AAPC Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC) Examination Practice Test
Inpatient coding requires translating the hospital record into reportable diagnoses and procedures under ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS conventions. This practice page samples decisions involving admission timing, present-on-admission indicators, code instructions, documentation specificity, and procedures that are not completed as planned.
Exam overview
About the AAPC Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC) Examination Exam
CIC practice calls for reading the inpatient record across admission, treatment, transfer, and discharge, then determining which documented conditions affect the stay. Questions may ask you to distinguish conditions present when the inpatient admission order occurs from those that develop later, and to consider whether a resolved condition remains reportable. Code selection also depends on annual ICD-10-CM updates, tabular instructions such as “use additional code,” laterality, and whether documentation supports a more specific diagnosis. For ICD-10-PCS, coders must interpret operative documentation and apply guidance when a procedure is discontinued before completion. These tasks require separating provider documentation from laboratory findings, recognizing when a diagnosis cannot be inferred, and using authoritative code-set references to support consistent assignment.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
A patient's inpatient record includes a documented diagnosis of obesity, but no BMI value is documented by a provider. Which approach is generally appropriate for coding BMI?
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Correct answer: BBMI codes are supplemental and are subject to documentation rules. A coder should not independently calculate or infer a BMI for code assignment; the underlying documented diagnosis may still be coded when supported.
A patient has a diagnosis documented as present at the time of inpatient admission. Which coding concept indicates whether that condition was present when the inpatient admission order occurred?
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Correct answer: AA present-on-admission indicator communicates whether a condition was present at the time the inpatient admission occurred, subject to applicable reporting rules and exceptions. It is distinct from principal-diagnosis selection and discharge disposition.
A coder is reviewing a code that includes a “use additional code” instruction. What should the coder do?
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Correct answer: BTabular List instructions are essential to correct code assignment. A “use additional code” note directs the coder to add another code when required to provide further information and when supported by the documentation.
A patient has a diagnosis documented as bilateral, but the classification provides separate right-side and left-side codes rather than a bilateral code. What is the general coding approach?
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Correct answer: CWhen no bilateral code is available and the classification provides laterality-specific codes, both the right and left codes are generally assigned for a documented bilateral condition, subject to the specific code instructions.
A coder is assigning an ICD-10-CM diagnosis code and finds that the code requires a present-on-admission indicator. The condition developed after the inpatient admission. Which indicator concept applies?
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Correct answer: AA condition that develops after the inpatient admission is generally reported as not present on admission, using the applicable POA reporting value and instructions. The diagnosis may still be reportable for the stay if it meets coding criteria.
A coder needs to determine whether a diagnosis code is valid for the current fiscal year and whether its instructions changed. Which resource is the most appropriate primary reference?
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Correct answer: AThe coder should use the official ICD-10-CM code set and guidelines applicable to the discharge date or other governing reporting period, as appropriate. Annual updates can change codes, notes, and guidance, so prior-year or unverified references should not replace the current authoritative files.
A patient undergoes a procedure that is discontinued after the operative site is reached, but before the intended procedure is completed. Under ICD-10-PCS guidance, which general approach should the coder use?
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Correct answer: BA discontinued procedure is coded according to what was actually performed, using the applicable ICD-10-PCS guideline for the point at which the procedure was stopped. The coder should not code an uncompleted intended objective as if it had been performed.
How to use this practice test
The free practice bank contains 50 published questions. Each session presents up to 20 questions selected at random, covering inpatient coding concepts represented in the bank. Submit your answers to see session results, then use missed items to identify which documentation or coding rule needs closer review.
Preparation tips
- For present-on-admission scenarios, anchor the decision to when the inpatient admission order occurs, and distinguish that point from emergency-department or observation care.
- Practice navigating the current ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index, Tabular List, and annual code files; verify code validity, inclusion notes, exclusions, and additional-code instructions.
- When a lab result is more specific than the provider’s diagnosis, avoid independently converting the result into a diagnosis; identify what the record does and does not establish.
- Review ICD-10-PCS guidance for discontinued procedures and compare the operative report’s completed work with the intended procedure.
- For transfer and discharge cases, trace the receiving hospital’s admission and the condition’s status during that stay before deciding what is reportable.