CPC Exam Check-in Guide: AAPC Remote Proctoring 2026

The AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam is open-book and four hours long, and the at-home version comes with some of the strictest setup rules in the proctored-exam world: an external webcam only, a closed room, no scratch paper, no pen and no calculator. This guide walks you through the remote check-in in the order you will meet it, and it opens with the fact that decides whether you can use this format at all, which is where you live.

How This Exam Is Delivered

AAPC sells a voucher, and you redeem it for one of two formats: a live remote proctored (LRP) exam at home, or an exam at a testing center. After you buy or transfer a voucher, you receive a Notice to Schedule from Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron), and you pick your date and time there. On exam day you log in to your Meazure Learning account and connect with a live proctor on the ProctorU platform, using ProctorU’s Guardian secure browser. AAPC’s proctoring partner has changed over the years, and some older guides name Examity, so trust the names on your own scheduling emails.

The format and time come straight from AAPC’s electronic exam page. AAPC’s own exam-day instructions list 100 questions for the CPC, and the 70% pass mark appears in AAPC’s older proctor instructions and in third-party summaries, so check it on your CPC exam page before you book (confirm on the official page).

Now the part that matters if you read “global” as “anywhere.” AAPC’s format page says live remote proctoring is only available in the U.S., U.S. Territories, the Bahamas and Jamaica. AAPC also states that an exam bought or taken with falsified information, explicitly including falsified geographic or location information, violates its code of ethics and costs you all credentials and your membership. Do not try to book a remote exam from another country. If you live elsewhere, the testing center is your route, and its ID rules are the same as the remote ones.

Exam Tip: Check your country against AAPC’s list before you spend time on a webcam and a room setup. Outside the U.S., U.S. Territories, the Bahamas and Jamaica, book a testing center. Using a VPN or a false address to get around the restriction is the one mistake here that can cost you your credentials, not just your exam fee.

Pre-Exam Preparation

Hardware and Network Requirements

These come from AAPC’s remote exam requirements and its at-home exam page. ProctorU’s general rules are looser in places, and where they differ AAPC’s rules win.

• Computer: a reliable laptop or desktop that passes the minimum system requirements. AAPC lists 2 GB of RAM or more (confirm on the official page), and it must stay plugged into power.
• Browsers: the Chrome browser, plus the Guardian secure browser. You download Guardian before exam day and sign in through it.
• Internet: at least 5 Mbps up and down, and 10 Mbps preferred. Wireless is acceptable, but wired is preferred. Do not use a VPN.
• External webcam: at least 720p, with 1080p preferred, and a 6-foot cord. Cameras built into a laptop or desktop and phone cameras are not allowed.
• Camera position: it must show your face, your hands, your keyboard and about 10 inches of desk around the keyboard.
• Audio: working speakers and a working microphone connected to the computer. Bluetooth speakers and headphones are not allowed.
• Screens: no external monitor. AAPC says a laptop connected to a monitor is not allowed, even with the lid closed.
• System check: a successful run of Test It Out, which you do by logging in to your AAPC profile and redeeming your voucher. You must pass it before you can schedule.

Use a standard, up-to-date personal computer and avoid virtual machines. AAPC also offers a demo exam, so run one on your exam computer to feel the process before the real day.

Exam Tip: The webcam rule is the one candidates miss. A laptop’s built-in camera is not accepted, even though most other proctoring services take it. Buy an external webcam with a 6-foot cord, and set it up the night before so it can see your hands and the 10 inches of desk around your keyboard. AAPC says you forfeit your voucher if you do not comply with the setup requirements.

ID Requirements

You need one valid, government-issued photo ID. AAPC’s examples are a driver’s license, a passport and a state-issued ID card. Temporary IDs, paper IDs, copies and digital IDs are not permitted. The first and last name on the ID must exactly match the details on your exam confirmation.

Name matching has one extra rule. If your ID shows more than one last name, or a suffix, the same last names and suffix must appear on your confirmation notice. If the name on your confirmation is wrong, AAPC’s exam instructions tell you to contact AAPC at 800-626-2633 before the exam. A failure to meet the requirements counts as a no-show and costs you the voucher, so assume a mismatch does too (confirm on the official page).

