AAPC CPMA Instructor (CPMA-I) Examination Practice Test
The AAPC CPMA Instructor (CPMA-I) Examination practice bank addresses medical record auditing and the communication of audit findings. Its sample scenarios involve defining an audit population, assessing documentation, selecting records, evaluating coding or claim errors, and explaining results clearly enough to support corrective action.
Exam overview
About the AAPC CPMA Instructor (CPMA-I) Examination Exam
Audit work requires a defensible connection between the review criterion, the evidence in the record, and each reported finding. Practice scenarios explore how to define eligible records and time periods, choose a sampling approach suited to an error-rate estimate, and compare error frequency fairly across clinics with different claim volumes. They also address workpaper documentation, limitations caused by missing records, and analytical comparisons used when investigating possible duplicate payments. In coding review, conflicting documentation—such as uncertainty about procedural laterality—calls for appropriate resolution rather than an unsupported definitive code. These situations build judgment in documenting scope and methodology, distinguishing evidence from assumptions, and presenting findings in a form that helps a practice understand risk and determine follow-up.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
An auditor identifies a material error in a claim that has already been submitted but not yet adjudicated. What is the most appropriate general next step?
Show answer
Correct answer: BA known claim error should be handled through the organization’s established correction or withdrawal process. A duplicate claim or alteration of the medical record is not an appropriate substitute.
An auditor is comparing findings from two clinics with different claim volumes. Which presentation is generally most useful for a fair comparison of error frequency?
Show answer
Correct answer: BCounts alone can be misleading when the clinics have different volumes. Reporting errors alongside the number of records reviewed, and defining the measure consistently, gives readers needed context for comparison.
A practice is deciding whether a written policy is suitable as an audit criterion. What should the auditor establish before relying on it?
Show answer
Correct answer: AAn audit criterion must apply to the activity and period under review. A policy that was not yet effective, had been superseded, or did not cover the process may not be an appropriate benchmark.
After completing an audit, a reviewer is asked to explain a limitation caused by missing records. Which response is most appropriate?
Show answer
Correct answer: ATransparent reporting identifies the unavailable evidence and describes its effect on the work and conclusions. Missing documentation should not be treated as proof of a particular outcome or concealed from report readers.
An auditor reports an error rate but does not state how many records were reviewed or what records were eligible for selection. What is the main limitation?
Show answer
Correct answer: AThe denominator, sample size, and population definition are needed to interpret an error rate and understand how far the finding may be generalized.
Which audit sampling approach is most appropriate when the goal is to estimate the error rate across a defined population of claims?
Show answer
Correct answer: CA representative sample supports more reliable conclusions about the defined population. Selection based only on referrals, charge size, or convenience can introduce bias.
What is the primary purpose of an audit workpaper?
Show answer
Correct answer: BWorkpapers create a supportable record of what was reviewed, how the audit was performed, the evidence considered, and how conclusions were reached.
How to use this practice test
Access is free. Each session presents up to 20 randomly selected questions from the 50-question practice bank, with results shown after the session. Use the scenarios to check your reasoning about audit scope, sampling, documentation support, and reporting; review missed answers by identifying which evidence or audit principle should guide the decision.
Preparation tips
- Before selecting a sample, write down the population’s eligible claim types, service dates, and other inclusion limits so another reviewer could reproduce the selection.
- For comparisons between clinics, distinguish raw error counts from error rates and account for the number of records reviewed in each group.
- When evaluating a written policy as an audit criterion, check whether it applies to the service and period under review and whether the practice adopted or used it.
- For each finding, connect the record evidence to the applicable criterion and preserve that reasoning in the workpaper; identify missing records as a limitation.
- When documentation conflicts on a coding detail such as laterality, avoid choosing a side from inference alone; determine what clarification or record evidence is needed.