1. NCCPA and Physician Assistant Certification
Faculty Name Here
Faculty Member’s Title Here

2. NCCPA has been the only certifying organization for PAs for over 40 years
We are an independent, not-for-profit organization
NCCPA is committed to helping maximize the safe, productive, and competent practice of medicine by certified PAs
Passionate about PAs and the patients you serve
Rely on PA practice data to inform our certification programs
Publish statistical reports to inform employers, policy makers, the media, patients and others
Promote qualifications and roles of certified PAs to various audiences (physicians, employers, state medical boards, public, etc.)
About NCCPA

3. NCCPA’s Responsibility
It is critical to our mission to provide a certification/ recertification program that is:
Meaningful and relevant; and
Provides assurance for patients, employers, state licensing boards, and others regarding PAs’ knowledge and skills.
To do this, we must continuously monitor and evolve the certification process because things change:
Advances in technology
Rapid changes in medicine
Changes in the PA profession
NCCPA’s Responsibility

4. Our Underpinning Principles
The first concern must be to serve the public’s interest as we work to determine how we most effectively can deliver a recertification exam process that supports delivery of high quality, affordable, accessible health care
To support the flexibility PAs have to change specialties during their career span and to work in multiple specialties concurrently, it is important to maintain the generalist nature of the PA-C credential
Our Underpinning Principles

5. Our Stakeholders Public (Primary stakeholder) NCCPA State PA Chapters
PA Students
PA Programs & Faculty
Policy makers
Third party payers
State licensing agencies
Credentialing bodies
Employers
Physicians
State PA Chapters
Our Stakeholders

6. You Can’t Spell NCCPA without PAs
PAs are involved in many important aspects of the NCCPA, and we are passionate about the people of the PA profession.
You Can’t Spell NCCPA without PAs

7. About Certified PAs 123,000+ certified PAs at the end of 2017
PAs are a young profession; 55% are under the age of 40
Average starting salary = $94,646
U.S. News and World Report ranked physician assistant as #3 of the 100 Best Jobs of 2018, and The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the PA profession will grow 37% by 2026.
About Certified PAs

8. 2018 Board of Directors Composition
11 PAs, 5 physicians and 2 public members
2018 Board of Directors Composition
7 Physician & Public Members
1 nominee from AMA
1 nominee from AOA
1 nominee from ACP
2 physician Directors-at-Large
2 public members
11 PA Members
7 PA Directors-at-Large
1 nominee from AAPA
1 nominee from PAEA
1 nominee from FSMB
President/CEO

9. PA Involvement in Exam Development Process
70 PA item writers serve on item writing committees, writing questions that appear on PANCE, PANRE and the CAQ exams
NCCPA hosted 22 PA team meetings to develop and validate exam questions, review exam forms, set passing standards, and explore advancements to the question generation process
PA Involvement in Exam Development Process

10. PA Involvement in Exam Development Process
Exam Development Cycle
Item Development
Form Development
Form Review
Exam Administration
Statistical Analysis
Key Validation
Scoring and Reporting
Practice Analysis
Exam Blueprint
Standard Setting
PA Roles
PA Involvement in Exam Development Process

11. Certification is a Community Process
We could not do this without PA participation
Volunteering can be as short as an ad hoc meeting (2-3 days) to as often as an item writing committee (ongoing, multiple meetings yearly)
If you’re interested in volunteering, please

12. Requirements to Earn Your PA-C
Graduation from a PA program accredited by ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant)
A welcome will be sent from NCCPA to each student after the program submits eligibility
Students must graduate or complete program requirements before taking the exam
Passing Score on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)
Students can be certified within 4 weeks of graduation or less in most cases
Requirements to Earn
Your PA-C

13. PANCE Quick Glance Computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE
200+ exam centers (
300 multiple-choice questions that assess general medical and surgical knowledge
Five-hour exam
15 minute tutorial at beginning of exam
5 blocks of 60 questions, 60 minutes each
45 minutes of break time for the entire day
PANCE
Quick
Glance

14. PANCE: What is on the exam?

15. Examination Content Blueprint
Can be found at
Two dimensions:
Organ systems and the diseases, disorders and medical assessments PAs encounter within those systems
The knowledge and skills PAs should exhibit when confronted with those diseases, disorders and assessments
Examination Content Blueprint

16. Distribution (%) of Content by Organ System

17. Distribution (%) of Content by Knowledge & Skill (Task) Areas

18. PANCE: Registration, Application and Resources

19. Register at www.nccpa.net

20. PANCE Application

21. PANCE Application – NAME

22. PANCE Application

23. Name Confirmation

24. Exam Acknowledgement Email
PLEASE READ!!
FULL OF IMPORTANT INFO!
Information and link to schedule your exam
Policy reminders
Preparing for PANCE information and link to exam tutorial/demonstration
What to expect on exam day
Exam Acknowledgement

25. Practice Exams $50 online Practice Exams
120 questions taken from the exam item banks
General performance feedback helps inform your exam preparation
Register online the same way you do for a certification exam
Practice Exams

26. Format of Practice Exam Feedback
By Exam Content and Task Area
Performance band for overall performance
Format of Practice Exam Feedback
Your mean performance on the test questions in each content area
Mean performance of test questions when last administered on exam

27. You can apply as soon as your program has entered your expected graduation date but no sooner than 90 days prior to your expected graduation date.
You will receive an Exam Acknowledgement from NCCPA 3-5 days after the application process has been completed
180-day exam window (starting 7 days after your graduation date)
Details about how to schedule your exam
Cost: $500
Applying for PANCE