For a global audience, bring a passport. It appears on AAPC’s list, it is accepted everywhere, and it carries your name in a consistent form. AAPC does not mention national identity cards as such, so if a national ID card is all you have, ask AAPC before you book (confirm on the official page).

Exam Tip: Compare three things side by side a few days before: the name on your ID, the name on your exam confirmation, and the name in your AAPC profile. If your ID has two surnames or a suffix, check that your confirmation shows them too. A proctor cannot change your registration on the day.

Testing Environment

• Use a closed room with window coverings. Open-concept rooms are not permitted.
• Keep the door closed for the whole exam, and make sure any windows are non-transparent, with blinds closed or curtains drawn.
• Sit at a table or desk, in a chair. Couches, beds and floors are not allowed.
• Remove pets and other people from the room. AAPC lists them as prohibited.
• Clear the desk of electronic devices, including your phone, calculator, tablet, smartwatch, headphones and anything with an on/off switch.
• Remove whiteboards, scratch paper and writing utensils. All three are prohibited.
• Put out only your approved code books, if you are using print, and an optional clear water bottle or cup.
• If you use a water container, it must be clear, unobstructed and without labels.

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

This follows AAPC’s own start-your-exam steps. The screens can change, so treat the order as typical (confirm on the official page).

1. Prepare days ahead. What to do: download the Guardian browser, pass Test It Out, and finalize your code book selections in your AAPC account at least 48 hours before the exam. Sticking point: leaving the book selection for exam day. Fix: do it when you schedule.
2. Set up the room the night before. What to do: clear the desk, close the door, cover the windows and place the external webcam. Sticking point: a webcam cord that is too short. Fix: use the full 6-foot cord, and move the computer closer to a power outlet.
3. Log in 15 minutes before your appointment. What to do: use the username and password from your Notice to Schedule email, click Schedule/Take Your Exam, then click Start Session in the ProctorU platform. Sticking point: a login problem. Fix: use the support chat in the platform right away.
4. Complete the pre-checks. What to do: review the terms of service, the privacy policy and the recording notice for your session. Sticking point: none, except that the session is recorded. Fix: read it, because you are agreeing to it.
5. Share your camera, microphone and screen. What to do: click Begin Recording and Continue. Sticking point: a blocked permission. Fix: allow the browser to use your camera and microphone before you start.
6. Take your photo. What to do: line your face up with the green guide on the screen. Sticking point: poor lighting. Fix: face a lamp, not a window.
7. Photograph your ID. What to do: take the same kind of photo of your original government-issued photo ID. Sticking point: glare and blur. Fix: lay the ID flat in even light and retake it until every line is sharp.
8. Agree to the exam rules. What to do: review the rules and the other resources allowed during the exam. Sticking point: not reading them. Fix: take the time, because the proctor will repeat them.
9. Do the self-guided room scan. What to do: show your room and your desk, then click My Space is Secure. Sticking point: a view blocked by furniture or a short cord. Fix: practice the 360-degree scan beforehand, as AAPC advises.
10. Wait for the proctor to connect. What to do: the proctor reviews your photos against your ID. Sticking point: a long wait. Fix: stay in your seat and in camera view, and use the support chat if the wait is unusually long.
11. Complete the book check. What to do: the proctor checks your code books. Sticking point: an unapproved or prohibited reference. Fix: bring only approved books, and see the prohibited list below.
12. Agree to the rules in chat, then begin. What to do: the proctor posts the rules and requirements in the exam session chat, and you agree to them. Sticking point: none. Fix: read them before you reply, then start the exam.

When you finish, submit the exam and use the chat to tell your proctor. The proctor reconnects to confirm you are done, and then you close the exam page and complete a short post-exam survey.

What the Proctor Looks For During the Room Scan

The proctor wants to confirm that you are alone, that nothing prohibited is in reach, and that you are who your ID says you are. These are the things to have ready:

• Your photos: the proctor compares the pre-check photo of your face with your ID photo.
• Your desk: no phone, calculator, tablet, smartwatch, whiteboard, scratch paper or writing utensils, and no external monitor.
• Your room: a closed door, covered windows, and nobody else in the space, including pets.
• Your books: approved code books only, with no study guides or prohibited references.
• Your camera: an external webcam showing your face, hands, keyboard and the area around it.

