CFPT PRACTICE COMPREHENSIVE FULL EXAM
REVIEW 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ A 55-year-old male presents in the office with an ingrown toenail on
the right and left foot. The procedure was discussed in detail and the
patient elected to have it performed. The right foot was prepped and
draped in sterile fashion. The right great toe was anesthetized with 50/50
solution of 2 percent lidocaine and .05 percent Marcaine. A mini-
tourniquet was placed around the toe for hemostasis in which part of the
nail plate and maxtrixectomy were performed. Phenol was then applied,
the toe was then flushed. Tourniquet was released and dressing applied.
At this time the patient elected to only have one performed and will
return in two weeks for the left foot. Code the procedure.
A. 11765-T5
B. 11750-T5
C. 11752-T5
D. 11740-T5. Answer: B. 11750-T5
This patient is coming in to have an in-grown toe nail removed,
eliminating multiple choice answer D (Evacuation of Subungual
Hematoma), which is evacuating blood from under the nail. You are now
left with choices A, B, and C that involves the removal of an ingrown
toenail. Code 11752 is not correct. The scenario does not mention an
amputation. The clue to help you narrow down between the codes 11765
,and 11750 is that there is a partial removal of the nail and nail matrix
(matrixectomy).
◉ Procedure Diagnosis: Basal cell carcinoma, left chin. Procedure:Wide
local excision of 3.0 cm with 0.3 cm margin basal cell carcinoma of the
left chin with a 4 cm closure. Procedure: The patient's left chin was
examined. The site of intended excision was marked out. The site was
then prepped. The patient was then prepped and draped in the usual
fashion. A 15 blade scalpel was then used to make an incision in the
previously marked site. It was carried down to the subcuticular fat. The
lesion was then sharply dissected off underlying tissue bed using a 15-
blade scalpel. It was tagged for pathologic orientation. The hyfrecator
was used for hemostasis. The wound was then closed by advancing the
tissue surrounding the lesion and closing in layers with 3-0 Vicryl for the
deep layer, followed by 5-0 Prolene for the skin. The skin closure was in
a running subcuticular fashion. Steri-Strips were then applied. What are
the pro. Answer: A. 11644, 12052-51, 173.31
You need to first find out if this lesion is benign or malignant. For this
scenario the patient has a basal cell carcinoma. This falls under
malignant lesion, which eliminates multiple choice codes C and D as
they deal with benign lesions. Now you need to find out where the lesion
is located and the size of the removal. The malignant lesion is on the
chin (face) and the size is 3.0 cm + .3 cm + .3 cm = 3.6 cm, leading you
to code 11644. CPT® subsection guidelines for Excision-Malignant
Lesions state: For excision of malignant lesion(s) requiring intermediate
or complex closures should be reported separately. For this scenario the
wound was closed in two layers qualifying the closure to be coded with
an intermediate repair of the chin (4 cm), 12052. The diagnosis, basal
,cell carcinoma of the chin, is indexed in the ICD-9-CM codebook in the
Neoplasm Table, under Skin/face NEC/basal cell carcinoma.
◉ The physician removes a tumor from the patient's neck using the
Mohs micrographic surgery technique. During the first stage, the
physician takes four tissue blocks and reviews them under a microscope.
The exam of the tissue blocks reveals a second stage is necessary to
remove areas where the tumor is still present. The physician removes
two additional tissue blocks. What are the appropriate CPT® codes for
reporting the procedure?
A. 17311, 17312, 17315
B. 17313, 17315
C. 17313, 17314, 17315
D. 17311, 17312. Answer: D. 17311, 17312
For narrowing down to the correct procedure code for the Mohs
micrographic surgery, you should find out where on the body the tumor
was removed. For this scenario, it is the neck; eliminating multiple
choice codes B and C, which involve the trunk, arms or legs. The tissue
block removals were performed in two stages, coding 17311 and 17312.
Code 17315 is not coded for this scenario, because the physician would
have to remove more than five tissue blocks in any stage. There were
only four tissue blocks removed in the first stage and two tissue blocks
removed in the second stage, both falling short of six or more tissue
blocks removed in either stage.
◉ This 45-year-old male presents to the operating room with a painful
mass of the right upper arm. General anesthesia was induced. Soft tissue
, dissection was carried down thru the proximal aspect of the teres minor
muscle. Upon further dissection a large mass was noted just distal of the
IGHL(inferior glenohumeral ligament), which appeared to be benign in
nature. With blunt dissection and electrocautery, the 4.5 cm mass was
removed en bloc and sent to pathology. The wound was irrigated, and
repair of the teres minor with subcutaneous tissue was then closed with
triple-0 Vicryl. Skin was closed with double-0 Prolene in a subcuticular
fashion. What is the correct CPT® code for this service?
A. 23076
B. 23066
C. 23075
D. 23077. Answer: A. 23076
This patient is having a mass removed from the shoulder area,
eliminating multiple choice B, which is a biopsy. This is not a radical
resection because that includes removal of the entire tumor along with
large surrounding tissue, including adjacent lymph nodes. The size of the
mass that was excised was 4.5 cm, which leads you to code 23076.
◉ Postoperative Diagnosis: 1. Impingement syndrome left shoulder. 2.
