In April 2019, the NCCPA announced that PANCE pass rate had dropped from 98% to 93% after the release of the newest PANCE blueprint. After trending upward to 95% in 2020, the PANCE pass rate has been declining, with PANCE pass rates down to 92% for the past three years.

While a 92% PANCE pass rate is nothing to scoff at, it does indicate a downward trend in PANCE performances that test-takers need to understand to strengthen their exam strategies. We want you to be a part of the percentage that pass (of course!), thus changing the trends toward showing the improvement that it needs!

Keep reading for a breakdown of this data, tips to pass the PANCE, and tools to create a more effective strategy for the PANCE and beyond.

Where is this PANCE pass rate data coming from?

The national first-time pass rate was down to 92% in 2022, 2023, and 2024. This usually correlates with a change in the PANCE blueprint from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Historically, these updates cause a brief drop in pass rates before performances gradually trend up again as test-takers adjust to the new certification exam.

Unfortunately, there’s a problem that muddies up the waters with this data: COVID. The pandemic posed so many unique challenges to PA education programs, and PA students that the usual data correlation is abnormal and likely not a fair comparison to the true trends expected.

Of note, the recent changes to the PANCE blueprint in 2025 may continue to affect future pass rates.

What do lower PANCE pass rates mean for you?

So, what do these “slightly ominous” statistics mean for students like you and for your success on the PANCE?

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to stay calm—trust me, we are all very capable of the creation of the dreaded “worst case scenario” and ultimately none of the terrible things we think of ever come to fruition.

However, a lower pass rate isn’t an immediate indication to overhaul your study plan! The best thing you can do is give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the PANCE, both mentally and physically. By building your confidence steadily over time, you’ll feel prepared to pass with flying colors.

If you’re taking the PANCE in 2026 and find yourself worrying about the drop in PANCE pass rates, here are a few best practices to make sure you pass the exam—on the first try!

Struggling to remember key topics during your PANCE prep? Download our FREE study sheet with mnemonics that our PA instructors use during our Live PANCE Review Course!

Best Practices to Pass the PANCE in 2026

Core Step #1: Regularly study with high-yield practice questions

Personally, among many mantras that guide my professional practice, one that comes to mind is “practice how you play.” In regard to the actual PANCE, why wouldn’t we use practice questions that mimic the style you’ll see on the actual exam?

When you study with the Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) PANCE Qbank, you get 3,800 NCCPA-formatted questions that follow the PANCE content blueprint, all authored and peer-reviewed by PA-Cs who excelled on the PANCE. You’ll also find detailed explanations, images, and references to reinforce your knowledge—plus, 300 new questions with five multiple-choice answer choices, just like you’ll see on the actual PANCE.

Core Step #2: Create a study plan to schedule your practice questions

Building a PANCE study plan isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’ll keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content you’ll need to review. A clear plan shows you what to study and when, so you’re not guessing, cramming, or jumping between topics without structure.

Creating your plan starts with the PANCE blueprint. Break the exam into chunks and map out a timeline that fits the weeks or months you have left. Put the high-yield systems first, pair your content review with steady practice questions, and build in lighter days or catch-up blocks so your schedule feels doable. The key is making a plan that feels realistic, not aspirational—aka, one you can actually stick to.

You may choose to mix up your study methods so you stay engaged: quick sessions for specific topics, reviewing previously missed questions, and full-length practice exams all play a role. Check in with yourself periodically about working, what’s not, and what needs adjusting. A good plan evolves with you, and that flexibility is what keeps you on track all the way to exam day.

💡 For more info about how to create a PANCE study plan: How to Create a PANCE Study Schedule and Pass on the First Try 

Core Step #3: Identify your knowledge gaps with a performance dashboard

This goes right along with completing daily PANCE practice questions—if you use a Qbank like Blueprint for your PANCE prep, you’ll have access to a personal analytics dashboard to track your performance by category and view your projected PANCE passing score (which many Blueprint learners have stated is “scarily accurate” to your actual exam score).

While working through your PANCE study schedule and PA program, it’s a good idea to check your performance data regularly to identify any areas of weakness. You can address these knowledge gaps by creating practice exams that focus on those specific categories (or even searching for specific terms that need additional review)!

Core Step #4: Don’t be afraid to get a tutor and ask for help!

For anyone to overcome difficulty, it does “take a village.” As I have mentioned in previous posts regarding mentoring, this can be the advantage that will tip the needle in your favor. Learn from those that have embarked on the journey before you and consider taking advice directly from a seasoned and experienced PA.

🤝 If you find yourself in need of more individualized support while preparing for the PANCE, consider looking into personalized tutoring that matches your learning preferences and meets you where you are in your PANCE prep.

On top of these PANCE strategies, don’t forget that I am available by email if you have any other questions! You’re not alone, and I hope that these resources and insights put you on the path to excellence for all your future exams.

Here’s to looking forward to the continued PANCE data—and to your success!

All the best,

Frank Ritz, PA-C, DScPAS, MPAS

Interested in joining a live course for accelerated review? Look no further—the 4-day Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) PANCE Review Course is now open for enrollment to help you pass the exam on the first take!

Originally published February 2023 / Updated December 2025

As a tutor, one of the most common questions students ask me is “Do you think I’m ready to register for the PANCE?” While there’s no infallible way to determine this, there are some steps you can take to assess your preparedness. In this article I’ll share them with you, so you can get a better sense of where you stand. 

Here’s five things you can do to see if you’re ready for the exam!

5 Ways to See if You’re Ready to Register for the PANCE

1. Print out the NCCPA blueprint.

The PANCE blueprint is the topic list provided by the NCCPA for the exam. This is a must-have resource. Ideally, I recommend printing it out in the beginning of the clinical year and using it to guide your studying throughout the year. 

If you are coming up on your exam and want to assess your preparedness, make sure you look this through. Of course, there are always some rogue topics that find their way onto the test, but I can guarantee that if you know the blueprint well, you’ll pass your exam. If, during your review, there are a lot of topics you feel uncomfortable with, that may be a sign you aren’t ready to register for your PANCE. 

2. Assess your PACKRAT score.

The PACKRAT is a comprehensive, 225-question test that students usually take twice during PA school. The first time is following the didactic year prior to clinicals and the second attempt is often made shortly before graduation. Though a useful assessment tool, the test isn’t a curriculum requirement for PA schools, so yours may administer the exam differently or not at all. 

This exam is given to thousands of PA students each year and following its completion, students get a comprehensive score that can be compared to the national mean, along with a breakdown of missed content areas and keywords. This feedback makes the PACKRAT one of the best ways to guide your PANCE studying and assess your risk.

Your score tells you a lot about your progress towards passing the PANCE. For example, PACKRAT scores of over 150 on the second attempt are strongly associated with PANCE success and can boost your confidence going forward. 

While the exam gives you great data to assess your readiness, it’s often given at inconvenient times when students are desperate for a break, such as right before graduation. Many students have told me they were feeling burnt out prior to taking the PACKRAT, which influenced their efforts on the day of the test. 

