AAPC & AHIMA Medical Coding Daily Quiz – Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | Master Your Coding Skills Today!

Ready to ace your AAPC or AHIMA exam? Test your knowledge with our Daily Medical Coding Quiz. Practice CPC & CCS questions, get expert tips, and build your confidence!

 

👋 Happy Wednesday, Coding Warriors!

Welcome to your mid-week brain boost! Whether you are grinding for the CPC (AAPC), tackling the CCS (AHIMA), or leveling up for the CRC, you know that consistency is the secret sauce to passing.

Don't let those thick coding books intimidate you. A few minutes of daily practice is what separates a student from a Certified Professional Coder. Let’s shake off the Wednesday "hump" and dive into today's scenarios!

 

AAPC & AHIMA Medical Coding Daily Quiz – Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | Master Your Coding Skills Today!

📝 Today’s Coding Challenge: 5 Exam-Style Questions

Grab your ICD-10-CM and CPT manuals. No peeking at the answers yet!

Question 1: Evaluation & Management (E/M)

A 45-year-old established patient visits his primary care physician for a follow-up on well-controlled hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The physician performs a medically appropriate history and examination. The medical decision-making (MDM) is documented as low complexity. The total time spent on the date of the encounter is 25 minutes. What is the correct CPT code?

A) 99212

B) 99213

C) 99214

D) 99215

 

Question 2: ICD-10-CM Guidelines

A patient is admitted with severe sepsis due to MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) with acute respiratory failure. What is the proper sequencing for these diagnoses?

A) MRSA infection, Severe Sepsis, Acute Respiratory Failure

B) Severe Sepsis, MRSA, Acute Respiratory Failure

C) Sepsis (A41.9), MRSA (B95.62), Acute Respiratory Failure

D) Systemic Infection (A41.x), R65.20, J96.00, B95.62

 

Question 3: Integumentary System

A surgeon performs a complex repair of a 3.5 cm laceration on the left cheek and a simple repair of a 2.0 cm laceration on the left arm. How should these be reported?

A) 13132, 12001-51

B) 13132, 13133

C) 12013, 12001

D) 13152, 12001-59

 

Question 4: Compliance & Regulatory

Which of the following is an example of Fraud rather than Abuse?

A) Coding an office visit at a higher level than documented (Upcoding) intentionally to increase reimbursement.

B) Unbundling codes due to a misunderstanding of National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits.

C) Providing services that are not medically necessary.

D) Submitting a claim for a service that was never actually performed.

 

Question 5: Anesthesia

A patient undergoes a total shoulder replacement (Arthroplasty). What is the base CPT code for the anesthesia services provided?

A) 01630

B) 01638

C) 23472

D) 01610

 

🚀 Ready to check your score?

Before you scroll down:

·         Comment your answers below! (e.g., 1A, 2D...)

·         Share this to your study group on WhatsApp or Facebook—see who gets the highest score!

·         Challenge your coding buddy to beat your time.

 

✅ Answer Key & Explanations

1. Answer: B (99213)

Explanation: For an established patient, 99213 requires Low MDM OR 20–29 minutes of total time. Since both the MDM and the time (25 mins) fall into the 99213 category, this is the most accurate code.

2. Answer: D (A41.x, R65.20, J96.00, B95.62)

Explanation: Per ICD-10-CM guidelines, when severe sepsis is present, the underlying systemic infection is sequenced first, followed by the subcategory R65.2 (Severe sepsis), then the associated organ failure. B95.62 is added to identify the MRSA organism.

3. Answer: A (13132, 12001-51)

Explanation: Complex repairs are coded by specific site; 13132 covers 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm on the face/cheeks. Simple repairs (12001) are coded separately. Use modifier -51 to indicate multiple procedures in the same session.

4. Answer: D (Submitting a claim for a service never performed)

Explanation: Fraud is defined as a knowing and intentional deception. Billing for services never rendered is a "textbook" example of fraud. Upcoding (A) can be fraud if intent is proven, but (D) is the most definitive answer.

5. Answer: B (01638)

Explanation: In the Anesthesia section of CPT, 01638 specifically covers anesthesia for total shoulder replacement. Remember: Always use Anesthesia codes (0xxxx), not Surgery codes (1xxxx-6xxxx), for the anesthesiologist’s services!

 

💡 Quick Exam Tip: The "Hierarchy" Rule

When taking your CPC or CCS exam, always follow the Code Instructions first, then the Chapter Guidelines, and then the General Guidelines. If a code description says "List separately in addition to code for primary procedure," it's an add-on code—never use a modifier -51 on it!

 

🌟 Keep the Momentum Going!

Great job today! Whether you got 5/5 or 1/5, you are one step closer to those credentials.

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2.      Leave a comment letting us know which topic you want to see tomorrow (Cardiology? Digestive? Modifiers?).

See you tomorrow for another Daily Medical Coding Practice!