AC synovitis left shoulder Procedure: Arthroscopy with subacromial
decompression and AC resection left shoulder. The patient was placed
supine on the operating table and prepped and draped in usual sterile
fashion. The scope was introduced from a posterior portal and the joint
was inspected. The rotator cuff looked in good condition. The articular
surfaces looked good. The bicep also was in good condition. We went
subacromially and there was a fair amount of bursal inflammation
REVIEW 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ A 55-year-old male presents in the office with an ingrown toenail on
the right and left foot. The procedure was discussed in detail and the
patient elected to have it performed. The right foot was prepped and
draped in sterile fashion. The right great toe was anesthetized with 50/50
solution of 2 percent lidocaine and .05 percent Marcaine. A mini-
tourniquet was placed around the toe for hemostasis in which part of the
nail plate and maxtrixectomy were performed. Phenol was then applied,
the toe was then flushed. Tourniquet was released and dressing applied.
At this time the patient elected to only have one performed and will
return in two weeks for the left foot. Code the procedure.
A. 11765-T5
B. 11750-T5
C. 11752-T5
D. 11740-T5. Answer: B. 11750-T5
This patient is coming in to have an in-grown toe nail removed,
eliminating multiple choice answer D (Evacuation of Subungual
Hematoma), which is evacuating blood from under the nail. You are now
left with choices A, B, and C that involves the removal of an ingrown
toenail. Code 11752 is not correct. The scenario does not mention an
amputation. The clue to help you narrow down between the codes 11765
,and 11750 is that there is a partial removal of the nail and nail matrix
(matrixectomy).
◉ Procedure Diagnosis: Basal cell carcinoma, left chin. Procedure:Wide
local excision of 3.0 cm with 0.3 cm margin basal cell carcinoma of the
left chin with a 4 cm closure. Procedure: The patient's left chin was
examined. The site of intended excision was marked out. The site was
then prepped. The patient was then prepped and draped in the usual
fashion. A 15 blade scalpel was then used to make an incision in the
previously marked site. It was carried down to the subcuticular fat. The
lesion was then sharply dissected off underlying tissue bed using a 15-
blade scalpel. It was tagged for pathologic orientation. The hyfrecator
was used for hemostasis. The wound was then closed by advancing the
tissue surrounding the lesion and closing in layers with 3-0 Vicryl for the
deep layer, followed by 5-0 Prolene for the skin. The skin closure was in
a running subcuticular fashion. Steri-Strips were then applied. What are
the pro. Answer: A. 11644, 12052-51, 173.31
You need to first find out if this lesion is benign or malignant. For this
scenario the patient has a basal cell carcinoma. This falls under
malignant lesion, which eliminates multiple choice codes C and D as
they deal with benign lesions. Now you need to find out where the lesion
is located and the size of the removal. The malignant lesion is on the
chin (face) and the size is 3.0 cm + .3 cm + .3 cm = 3.6 cm, leading you
to code 11644. CPT® subsection guidelines for Excision-Malignant
Lesions state: For excision of malignant lesion(s) requiring intermediate
or complex closures should be reported separately. For this scenario the
wound was closed in two layers qualifying the closure to be coded with
an intermediate repair of the chin (4 cm), 12052. The diagnosis, basal
,cell carcinoma of the chin, is indexed in the ICD-9-CM codebook in the
Neoplasm Table, under Skin/face NEC/basal cell carcinoma.
◉ The physician removes a tumor from the patient's neck using the
Mohs micrographic surgery technique. During the first stage, the
physician takes four tissue blocks and reviews them under a microscope.
The exam of the tissue blocks reveals a second stage is necessary to
remove areas where the tumor is still present. The physician removes
two additional tissue blocks. What are the appropriate CPT® codes for
reporting the procedure?
A. 17311, 17312, 17315
B. 17313, 17315
C. 17313, 17314, 17315
D. 17311, 17312. Answer: D. 17311, 17312
For narrowing down to the correct procedure code for the Mohs
micrographic surgery, you should find out where on the body the tumor
was removed. For this scenario, it is the neck; eliminating multiple
choice codes B and C, which involve the trunk, arms or legs. The tissue
block removals were performed in two stages, coding 17311 and 17312.
Code 17315 is not coded for this scenario, because the physician would
have to remove more than five tissue blocks in any stage. There were
only four tissue blocks removed in the first stage and two tissue blocks
removed in the second stage, both falling short of six or more tissue
blocks removed in either stage.
◉ This 45-year-old male presents to the operating room with a painful
mass of the right upper arm. General anesthesia was induced. Soft tissue
, dissection was carried down thru the proximal aspect of the teres minor
muscle. Upon further dissection a large mass was noted just distal of the
IGHL(inferior glenohumeral ligament), which appeared to be benign in
nature. With blunt dissection and electrocautery, the 4.5 cm mass was
removed en bloc and sent to pathology. The wound was irrigated, and
repair of the teres minor with subcutaneous tissue was then closed with
triple-0 Vicryl. Skin was closed with double-0 Prolene in a subcuticular
fashion. What is the correct CPT® code for this service?
A. 23076
B. 23066
C. 23075
D. 23077. Answer: A. 23076
This patient is having a mass removed from the shoulder area,
eliminating multiple choice B, which is a biopsy. This is not a radical
resection because that includes removal of the entire tumor along with
large surrounding tissue, including adjacent lymph nodes. The size of the
mass that was excised was 4.5 cm, which leads you to code 23076.
◉ Postoperative Diagnosis: 1. Impingement syndrome left shoulder. 2.
AC synovitis left shoulder Procedure: Arthroscopy with subacromial
decompression and AC resection left shoulder. The patient was placed
supine on the operating table and prepped and draped in usual sterile
fashion. The scope was introduced from a posterior portal and the joint
was inspected. The rotator cuff looked in good condition. The articular
surfaces looked good. The bicep also was in good condition. We went
subacromially and there was a fair amount of bursal inflammation