Further compounding student motivational issues is the fact the test isn’t administered for an actual grade, which influences the effort many put into it. 

I empathize with students who don’t feel particularly motivated to put their full effort into the PACKRAT, but my advice is to do your best on this exam as it’s a great way to assess whether you’re ready to register for the PANCE. Give it your all! Putting the effort in now can save you a lot of work later. 

3. Reflect on the past year.

While a great tool, the PACKRAT is not a foolproof way of assessing your readiness. Many students fall just shy of that 150-or-greater goal score and still do well on their PANCE. A lot of this may have to do with how they have spent their last year preparing.

Only you can know if you’ve been putting your best foot forward when it comes to studying throughout clinical year. Unlike didactic year, there are minimal exams to keep you accountable during this time. 

To assess your degree of preparedness, ask yourself the following: 

• Have I been performing well on my end of rotation exams, or just skating by? 
• Have I spent time outside of clinical hours studying? 
• Has my studying been of a high quality? 
• Have I been following a plan, or have I just been winging it? 

Reflect on these questions to determine if you’re ready to take the test.

4. Take a board review course.

 If you can afford it, taking a board review course is a great way to assess your preparedness. These courses go over high-yield topics across all content areas in a concise and organized manner. They’re a great way to review material and be reminded of topics you may need to study further.

As to what the best courses are out there, I can highly recommend the board review courses offered by Blueprint PA. These courses are virtual, which relieves the financial burden of traveling.

The PANCE Live Review Course offers four days (30 hours) of live content, with many short breaks included of course! The material is presented by two PA instructors and students can ask any questions they have in a live Q&A environment. There are many practice questions thrown in to keep students involved, and additional resources you can use outside of live instruction time.

The board review course also provides you with a unique opportunity to assess your readiness. As you’re taking it, you should be seeing familiar concepts and remembering tips and tricks for how to identify them on a test. If you find that you’re relearning the material during the course, that may be a sign you have some work to do before taking the PANCE. While there’s always a handful of topics you’ll need to go back and relearn, you shouldn’t have to do that for the majority of topics in the review course. 

5. Use a reliable PANCE question bank.

Question banks are one of the best resources available for students looking to assess their PANCE readiness. There’s no better way to test yourself than by doing practice questions. Blueprint PA offers a comprehensive question bank that presents questions in PANCE format. (You can take the Blueprint PANCE Qbank for a free test run!) 

While you’re doing questions, keep track of your performance. Make sure towards the end of your studying you’re using a cumulative question bank to truly test your knowledge and pinpoint areas of weakness. If you’re consistently scoring 70% or above on these questions, you’re likely setting yourself up for success on the PANCE. However, if you’re struggling with the question banks, use the analysis provided to help determine where to focus your studying. 

So…are you ready to register for the PANCE? 

If you’re not sure whether you’re ready to take the PANCE, I strongly recommend going through these five steps. Print the blueprint and master its contents, give the PACKRAT your all, and honestly reflect on your study habits over the past year.

Doing all of that will give you a great sense of where things stand. Good luck with your prep and be sure to reach out to Blueprint tutors for additional support!

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it”-Albert Einstein

Let’s dive into two easy strategies to help increase your PANCE or PANRE score by 100 points. There is no magic wand that will increase your score, but these two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time.

Originally published February 2019, Updated December 2025

The first strategy is to identify what you don’t know. Sounds easy, right? The key is to go through a curriculum and identify what you don’t know-not what you are weak at, but what you don’t know. The second strategy is to take advantage of human error. Tests are written by humans, and humans make errors. By paying attention to five types of flaws that question writers make, you can narrow down an answer choice to either the correct answer or to a 50/50 probability, even without knowing anything about the topic. When you combine these two strategies, you’ll be able to increase your PANCE or PANRE score by 100 points, which could be the difference between passing or failing. Let’s get started.

Struggling to remember key topics during your PANCE/PANRE prep? Download our FREE study sheet with mnemonics that our PA instructors use during our live review course!

Strategy 1: Determining your unknown unknowns

As you begin to study for your exam, you’ll find that there are areas you are comfortable with. Maybe you have a special interest in orthopedics and feel confident with any question that might be asked on interpreting the X-ray of a child with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). Therefore, you spend less time reviewing it. This is one of your known knowns. There is little utility in spending too much time on your known knowns when preparing for your exam.

During medical training, my understanding of liver disease was poor. Hepatic encephalopathy was just a term to me. I did not understand how or why it occurred and I had a poor grasp on managing the condition. Liver disease was a known unknown. Because I recognized this specific deficiency, I was able to target my learning to diseases of the liver.

Once I started to focus my learning, I came across many concepts and ideas that I knew nothing about…never even heard about some of them. These were the unknown unknowns, a concept created by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham. It is part of their “Johari window,” a tool that helps users identify blind spots about themselves and others.

Known unknowns are things you’re aware that you don’t know, such as hepatic encephalopathy-you can recognize that you don’t understand them. Unknown unknowns, however, are unexpected because you don’t know they exist.

The way to supercharge your PANCE or PANRE exam score is to identify your unknown unknowns. It takes a little effort, but the steps are rather easy. All you need are two things:

The system works like this:

Step 1: Answer a question from a question bank. If you get the answer wrong, read the explanation. Then write down in your notebook the part of the explanation that describes why the correct answer is correct. This process helps to identify your unknown unknowns. Subsequently, if there is any other information that you did not know or somewhat knew, record it as well in your notebook under the same topic.

You should do this for every question you get incorrect. I also encourage it for questions you may have answered correctly but discovered new information in the explanation that you previously did not know.

Step 2: Start each study session by reviewing your notebook that contains your unknown unknowns. As you do more questions, you will get questions wrong on topics already recorded in your notebook. For example, if you answer a question incorrectly on which age group most commonly gets de Quervain tendinopathy, you’ll record in your notebook something like “de Quervain tendinopathy: Epidemiology includes women between 30–50 yrs old and postpartum.”

Two weeks later, if you can’t name the diagnostic test characterized by thumb flexion and ulnar deviation of the wrist, you should go back through your notebook to find your first entry on de Quervain tendinopathy and add the Finkelstein test as the way to diagnose the condition. While we are on the topic, here is a cheat sheet for de Quervain tendinopathy.

After a month or two of recording your incorrect answer explanations, you will have a filled notebook of your unknown unknowns and maybe many of your known unknowns. If you do this on a consistent basis and get through 1,000 to 2,000 question bank questions for a 300-question standardized exam, you’ll identify most of your blind spots that questions can be asked about. You will convert your unknown unknowns to known knowns.

Here is an example of what your notebook might look like:

This is a composition notebook. All 100 pages (front and back) are filled with explanations from question bank questions I answered incorrectly.

I use the same system and process to prepare for all standardized exams. You can even use it to learn how to read ECGs better than a cardiologist.