28. PANCE Exam Day: What can I expect?

29. Read ALL correspondence and view a short video at www. nccpa
Read ALL correspondence and view a short video at for detailed instructions about what to expect on exam day
Be sure the name on the ID you will present at the test center matches your name as listed with NCCPA
Two forms of valid ID required
If you don’t have the appropriate ID, you won’t be able to take your exam!
If something goes wrong, call NCCPA before you leave the exam center! (678)
Visit for list of required ID &
acceptable name differences.
Exam Day 29

30. Identification Information
Primary ID: The primary ID must be a valid (not expired) original document (not a photocopy or fax) and contain a permanently affixed photo of you, your pre-printed name and your signature.
Acceptable examples (as long as they meet the above criteria) are:
Driver's license
Passport
Military ID
Student ID
Naturalization papers
International Driver's License issued by government
Employee ID
State issued ID
Identification Information

31. Identification Information
Secondary ID: The secondary ID must be a valid (not expired) original document (not a photocopy or fax) and contain the examinee's pre-printed name and their signature.
Acceptable examples (as long as they meet the above criteria) are:
Driver's license
Military ID
Student ID
Employee ID
Credit card
Social Security card
Identification Information
For more information about acceptable ID and name differences, visit and navigate to:
Become Certified > PANCE Registration> Name Changes

32. Exam Day Arrive 30 minutes early
Pearson VUE will take a photo and a palm vein scan each time you enter and leave the testing room
Lockers will be provided to store your personal items or leave them at home or in your car 32

33. You won’t be allowed to bring any personal items into the exam room including but not limited to
Watches, bracelets, purses
Electronic equipment
Hats, jackets, sweaters
Food and drink
Notes
Exam Day 33

34. Take breaks between exam blocks (scheduled breaks)
Take breaks between exam blocks (scheduled breaks). Keep in mind your total break time is limited to 45 minutes.
Scheduled Break – occurs BETWEEN exam blocks
Unscheduled Break – occurs DURING exam blocks
***Unscheduled breaks do not stop the clock***
Taking long or frequent breaks early may leave you with no break time—even between blocks—later in the day
Each time you leave, you will be required to sign out and sign back in upon return.
Exam Day Tips 34

35. Answer every question. Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly; points aren’t deducted for incorrect answers
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
Mark (flag) those that you’re not sure about, and review them if you have time at the end of the block. The computer assists in review of skipped and marked items
After you exit a block of exam questions or after time expires for that block, you won’t be allowed to review its questions or change your answers
Exam Tips

36. PANCE: Life after the exam…

37. After the Exam Do not discuss the exam with others
Sharing exam questions or even general subject matter with others constitutes “irregular behavior” and it is considered cheating. It’s just not worth it!
If an unusual event or condition occurred during the administration of the exam, document the situation in writing and contact NCCPA within 3 business days of your exam
After the Exam
We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or

38. Did an unusual event or condition occur during the administration of your exam?
Report any incident to Pearson VUE staff before leaving and get an Incident Report #
Submit information to:
Must be submitted within three (3) business days of your exam date
Simply reporting your grievance to the test center staff does not constitute a formal examination grievance
You may NOT submit an exam grievance for the following:
Exam Score
Exam Content
Exam Grievance 38

39. When your results are ready (about two weeks after your exam date) you will receive instructions for accessing your score report available via your online record.
To ensure receipt of your score notification , be sure NCCPA has your current address.
Results 39

40. Exams/View Results You PASSED!! Score Report Performance
Interpretation Guidelines

41. Policy Keep in mind two key policies:
You are limited to taking PANCE one time in any 90-day period or up to three times in a calendar year, whichever is fewer
You may attempt PANCE up to six times within six years of your program completion
Policy 41

42. Dashboard – Credentialing Info Release
Request certification status and score results be sent to Third Parties
Dashboard – Credentialing Info Release
Click here to view Previous Requests

43. Dashboard – My Account/ Personal Info
We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or

44. CME: Maintaining your certification

45. Tips for Maintaining Your Certification
Get definitive information about your certification only from NCCPA
Read all NCCPA correspondence
Take personal responsibility for your certification, i.e. don’t delegate
Update your personal information: address, name change, postal address, phone number
Log CME as you earn it
Save all Category 1 CME documentation
Tips for Maintaining Your Certification

46. Tips for Maintaining Your Certification
There’s an app for that!
Tips for Maintaining Your Certification
Keep track of your Certification
Log CME as you earn it!
We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or

47. NCCPA: Helping PAs Succeed

48. Questions for NCCPA? CALL: 678-417-8100
Information Service Representatives available to answer your questions Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Explore our website at
See what other Certified PAs are doing at
Questions for NCCPA?

49. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/5-answers-from-nccpa/id1358442966?mt=2
NEW Podcast Series!

50. Telling the World about Certified PAs
Ongoing effort to publish articles and garner positive media attention for Certified PAs
Online hub:
Telling the World about Certified PAs

51. Connecting with Employers
Search hundreds of jobs for Certified PAs
Upload your résumé
Set up alerts for new jobs
Click “Career Center” Link at

52. Thank You! Follow us on: Facebook - @NCCPAcert Twitter - @NCCPAcert
LinkedIn – National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
Instagram – nccpa_cert

53. Questions for NCCPA? CALL: 678-417-8100
Information Service Representatives available to answer your questions Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Explore our website at
See what other Certified PAs are doing at
Questions for NCCPA?