PA-C - Physician Assistant-Certified

To earn the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) designation, candidates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the certifying body and the only certifying organization for physician assistants (PAs) in the U.S. Each state requires PAs to pass the PANCE to become licensed to practice.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit for the PANCE and earn PA-C credentials, applicants must have graduated from an academic PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), or one of its predecessors. The degree conferred must be a Master of Science in Physician Assistant.

Applicants may apply up to 180 days before their anticipated program completion date. The earliest test dates are seven or more days post-program completion and verification. Applicants who graduated from their PA program on or after January 1, 2003, may take the PANCE up to 6 years following graduation. During the six-year period, they may take the exam 6 times. After 6 years or 6 attempts, whichever comes first, they’re ineligible to sit for the PANCE again until they complete another unabridged ARC-PA-accredited PA educational program.

Completion Time: Candidates have 5 hours to complete the PANCE to earn PA-C certification

Cost: $550

Exam Format

The PANCE exam includes 300 multiple-choice questions, divided into blocks. Candidates have five hours to complete the exam.

• Each block consists of 60 questions with 60 minutes allotted for each block

• Candidates receive 45 minute breaks between blocks

• 95% of the exam is medical content

• Questions regarding professional practice issues make up 5% of the exam 

• Up to 20% of the exam may be related to general surgery topics

The test topic distribution is as follows:

• Cardiovascular System (13%)

• Dermatologic System (5%)

• Endocrine System (7%)

• Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat (7%)

• Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition (9%)

• Genitourinary System (5%)

• Hematologic System (5%)

• Infectious Diseases (6%)

• Musculoskeletal System (8%)

• Neurologic System (7%)

• Psychiatry/Behavioral Science (6%)

• Pulmonary System (10%)

• Renal System (5%)

• Reproductive System (Male and Female) (7%)

Task Categories

• History Taking and Performing Physical Examination (17%)

• Using Diagnostic and Laboratory Studies (12%)

• Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis (18%)

• Managing Patients

  •  Health Maintenance, Patient Education, and Preventive Measures (10%)

  •  Clinical Intervention (14%)

  •  Pharmaceutical Therapeutics (14%)

• Applying Basic Scientific Concepts (10%)

• Professional Practice (5%)

Test Dates

Pearson VUE administers and offers the PANCE exam for NCCPA year-round. NCCPA sends an email to schedule the exam within one to three days after it processes a candidate’s application. Candidates must complete the test within 180 days. Tests aren’t available during the final weeks of each year. Check with Pearson VUE for testing sites and other exam specifics.

• Earn a Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant

• Submit an application to NCCPA along with a $550 fee

• Provide the required supporting documents

• Schedule the examination within 180 days

• Take the PANCE examination

  • PANCE is a five-hour exam with 300 multiple-choice questions 

  • Each block consists of 60 questions and takes 60 minutes 

  • There are 45 minutes for breaks between blocks

  • The PANCE tutorial takes 15 minutes

A 10-year certification maintenance process includes 5 two-year cycles during which all PA-Cs must earn 100 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.

Two Options exist for Physician Assistant National Recertification Exams:

PANRE:

• Traditional recertification exam administered at more than 200 Pearson VUE test centers

• PA-Cs take the PANRE exam in their certification maintenance cycle's 9th or 10th years

• Divided into four blocks with 60 questions each

• Total exam time is five hours and takes four hours to complete

PANRE-LA:

• Alternative to the traditional PANRE

• The 6th year is the best time for PA-Cs to apply for the PANRE–LA

• Administered over each quarter of the year with 8 to 12 quarters completed

• Participants receive 25 questions each quarter at times of their choosing

• May be completed on phones, tablets or laptops from any location

Renewal Fee:  PANRE or PANRE-LA: $350 or $180 every 2 years

The following is a list of eligible activities applicants may use to meet the renewal requirements for their PA-C credential:

• Continuing Education through contact hours

• Preapproved certification programs

• Performance improvement

• Self-assessment

• Teaching

• NCCPA offers practice examinations

• Pearson VUE provides tutorials

Related certifications include:

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery (CAQ-CVTS)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Emergency Medicine (CAQ-EM)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hospital Medicine (CAQ-HM)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Nephrology (CAQ-Neph)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Orthopaedic Surgery (CAQ-OS)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Pediatrics (CAQ-Peds)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Psychiatry (CAQ in Psychiatry (CAQ-Psy)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Dermatology (CAQ-Derm)

• Physicians Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certificate of Added Qualifications in Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care (CAQ-PMHC) will be offered beginning in 2023

• Physician Assistant (PA) degree