With the PANCE/PANRE and rotation exams around the corner, now is the perfect time to begin this system. It leaves time for adjustment and plenty of time to accumulate your unknown unknowns.

Strategy 2: Taking advantage of human error

Earlier in this post, I mentioned you’ll need two things to supercharge your standardized exam score: a notebook and time. The notebook you can buy anytime. However, time disappears.

Taking the time to identify your unknown unknowns will prepare you for the exam. However, we know five ways you can improve your score simply by showing up to your exam.

You can use the errors made by question writers to boost your score.

The Anatomy of a Question

First, let’s understand the anatomy of a question.

Question
A 67-year-old woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer presents with increasing confusion over the past three days. Additionally, over the past week she has been complaining of fatigue, diffuse body aches, poorly localized abdominal pain, and constipation. Which of the following electrolyte abnormalities is the most likely explanation for her symptoms?

A question is made up of the stem and the lead-in. The stem contains the details of the question such as the clinical presentation, past medical history, and laboratory results. But, the critical part of the question is the lead-in. The question writer uses the lead-in to find out what you know or don’t know about the topic in the stem, and it is also where question writers make errors. By applying basic grammatical analysis, you will be able to identify the correct answer or at least narrow down the answer choices without knowing anything about the topic. Here are the first two tips:

1. Pay attention to grammatical cues.

Grammatical cues: one or more answer choices (distractors) don’t follow grammatically from the lead-in.

A 60-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by the police, who found him lying unconscious on the sidewalk. After ascertaining that his airway is patent, the first step in management should be intravenous administration of which of the following?

A. CT scan of the head
B. Diazepam
C. Examination of CSF
D. Glucose with thiamine

A and C do not follow grammatically from the lead-in. A good test taker can eliminate these.

2. Focus on logical cues.

Logical cues: one or more answer choices don’t logically fit in with the other choices.

A 22-year-old man is concerned he has appendicitis. Which of the following signs is most sensitive for the diagnosis of appendicitis?

A. Nausea
B. Pain with extension of the hip joint
C. Rebound tenderness
D. Right lower quadrant tenderness

Nausea is not a “sign” and can be eliminated by a good test taker.

Let’s now focus on answer choices to identify a few more areas where we can gain an edge.

The Anatomy of Answer Choices

QUESTION: A 67-year-old woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer presents with increasing confusion over the past three days. Additionally, over the past week she has been complaining of fatigue, diffuse body aches, poorly localized abdominal pain, and constipation. Which of the following electrolyte abnormalities is the most likely explanation for her symptoms?

A. Hypercalcemia
B. Hyperkalemia
C. Hypocalcemia
D. Hypokalemia

The lead-in asks about the most likely explanation, so think carefully through each answer option. Here are the distractors:

Once you understand the goal of the question writer to create answer choices that are supposed to discriminate knowledge, it is easier to exploit technical flaws and improve the odds of getting a question correct. The following three pointers round out our five tips that can help you answer a question correctly:

3. Look for answer choices containing absolute terms.

Absolute terms: terms such as “always” or “never.” When used in the answer options, these terms usually indicate an incorrect answer because they cannot hold up to scrutiny in all situations.

In patients with advanced Alzheimer disease, which of the following best characterizes the memory defect?

A. Can be treated adequately with phosphatidylcholine
B. Could be a sequela of early parkinsonism
C. Is always severe
D. Is never seen in patients with neurofibrillary tangles at autopsy

C and D contain absolute terms “always” and “never.” These should be avoided in answer choices because they are less likely to be true statements.

4. Keep an eye out for a long correct answer.

Long correct answer: the correct answer is longer, more specific, or more complete than the other options.

Secondary gain is which of the following?

A. A complication of a variety of illnesses and tends to prolong many of them
B. A frequent problem in obsessive-compulsive disorder
C. Commonly seen in organic brain damage
D. Synonymous with malingering

Option A is longer than the other options, and it is also the only double option. Item writers tend to pay more attention to the correct answer than to the distractors and write long correct answers that include additional instructional material, parenthetical information, and caveats.

5. Notice when a word repeats.

Word repeats: a word or phrase is included in the stem and in the correct answer.

A 58-year-old man with a history of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder is hospitalized in the context of increased difficulty caring for himself. He speaks of experiencing the world as unreal. What is the term for this symptom?

A. Depersonalization
B. Derailment
C. Derealization
D. Focal memory deficit

This question uses the term “unreal” in the question stem, and “derealization” is the correct answer.

Whether you are taking your rotation exam, PANCE, or PANRE, there is so much at stake. Taking the time to identify your unknown unknowns will not only help you prepare for and excel on your exam, it will help you expand your core knowledge. Then, on test day, use the five simple techniques to identify common flaws in questions, which will increase your chances of getting a question correct.

Give these methods a try and let me know how it goes. Moreover, I’d love to hear about techniques you use that I did not write about.

And if you are looking for a PANCE review Qbank or PANRE review Qbank…you know where to find one.

Best,
Dawn Miller, PA-C

One of the biggest struggles of PA school is getting yourself organized and, even more so, staying organized. We’ve all been there—getting a planner in the beginning of the school year, and forgetting about it by November.

From the whirlwind of information you receive in the didactic year, to balancing PANCE prep with work during clinical year, it can be easy to fall behind schedule. With 2026 on the horizon, this is a great time to reset if you find yourself drowning in unorganized notes!

Here are 10 tips for staying organized this year, no matter where you are in your PA journey. 🤓

📚 Didactic Year

Whether you’re coming straight from undergrad or returning for your master’s degree after taking some time off from school, the demands of your didactic year will likely catch you by surprise.

Your schedule will be made for you with classes throughout each weekday, mandatory labs, and multiple exams per week. Students often find this hard to balance, and wonder how to optimize their time.

These tips can help you stay organized during your didactic year:

1. Use a laptop to take notes. 

I recommend coming prepared with a laptop for taking notes in class. Some schools may provide you with one, but otherwise it’s definitely worth the investment. Keeping up with the speed of lectures is nearly impossible with handwritten notes.

2. Make notes on the PowerPoints.

To take notes in class, I would download the PowerPoints (which are hopefully provided to you beforehand), and from there, take notes on each individual slide.

3. Review what you missed. 

Note any content areas you miss during the lecture. Be sure to review those topics further in your book, discuss what you missed with a friend, or review a lecture recording. If you plan on recording the lecture, always seek your professor’s permission beforehand.

4. Pay attention during class!

With that being said, it’s crucial that you remain attentive in lectures. While you may be tempted by your phone or internet, place yourself on “do not disturb” and remain undistracted to the best of your ability. During class, professors will often highlight the most important points and help to guide your studying.

(As a side note, many advisors will suggest you read about topics before going over them in class. I do think this is an excellent way to prepare for a lecture, but honestly, you won’t usually have time for this. You’ll more likely spend time reviewing other subjects than preparing for what you’ll already be discussing in class!)