The room scan is not a one-time event. AAPC says that after any break you must pass a new security check and a full room scan before you continue. AAPC also says each proctor watches about two examinees at a time and that AI supports the monitoring, so assume nothing goes unnoticed.

Rules During the Exam

AAPC does not publish a warning stage for remote exams. It describes problems that cost you the attempt, and ethics violations that cost you far more. The split below follows what AAPC publishes.

Tier 1: Problems That Cost You the Attempt

AAPC treats these as a no-show. The voucher is cancelled, and you need a new voucher, or a second attempt if you bought one:

• Not showing up to your scheduled exam.
• Not meeting the requirements to take the exam, which includes an ID that does not match your confirmation.
• Not complying with the webcam and room requirements.
• Cancelling or rescheduling less than 48 hours before the exam, which forfeits the voucher (confirm on the official page).

Tier 2: Violations That Can Cost You Your Credentials

AAPC says any member who violates its code of ethics by cheating will lose their credentials and will not be allowed to sit any future AAPC exam. Treat each of these as covered:

• Cheating in any form, including help from another person.
• Using a phone, a second screen, the internet or any prohibited device or reference.
• Falsifying your identity, or your geographic or location information, to buy or take an exam.
• Copying, recording or sharing exam content.

AAPC’s older proctor instructions add that all posted exam scores are final and that AAPC will not regrade exams (confirm on the official page).

Breaks, Scratch Paper, Drinks and Calculators

Breaks. You can take a short break. Tell your proctor in the chat and wait for the acknowledgment before you move. The exam timer does not pause, and after you return you go through a security check and a full room scan again. All of that time comes out of your four hours, so use the bathroom before you start.

Scratch paper and pens. Not allowed. AAPC lists whiteboards, scratch paper and writing utensils as prohibited at home. AAPC’s pages do not mention a digital whiteboard (confirm on the official page). In practice, your books are your workspace, and you work out every answer on screen and in your head.

Calculators. Not allowed. AAPC lists calculators among prohibited electronic devices at home, and at the testing center.

Drinks. You may keep a clear water bottle or cup on the desk, unobstructed and with no label or anything on it.

Code books. The CPC is open-book, and these are the books AAPC’s exam-day materials list for it: CPT (the AMA Professional edition only), your choice of ICD-10-CM, and your choice of HCPCS Level II. Print or eBook are both allowed. For print, you may use one copy of each from the current or previous year, or a mix of both. For eBooks, only current-year versions are provided in the testing platform. AAPC’s exams are based on the current year’s code sets, so the current year’s books are strongly recommended.

Notes in your books. AAPC’s in-person rules allow brief handwritten notes in the books if they relate to day-to-day coding, tabs meant only to mark pages, and no long passages on blank pages. They ban questions from study guides, practice exams or the exam itself, and they ban altering or printing over pages. AAPC says the remote rules may differ slightly, because some references are built into the test (confirm on the official page). Keep your books clean and lightly marked.

Prohibited references. Study guides, Procedural Coding Expert, any Procedural Professional, CPT Plus! from PMIC, CPT Insider’s View from the AMA, and the ICD-10-CM Easy Coder are all banned.

Exam Tip: Four hours for 100 questions is about 2.4 minutes each, and a break does not stop the clock. Practice at full length with your own tabbed books, no calculator and no scratch paper, so that check-in is the only new thing on exam day.

Online Proctored vs. Test Center

Who Remote Proctoring Suits

Choose it if you live in an eligible location, own a personal computer, have a real closed room with a door and covered windows, and want the flexibility of an exam slot at any hour.

Who the Testing Center Suits

Choose it if you live outside the eligible locations, doubt your equipment or internet, share your living space, or want on-site help with technical problems. AAPC itself suggests a testing center if you have any doubts about your at-home equipment.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

• Confirm your exam date, time and time zone in your Meazure Learning account.
• Compare your ID, your exam confirmation and your AAPC profile for an exact name match.
• Make sure your code book selections are final in your AAPC account, because the deadline is 48 hours before.
• Check that the Guardian browser is installed and Test It Out has passed.
• Unplug any external monitor, and remove any extra screens from the desk.
• Position and test the external webcam.
• Clear the room: no phone, calculator, scratch paper, pen, pets or other people.

