PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam)
The PANCE is the national certification exam for physician assistants: five blocks of 60 questions, 5 hours of exam time in a 6-hour session at Pearson VUE. Passing earns NCCPA certification and the PA-C title. The fee is $550.
Format5 × 60 Qs60 minutes per block
Session6 hours5 hours of exam time
Fee$550
Limit6 years / 6 tries
Made by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Who: Graduates of ARC-PA accredited physician assistant programs. Checked on the owner's own pages, 21 Oct 2026.
Who takes it
- You must graduate from an entry-level PA program accredited by ARC-PA.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Six-years-six-attempts rule: graduates since January 1, 2003 who were never certified can take the PANCE for six years after finishing, at most six times; after that, only a new accredited PA program restores eligibility.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Format and sections
- Five blocks of 60 questions with 60 minutes for each, 45 minutes of break time between blocks that you manage yourself, and a 15-minute tutorial.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Scoring
- Passing earns NCCPA board certification and the right to use PA-C (Physician Assistant-Certified) while you keep certification current.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Fees and fee waivers
- Submit the application with the $550 fee; an exam acknowledgement with scheduling details follows within 3 days.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Test dates
- No national dates: you get a 180-day window to test, based on your graduation date, and book at a Pearson VUE center.
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Official practice
- Pearson VUE's website has a PANCE exam tutorial (under Tutorials).
NCCPA
Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee)National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Become Certified: the PANCE (format, eligibility, six-years-six-attempts rule, fee) · National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) checked 2026-10-21