5. Organize your notes by category.

You should organize your notes initially under the main category and further by lecture topic and exam. For example, if you’re reviewing cardiology content, it would be: Cardiology—Arrhythmias—Exam 2. 

This is a good approach because when you’re initially studying, you may organize the material by exam, but when you need to review for cumulative exams, you can easily find the section you are looking for. 

6. Have another go-to resource.

I think it’s important to have at least one other resource book for reviewing didactic material to make sure you understand what you’re discussing in class. While some things may click instantly, certain topics may require more attention outside of lecture. 

Most of the time, textbooks for purchase are recommended by your institution. Remember you’re not only learning this to pass a test, you’re learning topics you’ll refer back to throughout your career as a PA. Therefore, we want to make sure you’re fully comprehending them when you’re initially learning, so additional discussions of the material are just a review.

🌪️ Tame the whirlwind of PA-1 year with Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review)’s Didactic Year Exams Qbank with 1,600 questions for your Subject Exams and End of Didactic Year Exam!

🩺 Clinical Year

Once you get to clinical year and don’t have weekly exams or lectures to worry about, it can feel daunting “only” having to prepare for that cumulative end of rotation exam (EOR). And remember, while you’re doing your EOR prep, you also have to get ready for the PANCE. This is on top of trying to become the best clinician you can be. So needless to say, you’re going to be busy. 

The good news is that studying for your EOR exams often helps the overall goal of PANCE studying, but it’s still important to plan your study schedule accordingly so you hit all necessary topics.

Here are some tips for staying organized during your clinical year: 

1. Follow the blueprints. 

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) provides EOR exam blueprints and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) provides PANCE blueprints. These are set up to help ensure you’re prepared for any testable material and are an excellent resource for guiding your studying. I highly recommend using these to your advantage.

2. Create a good study schedule. 

Sometimes people will waste a lot of time deciding where to start with studying. They may also miss material if it’s not organized well. The answer to this is to create a study schedule. While making one can be a time-consuming task, it’s very important. It holds you accountable and helps you meet your study goals.

3. Pick up some review books. 

I recommend getting one or two good reference books during your clinical year, as it’s hard to filter through all of your prior didactic notes and material. Your didactic year is for the fundamental learning of each individual disease process, while your clinical year should be focusing on review after the fundamentals are understood. 

I utilized PANCE Prep Pearls and A Comprehensive Review for the Certification and Recertification of Physician Assistants, but there are many great review books out there.

4. Be sure to do practice questions. 

I also encourage you to utilize a question bank as a way to test your knowledge. Test-taking is a skill in itself and it needs to be developed.

A word of caution: the resources available to clinical year students are abundant. Try not to get overwhelmed by this. Instead, pick one or two and stick to them. You don’t need to buy every question bank or every review book available to you, as you won’t have the time to utilize all those resources anyway.

I utilized Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) during my clinical year to prepare for both EORs and the PANCE!

If you’re searching for clinical year Qbanks, check out this bundle deal for clinical students:

👩‍💻 PANCE Qbank – 3,800 NCCPA-formatted questions with explanations
🩺 Rotation Qbank bundle – 1,750 questions with explanations
💪 PANCE Power Packs – 600 “must know” high-yield questions for the PANCE
📈 Plus personal analytics, extra support, Rapid Reviews, and more!

Final Thoughts

While staying organized can be a challenge, if you follow these PA school hacks you’ll undoubtedly be successful in 2026! The benefits of staying organized can last throughout your career—after you complete PA school and take the PANCE, you may refer back to the material you organized in a concise way when dealing with a clinical situation you haven’t seen in a while, or even when preparing for the PANRE. 

While medicine is always evolving and the first-line treatments or recommendations will change, some topics will always be relevant and worth referencing. Personally, I’m glad to have been organized throughout school, as it’s helped me in many ways as a PANCE tutor to have that information readily available. You never know when you may be thanking your past self for staying organized during PA school!

Looking for more (free!) content to help you thrive as a PA student? Check out these other posts on the blog:

• Taming the Whirlwind: How to Actually Remember What You Learn in PA School
• Would You Benefit From a PA School Tutor?
• Reducing Test Anxiety in PA School: A Tutor’s Guide

Are you a future physician assistant wondering how to pay for PA school in 2026? Or maybe a recent grad trying to figure out how to pay off your PA student loans? 

If you’re in either camp, you’ve got plenty of company. For many future PAs and recent grads, finances are a huge concern. It’s easy to see why—the average amount of student loan debt for graduates of PA school is $112,000! Whether you’re a borrower taking on new debt or a grad trying to pay off your loan, a number that big is bound to make you just a bit nervous. 

An obvious solution would be to avoid going into debt, but for many of us, the loans are necessary. We’re told not to work during PA school, so we rely on them not only for tuition and fees, but housing and food as well. Given all that in combination is far from affordable for most students, many practicing PAs wouldn’t be where they are if they hadn’t been able to obtain student loans.

If you’re wondering how to pay for PA school in 2026, or a working PA dreading having to set aside money for your monthly payments, we can help. This post is for future PAs who have to go into debt to achieve their dream, and those who’ve graduated and are wondering how to pay off their loans. In the first half, we’ll discuss some recent changes that will impact how borrowers finance their education in 2026. Then, we’ll review some tips when it comes to refinancing, loan forgiveness, and the repayment options that are out there. 

Let’s begin. 

How to Pay for PA School in 2026: What New Borrowers Need to Know 

The past few months have been full of change in the US Department of Education—and this has caused a lot of stress and confusion for borrowers. This is an especially trying time for students actively pursuing their Master’s of Physician Assistant studies. This section will detail some of the key changes that will impact new borrowers after July 1, 2026.

1. Grad PLUS loans are ending. 

One of the recent changes that’ll affect students pursuing their PA degree the most is the elimination of Grad PLUS loans. These loans were beneficial to students pursuing graduate degrees for several reasons:

1. They allowed students to borrow the total cost of their education
2. Students didn’t have to begin repaying Grad PLUS loans until they’d been out of school for six months

With the elimination of this program, students will need to find other ways to fund their education.

What are your options?

One option is to take out direct unsubsidized loans, which are loans students can apply for regardless of their financial need. While you still don’t have to start paying back direct unsubsidized loans until six months after graduation, they’ll start accruing interest immediately upon disbursement.

2. There are updated limits for new borrowers. 

Another recent change is a new cap on federal education loans of $100,000 for graduate school students and $200,000 for graduate students pursuing a professional degree. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has proposed that PAs do not fall under the “professional degree” category when it comes to federal loan borrowing. Thus, the cap for new borrowers seeking federal student loans for PA school after July 1, 2026 will be $20,500 annually, $100,000 total limit.

Compare this to the average cost of PA school which is between $10,000 and $20,000 per semester, or $20,000 to $40,000 per year on tuition alone. Of course, this doesn’t include the cost of housing and food during that time. 

Given all the expenses, the new caps in 2026 will likely have students dependent on loans for their education looking closer at public school programs (which cost less).

