PANCE Review for Physician Assistant Certification Exam Prep + CME

The content blueprint for PANCE is based on information provided from certified physician assistants who participate in profession-wide practice analysis studies.  Certified PAs are involved throughout the exam development process, including:  reviewing results of the practice analysis, writing questions that appear on PANCE, reviewing exams before they are administered, reviewing performance data for exam questions, and developing recommendations for the passing standard.  Certified PAs work with NCCPA to continuously review the content included on PANCE to ensure it is relevant and current, as the practice of medicine changes and treatment guidelines are revised or new ones introduced.  

If you graduate from a physician assistant program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, you can take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) for certification.

The examination is administered during one week in the fall each year at over 200 computer-based Pearson VUE testing centers in the United States and Canada.

NCCPA publishes a content blueprint of the material that will appear on the exam.
The content blueprint provides guidance on the information assessed on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

The PA certification examination is categorized in two dimensions:

1. Knowledge of the diseases and disorders physician assistants encounter; and
2. Knowledge and skills related to tasks physician assistants perform when treating patients.

This is how we determine which material appears in exam simulations.

MEDICAL CONTENT CATEGORIESPercent Allocation

Cardiovascular System13%
Dermatologic System5%
Endocrine System7%
Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat7%
Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition9%
Genitourinary System (Male and Female)5%
Hematologic System5%
Infectious Diseases6% 
Musculoskeletal System8%
Neurologic System7%
Pulmonary System10%
Psychiatry/Behavioral Science6%
Renal System5%
Reproductive System (Male and Female)7%

TASK CATEGORIESPercent Allocation

History Taking and Performing Physical Examination17%
Using Diagnostic and Laboratory Studies12%
Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis18%
Health Maintenance, Patient , Education, and Preventive Measures10%
Clinical Intervention14%
Pharmaceutical Therapeuticsm14%
Applying Basic Scientific Concepts10% 
Profesional Practice5%

Our exams are administered in multiple blocks of test questions. You may answer the questions within a block in any order, and you may review and change responses within a block of questions during the time allotted for that section. However, after you exit a block of test questions, or after time expires for that block, you won't be allowed to review its questions or change your answers.

The five-hour PANCE exam includes 300 multiple-choice questions administered in five blocks of 60 questions with 60 minutes to complete each block. There is a total of 45 minutes allotted for breaks between blocks and you will be responsible for managing your break time. You will have 15 minutes to complete the PANCE tutorial.

PANCE exam sample questions...

NCCPA provides several sample questions on its site.  You can also get more free PANCE board review questions when you subscribe to Med-Challenger's Medical Education Blog - or when you start a free trial of Med-Challenger PANCE/PANRE BOARD REVIEW.