60 Minutes Before

• Use the bathroom, and eat.
• Switch off your VPN.
• Put your phone and smartwatch in another room.
• Close the door and cover the windows.
• Place your tabbed books in reach, and fill a clear, unlabeled water bottle if you want one.

30 Minutes Before

• Restart the computer and close everything you do not need.
• Check that your upload and download speeds are at least 5 Mbps, and that the computer is plugged in.
• Confirm your camera shows your face, hands and keyboard.
• Have your ID ready, original and flat.

During the Exam

• Log in 15 minutes before your appointment, through the Guardian browser.
• Follow each pre-check prompt in order, and do not rush the room scan.
• Stay seated, in camera view, with your hands visible.
• Ask for any break in the chat and wait for the proctor’s reply.
• If you lose your connection, contact ProctorU at once to get back to your proctor during your exam time.
• Submit the exam, then tell your proctor in the chat that you are finished.

FAQ

Access and Technical Problems

Can I take the CPC exam online if I live outside the United States?

Only if you live in the U.S., a U.S. Territory, the Bahamas or Jamaica. AAPC says remote proctoring is unavailable elsewhere, and that falsifying location information to get an exam costs you all credentials and your membership. Book a testing center instead.

What happens if my internet drops during the exam?

AAPC says to contact ProctorU as soon as possible so you can reconnect with your proctor during your exam time and avoid forfeiting the exam. ProctorU’s own help says to re-enter the exam using the same page you first used, and that you will repeat the launch and security process before you reconnect. AAPC does not say whether lost time is restored (confirm on the official page).

Can I use my laptop’s built-in webcam?

No. AAPC requires an external webcam, with a 6-foot cord, and says built-in laptop and desktop cameras and phone cameras are not allowed. This differs from ProctorU’s general advice, and AAPC’s rule governs.

Can I use a work laptop, a VPN or a second monitor?

Do not use a VPN, because AAPC says it may cause connection problems. A second monitor is prohibited, even if your laptop lid is closed. AAPC does not address work laptops specifically, but you must be able to install and run the Guardian browser, which managed work computers often block (confirm on the official page).

Timing, ID and Rescheduling

What if I am late or my check-in stalls?

AAPC tells you to log in 15 minutes before your appointment, and says a failure to show up on time is a no-show. It does not publish a grace period for late arrival (confirm on the official page). Contact support through the platform chat immediately, and then contact AAPC.

My ID name does not match my exam confirmation. Can I still test?

Not safely. AAPC requires an exact match, and treats a failure to meet the requirements as a no-show. If your name is wrong on the confirmation, contact AAPC at 800-626-2633 before exam day.

Can I cancel, reschedule or get a refund?

For a remote exam, there is no fee if you cancel or reschedule more than 48 hours before the start. At a testing center there is no fee more than 10 days before, and $25 from 9 to 2 days before, paid to Meazure Learning. A third-party source quotes 24 hours for remote exams, but AAPC’s own page says 48, so follow AAPC.

Results

When will I get my result?

AAPC says results post within 7 to 10 business days of the date you finish. AAPC’s older proctor instructions say not to call AAPC or the proctors for your results.

References and Sources

Where the Facts in This Guide Come From

Delivery, ID, equipment, room, break, cancellation and no-show rules come from AAPC’s own exam pages and support articles. Allowed books, calculators and prohibited references come from AAPC’s Examinee Instructions document, which is undated and partly written for in-person exams. Ethics and cheating consequences come from AAPC’s support article on preventing cheating. ProctorU’s general reconnection advice comes from its help center. Third-party sites were used only to cross-check the pass mark and to note where they disagree with AAPC.

References

• AAPC: What to expect on exam day, at-home exam
• AAPC: What to expect on exam day, testing center exam
• AAPC: Choose the best exam format for you
• AAPC: Electronic exam requirements
• AAPC Support: Requirements for taking a live remote proctored exam
• AAPC Support: How do I set up my exam space at home?
• AAPC Support: Can I take a break during the exam?
• AAPC: Reschedule or cancel an exam
• AAPC Support: How do you prevent people from cheating?
• AAPC: Examinee Instructions (allowed materials, prohibited items)
• AAPC: What’s new (vouchers and remote proctoring availability)
• ProctorU Help Center: Common troubleshooting solutions and FAQs
• Coding Clarified: AAPC CPC exam format FAQs (third-party reference only)

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