current year or one year previous.
- Online, the proctor reviews your books before you start.
- Annotation rules apply (see the next section).
- Provided through a shared library on the exam platform, not your own account.
- AAPC's checklist says exam eBooks will be current year, so a 2027 exam gets 2027 editions.
- Your own notes and highlights are not available, but you get a search function.
- AAPC says its sample data showed no effect on scores or completion times from the missing notes.
Choosing eBooks settles the edition question, since the platform supplies current-year books. If you plan to use print, buy the 2027 editions early enough to tab and practice with them before test day.
What you can write in your CPC code books
AAPC's CPC exam FAQ is specific about annotations in print books:
- Allowed: highlighting, underlining and brief notes "needed for day-to-day coding" on the printed side of the page.
- Allowed: tabs inserted, taped, glued or stapled in, as long as they mark a page with words or numbers and do not add information.
- Not allowed: long passages written on blank pages, and anything taken from study guides, practice exams or the exam itself.
- Not allowed: inserting other material, or altering, whiting out or printing over pages to add information.
This is one more reason to switch to 2027 books early: tabs and notes take time, and they are only worth making in the books you will carry into the exam.
Try a CPC-style coding question
The CPC exam asks you to code from short scenarios and longer cases. Here is an original practice question in that style. Work it with your ICD-10-CM book.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CPC exam open book?
Yes. You may use three code books, one of each type: the AMA CPT Professional Edition, an ICD-10-CM book and a HCPCS Level II book. This applies to both the in-person and the online exam. For the online exam, printed guidelines are not allowed.
What books do I need for the CPC exam in 2027?
The 2027 AMA CPT Professional Edition, a 2027 ICD-10-CM book and a 2027 HCPCS Level II book. AAPC allows 2026 editions too, but recommends current-year books because the exam uses current-year code sets.
Can I use my 2026 code books for the CPC exam in 2027?
Yes, AAPC allows previous-year books and lets you mix years, with one copy of each book. AAPC says this puts you at a disadvantage. In CPT, for example, a 2026 book does not have the new 2027 maternity codes. 2025 books are not allowed in 2027.
Can I use 2027 code books if I take the CPC exam in December 2026?
No. AAPC does not allow upcoming-year books, and a 2026 exam uses 2026 code sets. Bring 2026 books, or 2025 books as the previous-year option.
Does the CPT book have to be from the AMA?
Yes. AAPC allows only the AMA CPT Professional Edition for the CPC exam, and no other publisher's CPT book. You can choose any publisher for ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II.
Can I write notes in my CPC exam books?
Brief notes for day-to-day coding, highlighting, underlining and page tabs are allowed. Long written passages on blank pages, content from study guides or practice exams, and inserted material are not. If you choose eBooks, your own notes are not available at all.
Sources
- AAPC — Which year's books should I use?, accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — What code books do I need for my AAPC certification exam?, accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — In-Person and Online CPC Exam FAQs, accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — Exam Book Bundle 2027, accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — At-Home Exams Checklist (PDF), accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — What are the benefits of using eBooks in an exam?, accessed October 14, 2026.
- AAPC — Why is the eBook from a shared library and not my own?, accessed October 14, 2026.
- American Medical Association — AMA releases CPT 2027 code set, September 9, 2026, accessed October 14, 2026.
- American Medical Association — FAQs: Preparing for CPT 2027 maternity care services code changes, accessed October 14, 2026.
- CMS — ICD-10 codes (2027 ICD-10-CM files, FY 2027 guidelines and Tabular List), accessed October 14, 2026.