3. Private banks will take on an increased role. 

For any costs that exceed the new borrowing limits, students will need to turn to private loans. Unfortunately, they can be difficult to obtain for students with limited credit history and often require a cosigner. Banks rely on credit scores when deciding whether to let a student borrow. This can be a problem, as cosigning a loan is a huge commitment and borrowers may not be able to find someone with a good credit score who is willing to take on that burden for them.

The changes we’ve outlined here apply to both current and new students. However, students that are currently receiving graduate PLUS loans will be grandfathered in and allowed to continue this program.

PA Student Loans: Repayment Options for Graduates in Debt 

Regardless of the changes to the student loan borrowing programs, the process of repaying student loans can be daunting. I’m about four years out from PA school, and still in the process of figuring out exactly what strategy I should use to pay off my loans. Borrowers have many options, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), refinancing their loans, or opting for one of the many government repayment options. . 

Let’s have a look at each. 

1. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

The PSLF program affords the opportunity for borrowers who work for a nonprofit organization making payments towards their loans for 10 years to receive forgiveness of the remaining balance after that time. This program has been a hot topic lately, with some changes regarding qualifying organizations, but nonprofit hospitals have consistently qualified as public service.

If you want to pursue PSLF, ensure the healthcare system you work for is a nonprofit organization, as not all of them are. This can easily be determined with a quick Google search!

2. Refinancing 

Refinancing your loans may be a good strategy if you aren’t opting to pursue a forgiveness program and are offered a lower interest rate than what’s available through the government. However, refinancing your loans will usually mean a repayment term of 5-20 years.

For context, government programs usually have a repayment term of 10-30 years. This can mean lower monthly payments and possible forgiveness of remaining balances after 20-25 years. 

Should you refinance with a private lender? 

It’s important to remember that the state of student loans is a hot political issue. Therefore, as political winds change direction, the repayment and forgiveness options may change with them. If you opt to refinance with a private lender, you won’t have any ability to undo this and become eligible for government based loan forgiveness in the future.

Before refinancing with a private lender, I recommend looking on the federal student aid website and utilizing the loan stimulator tool. This allows you to put in your estimated income and see various repayment options. This tool even goes as far as to tell you the true price you’re paying over the life of the loan, including the interest, and the amount you could have forgiven through available programs. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, student loans are stressful for all of us. If you’re a new borrower, remember that Grad Plus loans have ended, and understand that any additional borrowing will have to be done from private banks. If you’re a grad trying to pay off your loan, it’s important to stay informed about your options. Repayment terms are constantly a topic of debate. This causes uncertainty in borrowers, but it’s a large amount of money you’re committed to paying off, so you owe it to yourself to stay informed as to what your options are. 

Remember, there are paths that allow you to pursue repayment in a way that best fits your ability. Whether you’re a new borrower or a grad in debt, we’re all in this boat together.

For more (free!) content to help you navigate the PA journey, check out these other posts on the blog:

• Understanding PA School Acceptance Rates & Admissions in 2025
• How to Ace Your Didactic Year: PA School Ultimate Guide
• PA Specialties: How to Decide Which is Right for You

Although I have been a certified PA for almost 15 years, I remember those dreaded feelings of anxiety towards ECGs like it was yesterday. Sure, I understood the science, and even read a much-recommended resource on the topic by Dr. Dale Dubin, but putting that knowledge into practice was something else altogether. How did one read and interpret an ECG? I didn’t know how to tackle the problem. It seemed like an insurmountable mountain.

Unfortunately, it was a mountain I had to climb. In multiple clinical medicine courses like Cardiology and Emergency Medicine, the ECG was a major part of the coursework. And yet the more I worked at it, the more it seemed to elude me. This was a problem, because I needed to know the ECG to not only get through PA school, but also do well on my End of Rotation Exams and prepare for the PANCE!

Sound a little (or maybe a lot) like your own struggles? Take heart—there was a solution to be found! One of my mentors helped me TREMENDOUSLY by teaching me the five steps to reading and interpreting ECGs. And yes, I would be happy to pay the information forward to you as a virtual mentor!

The ABCs of ECGs

Let’s start by considering what an ECG is. Essentially, an ECG is a mechanical analysis of the dynamic physiology of the heart.

A bit of a history lesson for you: in 1887, Augustus Waller used a mercury capillary electrometer and observed deflections of the mercury that indicated electrical activity in the heart. Using Waller’s discovery, Willem Einthoven built a modified version of the mercury capillary electrometer and recorded the activity of the heart in an improved way. He developed a string galvanometer, which can be seen in this article from NCBI.

Of course, since Einthoven, there have been many changes to his design that have dramatically improved cardiac care. However, we still thank you, Einthoven!

Why Should PA Students Learn to Interpret ECGs?

As a PA student and future certified PA, your ability to successfully read and interpret ECGs is tantamount to effective practice as a clinician, especially if you work as a cardiology PA, emergency medicine PA, or even as a surgical PA (as they are obtained for preoperative consultations).

If you apply the following 5 Steps, it greatly improves your interpretation, but it really ensures you don’t miss anything on the ECG, as there are multiple “look-alikes” and otherwise hidden nuggets of valuable data that can be easily missed. However, if you follow the steps, you will be less likely to miss those important nuggets!

Alright, now that we’ve set things up, let’s move on to the how and why of the five steps to reading and interpreting ECGs like a cardiologist!

The 5 Steps to Reading and Interpreting EKGs

1. Is the rhythm regular or irregular?

Most ECGs indicate a regular heart rhythm. Observe the QRS complex; moreover, focus on the upward positive deflection, this is the “R” portion of the QRS. These are usually the easiest to identify on an ECG.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that well before I became a PA, I was a DJ! When examining an ECG, be like a DJ: look for the discernable “marching” of beats. If you can appreciate a regular beat—it is regular!

Pro tip: when starting out, consider using calipers to observe the distance between the “R” portion of the QRS. If you don’t have calipers, place a piece of paper just below the Rs and make a mark under subsequent ones. If they appear the same distance, you are regular!

For irregularities, you will not be able to march out Rs!

2. What’s the rate?

The normal rate is between 60 and 100 bpm. Always remember this!

With a regular rhythm, there are two methods to determine the heart rate using a given ECG (whether a 12-lead full ECG or a rhythm strip).

The first is the counting of large boxes. Starting with an R wave that best lines up with a solid (dark) red line, count the lines between until you reach the next R wave. The rates start at 300 bpm with line 1, then 150 bpm with line 2, 100 bpm with line 3, and so on. Here is a very helpful graphic to help you learn the rates:

I would commit them to memory. Do a couple of practice tracings to get this down pat!

For regular (or irregular) rhythms, there is another method. If you consider a typical 12-lead ECG or rhythm strip, the amount of time across the entire thing is usually 10 seconds. You can count the number of QRS complexes that you see in the strip, and multiply by 6. This will give you a 60-second timeframe of beats. For example: if you count 12 QRS complexes on the ECG, you have a rate of 72 bpm (12 x 6)! 

