How I Passed the CPC Exam: My Journey & Tips for Success

I still remember the morning I walked into my CPC exam. My heart was racing, my books were tabbed and highlighted within an inch of their lives, and I kept thinking, did I really do enough to prepare?

Walking out hours later with a passing score was one of the proudest moments of my career. It wasn’t easy, but it taught me so much about persistence, preparation, and believing in myself. Today, I want to share my story and a few tips that might help you on your own journey.

Building My Study Plan

I knew I couldn’t just “wing it.” I printed out the CPC exam content outline and turned it into my checklist. Each week, I focused on one domain until I felt confident enough to move on. Having a roadmap gave me structure, and it also kept me calm when I felt overwhelmed.

👉 Tip for you: Don’t skip this step. The exam outline is your best friend. Break it down into weekly goals and chip away at it little by little.

What Worked for Me

My books looked like a rainbow — tabs, sticky notes, highlighters everywhere. It might have looked messy, but that system saved me valuable minutes on exam day. When a question came up, I could flip straight to the answer instead of wasting time searching.

I also took timed practice exams. At first, they were humbling — I got plenty of questions wrong. But instead of being discouraged, I used them to study smarter. Reviewing those mistakes showed me where I needed to tighten up.

👉 Tip for you: Don’t just take practice exams, study them. The mistakes you make in practice are the ones you’ll avoid on test day.

Managing Test-Day Nerves

Even with all the preparation, I was nervous. The trick for me was treating the real exam like another practice run. When I hit a tricky question, I didn’t panic. I skipped it, moved on, and circled back later with a clearer head.

👉 Tip for you: Your mindset matters. The exam is long, but staying calm and steady will carry you through.

The Big Lesson

Passing the CPC exam wasn’t just about codes or guidelines it was about proving to myself that I could do hard things. That confidence has stayed with me and pushed me toward even bigger goals, like preparing for my CCS.

If you’re on this path, know that you don’t have to be perfect — you just have to keep going.

Closing:
The CPC exam is tough, but so are you. With a plan, the right tools, and confidence in yourself, you will get through it.

✨ Need extra support? I offer 1:1 CPC & CCS prep sessions to help you study smarter, not harder. Book a session here.