Key Takeaways
- COC is the current AAPC name for the former CPC-H credential.
- AAPC core exam format is 100 questions in a 4-hour window with a 70% passing target.
- COC prep emphasizes hospital outpatient facility coding decisions, not physician-only coding workflows.
- High-yield domains include OPPS status indicators/APC packaging, OCE edits, and outpatient diagnosis sequencing.
- 2026 prep should include coding accuracy plus denial prevention and correction audit-trail discipline.
Last updated: February 2026
COC (Formerly CPC-H): What You Need to Know
The Certified Outpatient Coder (COC) credential is AAPC's outpatient-facility coding certification and is the direct successor to the CPC-H naming convention.
Core format snapshot
- Exam format: 100 questions
- Time limit: 4 hours
- Passing target: 70%
- Primary focus: hospital outpatient facility coding
Why COC prep is different from CPC prep
COC preparation leans more heavily into:
- Outpatient facility claim structure
- OPPS status indicator and APC behavior
- OCE/NCCI edit triage
- Revenue code and charge integrity controls
- Compliance-ready correction documentation
2026 practical prep sequence
- Build diagnosis/procedure abstraction discipline from source documentation.
- Validate OPPS/APC behavior before finalizing line-level coding decisions.
- Drill denial root-cause patterns tied to medical necessity, modifiers, and packaging logic.
- Use correction workflows with explicit audit trails for all rebills.
That sequence mirrors real outpatient facility coding operations and improves both exam and production performance.
Test Your Knowledge
What is the most accurate description of COC versus legacy CPC-H naming?
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Test Your Knowledge
Which domain is most characteristic of outpatient facility COC prep?
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