3. What do the P waves and the PR intervals look like?

After determining the rhythm and rate, look at the appearance of the P wave. This is referred to as the morphology (i.e., what does it look like). The P wave represents atrial depolarization (and contraction). It should appear like a small round mound. Here are some examples of abnormal appearing ones and their interpretations.

Additionally, are the PR intervals normal? The PR interval is measured leading from the beginning of the P wave to the first part of the QRS complex. It is normal if it’s between 0.12 and 0.20 seconds. This is equal to three to five smaller boxes.

If it is abnormal or there are specific changes, this may indicate a heart block or even a condition called WPW (if it appears short).

4. What do the QRS complexes, ST segment, and T waves Look Like?

The QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles. It should be less than 0.12 seconds (3 small boxes or less).

Is it “tight,” which means the rhythm is being generated by the sinoatrial (SA) node? Or, does it appear wide, which is known as aberrancy? Aberrancy on an ECG is an abnormal conduction of a supraventricular impulse through the ventricles, causing a widened QRS complex that deviates from the normal heartbeat pattern. The ST segment is a subject for an entire blog post on its own!

Bottom line: a normal ST segment should be flat. If it is elevated, there may be myocardial infarction (heart attack) or if it is depressed there may be ischemia (a lack of normal blood flow).

As for the T wave, it represents the repolarization of the ventricles. It should have a gradual hump appearance, not a flipped one. If it is, this may be another sign of ischemia. If it is peaked, the patient may have hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood).

5. Interpretation

Here is where all of the data you’ve obtained leads to your diagnosis. Pro tip: if everything is normal, you are looking at a normal sinus rhythm!

Final Thoughts

If you’re interested in learning ECG interpretation based on both single-concept and case-based questions from an online Qbank, take a look at Blueprint PA’s Clinical ECG Qbanks!

Please do not hesitate to reach out to the fabulous, experienced PA tutors at Blueprint Prep for all of the mentoring you need to become an expert on ECGs!

To your success,

Frank Ritz, PA-C, DScPAS, MPAS

Blueprint Test Prep Tutor

Originally published April 2023 / Updated November 2025

After all your hard work, you’ve gotta pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (the PANCE) in order to practice. (No pressure, right?) If you’re worried about the exam and are wondering things like what the average PANCE score is, or what score you need to pass, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’re going to review some FAQs about the exam to put your mind at ease. 

Let’s get started!

How is the PANCE scored?

The PANCE is scored by a panel of experts. These experts know exactly what skills and knowledge an entry-level PA should have in order to be a good clinician. The process of using experts to determine candidate quality is called standard setting. 

To score examinations, PANCE experts use something called the Angoff method. Here’s how it works: they look at a test question on the PANCE and then determine if someone who is “just qualified” should be able to get the right answer. The ratings the experts provided for the questions are then used as a basis for determining the “cut score.” This is the threshold that a test taker needs to exceed in order to pass the exam. 

What is the PANCE passing score?

The minimum score is 200, the maximum score is 800, and the score you need to pass is 350. 

Does the PANCE have subscores? 

Another cool thing about the PANCE is that it allows you to see your test subscores. The subscore is the number of questions you got right about a particular body system. This allows you identify which areas are your strengths, and which may be your weaknesses. 

Is there a single version of the PANCE that everyone takes? 

It’s also important to note that there are different test forms, meaning everyone will be taking a different test. The test is standardized by the content and difficulty of questions. This means that everyone will be tested with questions that are of roughly the same difficulty. They’ll also get roughly the same amount of questions per body system compared to other tests. 

So, even if you take a different test than someone else, the grading and passability should be the same. 

What’s the average score?

The average PANCE score for first-time test takers in 2024 was 455. Remember, the score needed to pass is 350, so if the average is 455, this should be encouraging to you! This means that many PANCE test-takers do well on the exam, regardless of where they did their schooling. 

Over the last five years, however, the total PANCE pass rate has decreased—in 2024, the total PANCE pass rate (among all test-takers) was 89%, compared to 93% in 2020.

Don’t let these stats discourage you—rather, let them motivate you to prepare adequately for the exam!

How do I make sure I pass the PANCE on the first try?

So, how do you make sure you’re ready for the exam? 

Here are some tips:

1. Make a study schedule. 

When studying for the PANCE, it’s important to put in sufficient time so you’re well-prepared come test day. I suggest creating a study schedule for yourself in the weeks leading up to the exam. Devote a couple hours of each day to uninterrupted study time. That way you’ll make sure you have plenty of time to cover all the topics on the PANCE. 

You can even break up your study days into specific body systems so that you can keep things organized. It’s important to note the PANCE will have more questions about certain body systems than others. It’s a good idea to spend extra time on those areas, since you’ll be tested on those things more frequently during the exam. You can find more about the updated 2025 PANCE blueprint here.

2. Use your resources. 

There are plenty of PANCE studying resources out there. I suggest you take advantage of them! Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) is an excellent resource that’ll give you the tools you need to be confident and well-prepared for your exam. I’d recommend taking some of the practice tests offered by Blueprint. That way you can get a feel for how the PANCE will be. 

The benefit of a Blueprint practice test is the rationale provided for each question. You can see why the right answer is correct, and why the incorrect answers are not. This can be really helpful for your studying journey, because it allows you to see which areas you may need to spend a little more time on.

Struggling to remember key topics during your PANCE prep? Download our FREE study sheet with mnemonics that our PA instructors use during our Live PANCE Review Course!

3. Tackle test anxiety.

We all get nervous when it comes to taking tests, and the PANCE is no exception. If you find yourself feeling anxious in the days and weeks leading up to test time, you’re not alone. PANCE test anxiety can ultimately affect your score, so it’s best to manage it as it comes up. Meditation can be a great tool to help manage anxiety, as well as breathing exercises. 

If you’re in the testing center and find your nerves getting the best of you, you can always take a break from the exam. Make sure to follow test center rules, but most places do allow for breaks. You can use the restroom, walk around, or get a drink or a snack to help calm your nerves. Positive self talk is also key for test taking. 

Remember, you’ve got this! You’ve spent the last two plus years of your life preparing for this exam, and you’ve studied hard. Take a deep breath and remember that you are capable. 

Final Thoughts

It’s normal to feel pressure when it comes to the PANCE. But you have what it takes to succeed! Now that you know the average PANCE score is well over the passing threshold and the answers to other key questions, we hope you’re feeling more confident. You’ve put in the work and now you’re ready to take the next step on your journey to becoming a PA. 

If you’d like a bit more reassurance, be sure to take advantage of Blueprint’s PANCE review resources!

📈PANCE Qbank – 3,800 NCCPA-formatted questions with explanations

👩‍💻PANCE Live Review Course – 4 days (30 hours) of live content review + 570 PANCE-style practice questions

🤝PANCE Tutoring – 1:1 personalized sessions with a PA-C tutor + access to the PANCE Qbank 

Happy studying and good luck!

