PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam), eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
$550
Provider
NCCPA
Validity
10 years (with ongoing requirements)
Available
USA
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
1-3 years of hands-on experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- Graduate from an entry-level PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). NCCPA deems a graduate to have graduated from an accredited program if the program was accredited at the time of matriculation.
- Have your PA program notify NCCPA of your expected graduation date, which triggers the email you use to set up your NCCPA portal account. That setup link expires after three days.
- Submit the PANCE application with the $550 payment. NCCPA does not accept applications until 180 days before your expected program completion date.
- Wait until at least seven days after your program completion date, which is the earliest date you may test once your program director has confirmed completion.
- Test within the 180-day window shown in your acknowledgement email, which arrives within three days of a submitted application.
- Observe the eligibility limits: six years from completing graduation requirements and six attempts, whichever runs out first, for anyone who graduated on or after January 1, 2003 and has never been certified.
- There is no work experience requirement, no separate licence prerequisite and no minimum GPA imposed by NCCPA. Program accreditation and completion are the whole of the eligibility test.
Number of Questions
300 questions, delivered as five blocks of 60. Each form contains both scored and pretest items, and NCCPA does not publish how many of the 300 are pretest. Examinees cannot tell the two apart.
Duration
Five hours of testing time. NCCPA allots 60 minutes per block across five blocks, plus 45 minutes of total break time between blocks and 15 minutes for the tutorial, which makes the full appointment six hours. Candidates are responsible for managing their own break time.
Question Format
Single-best-answer multiple choice questions built on clinical vignettes, Vignettes that supply patient age, presenting history, vital signs, physical examination findings and often laboratory values before asking the question, Most published NCCPA sample items offer five lettered answer options, though some Professional Practice items offer four; NCCPA does not state a fixed number of options, Stems commonly ask for the most likely diagnosis, the most appropriate initial diagnostic study, or the most appropriate next step, Professional Practice items covering ethics, disclosure of medical error, documentation and interpretation of study statistics, Both scored and pretest items appear on every form with no visual difference between them
Passing Requirement
350 on a scale running from 200 to 800. The cut score was set by a modified Angoff panel of practising Certified PAs and approved by the NCCPA Board of Directors. Because forms are equated for difficulty, NCCPA states the number of correct answers required to reach 350 varies from one examinee to another.
How It Is Delivered
Proctored, in person, at more than 300 Pearson VUE testing centers in the United States. NCCPA does not offer PANCE as a remotely proctored exam. The application generates a 180-day window inside which the candidate schedules a single appointment.
Languages Offered
English. NCCPA publishes the PANCE blueprint page in Spanish translation, but does not describe a Spanish-language administration of the exam itself.
Visit the official NCCPA certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)?
Graduate from an entry-level PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). NCCPA deems a graduate to have graduated from an accredited program if the program was accredited at the time of matriculation.. Have your PA program notify NCCPA of your expected graduation date, which triggers the email you use to set up your NCCPA portal account. That setup link expires after three days.. Submit the PANCE application with the $550 payment. NCCPA does not accept applications until 180 days before your expected program completion date.. Wait until at least seven days after your program completion date, which is the earliest date you may test once your program director has confirmed completion.. Test within the 180-day window shown in your acknowledgement email, which arrives within three days of a submitted application.. Observe the eligibility limits: six years from completing graduation requirements and six attempts, whichever runs out first, for anyone who graduated on or after January 1, 2003 and has never been certified.. There is no work experience requirement, no separate licence prerequisite and no minimum GPA imposed by NCCPA. Program accreditation and completion are the whole of the eligibility test..
How much does the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) cost?
The PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) exam costs $550. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)?
Visit the official NCCPA certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
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