Originally published December 2024 / Updated October 2025

While PA school does an excellent job at teaching you the foundations of medical knowledge, you’ll still face a large learning curve when you transition to clinical practice. This is to be expected, so don’t let it scare you! You’ve been down a similar road before. Remember how it felt when you started to get the hang of things during clinical rotations? That feeling of growing confidence will come again with time. As a new graduate, it may take you months to a year to really start feeling self-assured as a provider, but trust me, the time will fly by. 

Nevertheless, things may be a bit tricky in the meantime. But don’t worry, you’re not alone on this journey. We’re here to guide you through the days ahead!

Here’s some things you can do as a new graduate that’ll boost your confidence and get yourself on track to become an independent provider.

1. Seek out good mentorship.

Gaining confidence as a new provider is a lot easier when you have the right support. 

When you’re interviewing for your first PA job, I highly encourage you to inquire about their onboarding process. You want to make sure you’re working with a team that’s invested in your learning and has a plan to provide guidance to a new graduate. Failure to acknowledge that you’ll need additional training support is a red flag during interviews. You’re looking for a place that wants to invest in your education and help you become the best provider you can be.

2. Hit the books. 

If you want to hit the ground running in your new position, I recommend spending some time further educating yourself before starting. (Yup, you’ve just spent over two years studying constantly and I’m advising you to do more!) Some extra preparation is especially helpful in specialized practice areas that are minimally discussed during your PA education. 

Now, this isn’t meant to be hours spent hitting the books, but a podcast or journal article here and there while you await credentialing can go a long way. Nobody expects you to come in as an expert, but building some basic knowledge will not only help you feel more confident in yourself, it’ll also help your colleagues feel more confident in you.

3. Avoid comparison.

The saying “comparison is the thief of joy” is definitely relevant here. Whether you’re comparing yourself to your experienced colleagues or a fellow new graduate, it’s not a productive mindset. Try to avoid it whenever possible. 

If your friend from PA school texts you saying she’s already independently seeing patients and you’re still in a shadowing phase of your onboarding process, don’t feel bad about yourself. Remember that each speciality, practice site, and patient population is different. Each position will have different learning requirements and some will take a lot longer than others. It’s not a race and your focus should be solely on providing high-quality care to patients!

4. Know your value.

When you’re relying on others to teach you, it can be easy to feel more like a burden than a coworker. Remind yourself that you did what it takes to be where you are today. You’ve obtained your master’s degree and passed the PANCE. The team selected you as their newest employee for a reason! Whatever you need to be reminded of, words of affirmation go a long way. 

While most of us PAs consider ourselves perfectionists, nobody expects you to know what you’re doing as a new hire. This is true whether you’re fresh out of school or even just switching jobs with years of experience under your belt. Your coworkers expect to teach you. You’ll quickly no longer be a burden when you’re helping them manage their schedule in a few short months!

5. Consider a fellowship.

Fellowships are great options for people who are interested in highly competitive specialities or those who just desire a little more guidance as they transition to practice. They can also be a good way to land a job at a desirable facility that otherwise may not hire new graduates. 

Fellowships usually result in a decreased initial salary, but can be helpful in landing a dream job following completion. No matter what you’re looking to pursue, fellowships aren’t the only way to get there, but they can be a good opportunity to learn at an institution dedicated to teaching.

When I graduated in 2021, I pursued a critical care and hospital medicine fellowship. This lasted six months and resulted in a position afterwards. Now, I won’t lie. The fellowship was exhausting. I was working overnights and well over 40 hours per week. Like most fellowships, it was also at a reduced rate of pay. However, I’ll say I learned a ton from this experience and it definitely increased my confidence as a provider. 

6. Remember you’ll always be learning. 

After about a year in the fellowship, I switched my specialty to cardiothoracic surgery. Just like that, I was facing another learning curve and starting over as the new kid on the block. While my experience definitely helped a bit, the position was completely different and required me to put my learning hat back on. 

The truth is, whether you’re a new graduate, an experienced provider switching PA specialties, or even staying put in your career, you’ll always have something to learn. That’s the beauty of medicine—it’s always evolving. The best providers embrace this and continue to keep themselves updated as standards of care change. 

Final Thoughts

It’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed as a new graduate PA. But you’ve gotten this far because you have everything it takes to succeed. Remember, nobody expects you to get through this without a few bumps in the road. Follow these tips and you’ll make the transition from student to provider as smoothly as possible. 

PA school is intense. In just over two years, you’ll go from learning the basics of medicine to applying that knowledge in real patient care. Between the rapid-fire didactic classes and the hands-on clinical rotations, it’s easy to feel like you’re just trying to survive the next exam. 

But PA school isn’t just about passing exams—it’s about building a foundation of knowledge that will stick with you for your entire career. If you want to make it through without constantly forgetting what you’ve studied, you need strategies for long-term retention! (Spoiler: you’ll probably have to leave behind the last-minute study habits you relied on in undergrad.)

In this post, we’ll break down practical tips to help you remember—and truly comprehend—the material, so you’re prepared for both exams and real-world practice.

Navigating the “Didactic Whirlwind”

During your didactic year, information comes at you fast. We call this the “didactic whirlwind.” You’ll constantly be preparing for your next assessment, and it becomes challenging to think much beyond one test at a time. 

While getting through your exams obviously matters, it’s also important that during this time you’re studying for long-term retention of the material presented to you, rather than just memorizing to pass the test. This is not only because there are many important cumulative exams on the horizon, but also because you’re building up your foundation of knowledge that’ll be used to care for patients in the near future!

So you’re building up that store of knowledge and not just cramming to pass exams during your didactic year (and beyond), we’re going to share some tips that’ll help you retain information in the long run. 

Here are some tricks for remembering what you study during the whirlwind of PA school. 

6 Tips for Retaining Information During PA School

1. Spread out your review.

Studying for the next exam shouldn’t start the day or even the week before test day. You should begin to review the material right after class. This means incorporating study time into your schedule well before the exam date. Doing so allows you to spend the appropriate amount of time with each topic, and makes your pretest reviews a bit less cumbersome!

Waiting to study until closer to the exam leads to cramming. While you may be able to pass the test with this method, it does nothing to promote long-term retention. If you opt to cram, you’ll find yourself struggling by the time the cumulative exams come around. This is because instead of reviewing the material at that time you’ll have to relearn it. So do yourself a favor and spread out your review. The best way to do this is by reviewing material right after class. 

2. Practice active learning.

Passive learning involves sitting back and taking in the information. Relistening to lectures, reading your notes, or even listening to review podcasts are all examples of passive learning. While this kind of studying isn’t a bad way to initially review the material, it won’t do much for retaining it long term. 

A better approach is known as active learning, which requires you to be involved in the review. Great examples of this include completing practice questions, summarizing material, and discussing content. These tactics allow you to think about the material in a deeper way, and force you to test your comprehension.

Of course, you’ll do lots of active learning during your clinical year, too! This entire year is meant to strengthen your knowledge and allow you to practice hands-on medicine. I encourage you to make the most of this experience and quiz yourself during patient encounters. It’s also a good idea to do differential diagnoses and have some treatment options lined up before discussing them with your preceptors. 

One great way to practice active learning is with a question bank (Qbank) that aligns with the content blueprint for your upcoming exam!

Try out a Qbank for whichever exam you’re approaching next:

⭐ Didactic Year Exams
⭐ End-of-Rotation Exams
⭐ PANCE

3. Dive into the pathophysiology.

It can be hard to remember something that you don’t understand. Diving into the “why” behind a disease process may not be necessary to answer a test question correctly, but it can really help you comprehend the medical issue in question. This kind of in-depth knowledge makes it unlikely you’ll forget what you learned moving forward. 

4. Study with a friend.

In my experience, one-on-one or small group study sessions are a great way to prepare. That said, they need to be done the right way. While you never want to exclude anyone from a review, it’s important not to let them get too big. For example, if six students in your class are looking to study together, I’d recommend splitting up. This helps ensure you get more time actively participating in the review session, rather than just listening.

It’s also important to find people you study well with. Sometimes it may take some time to get into a rhythm, but ultimately you want to work with individuals that help you as much as you’re helping them. You can summarize topics for each other, ask one another questions, and hold each other accountable.

5. Get enough sleep. 

When people are busy, they often start to neglect their health. No matter how hectic things get while you’re in PA school, set aside time to exercise, make meals at home, and get enough sleep. All of those things will help you be successful. 

In particular, studies have shown that sleep plays a vital role in creating long-term memories. This means that as much as you may want to stay up late to cram before an exam, it probably won’t help you much in the short-term and it definitely won’t help your long-term retention of the material. So make sure you get enough sleep each night—it’s necessary for transferring what you’re learning into long-term memory!

6. Get the reps in! 

Few things are as good at encoding information in long-term memory as the tried and true tactic of repetition. So don’t be afraid to review things a second and third time!

Fortunately, PA school is set up in a way to have you covered with the repetition component of long-term retention. Every time you learn a topic and take an exam, know it’s not the last time you’ll see that material. Following that content-specific exam, there’s a good chance what you studied will show up on the final.

You may also see some overlap in special populations courses (pediatrics, women’s health, and geriatrics). And needless to say, you’ll review many topics once again in preparation for the PANCE. This repeated assessment of your understanding will naturally aid your retention, and allow you to build a foundation of knowledge that’ll make you an effective PA upon graduation.

Final Thoughts 

If you stick to a realistic study schedule, you’ll find this all becomes a little more manageable. Now, that’s not to minimize the difficulty of PA school in general! And trust me, I know it’s difficult.

I mention study schedules just to remind you that having a plan to reach your goals is always the best place to start. If you adopt a study schedule and start applying these tips early on, it’ll save you a lot of time in the long run. You’ll be reviewing material for cumulative exams, while some of your peers are focused on grasping concepts.

Try your best to stay ahead of the game and you’ll find long-term retention comes faster than you’d think. Best of luck on your PA journey! 💙

Taking the PANCE is a big day in every PA’s life. It’s the day you’ve been working toward for years, and you want to make sure it’s a successful one. Most of the buzz about the PANCE focuses on exam content and coverage, with little mention of scheduling logistics. As the final checkpoint to becoming a certified PA, it’s helpful to know as much as you can about getting the exam scheduled, potential derailers, and how long to wait to take the exam.

Scheduling your PANCE exam date is likely at the bottom of your to-do list. If you’re on clinical rotations, you are busy with many tasks–managing different schedules, navigating preceptor personalities and preferences, learning the culture and processes of the clinical site, and studying for rotation exams, to name a few. Set yourself up for success with these tips for scheduling your PANCE exam.

Interested in joining a live course for accelerated PANCE review? The 4-day Blueprint PA (formerly Rosh Review) PANCE Review Course is now open for enrollment to help you pass the exam on the first take!

1. Register and apply early

Make your online NCCPA account as soon as you can. Only graduates of accredited PA programs can sit for the PANCE, which means before you can register for the exam, your program has to enter you into the NCCPA portal. Once you’re in the system, you will get an email at the email address your program entered with instructions for setting up your account.

From there, you can register and apply for a PANCE exam date if you are within 180 days (approx. 6 months) from your expected program completion date. Don’t hesitate to commit to a test date. You can make changes up to one business day before your test day without having to reapply or pay again.

2. Check availability early and often

Depending on where your program is located and the time of year you finish PA school, you may find there aren’t a lot of available exam slots open when you first look. Your testing center isn’t just administering the PANCE-people from a variety of disciplines and industries can take licensure and certification exams at Pearson Vue test centers.

If you aren’t satisfied with the availability, check back regularly. A lot of movement happens in the system-think of it like changing your seat on a flight. If you got stuck with a middle seat on a long cross-country flight, you would want to check in and see if an aisle or window seat opens up.

3. Avoid schedule derailers

Relocating across the country, taking a vacation, planning a wedding, and getting married are some common events graduates may encounter shortly after graduation, and they can majorly derail study schedules.

Finishing PA school and taking the PANCE are major events. Successfully passing the PANCE is a big cognitive load, and your brain has already been working overtime for the last 2+ years. Avoid scheduling anything that requires planning and time until after your exam. Sometimes a derailer can’t be avoided, which is okay.

If you have an unavoidable derailer that you know will occur or an unexpected event occurs, identify how you will overcome any challenges or barriers, and adjust your PANCE timeline accordingly.

4. Don’t wait too long

Once you officially complete your program, give yourself some downtime-but don’t take too much time. Although you will be tired, you want to keep the momentum going. The longer you wait to take the PANCE, the further away you get from a structured learning environment.

Maintaining discipline and motivation to study for the PANCE can become increasingly more challenging the longer you are away from your program. After graduation, there are no required assignments or exams, you will have far less exposure to your peers, and faculty and preceptors have a new cohort of PA students vying for their time and attention.

A minimum of 7 days is required between your program’s end date and taking the PANCE. Many graduates will take their exam 10–20 days after graduating (1.5 weeks to 2.5 weeks after program completion). The amount of time needed to study for the PANCE varies and should be based on academic performance leading up to PANCE, recency of exposure to the knowledge and skills on the PANCE blueprint, and ongoing personal and family responsibilities. Have a sense of urgency while not rushing to take the exam when you are unprepared.

Take control of your PANCE schedule

The PANCE is the final door you must go through to become a certified PA. Taking control of when and where you take the exam will help ease some anxiety and result in a better overall exam experience. These four tips for scheduling your exam on the day, time, and location that works best for you will make it easier to get to the final door.

Struggling to remember key topics during your PANCE prep? Download our FREE study sheet with mnemonics that our PA instructors use during our Live PANCE Review Course!

Originally published July 2022 / Reviewed September 2025 by Nadya Tsytsyna, PA-C