Castleport Test Prep

PANCE Exam Requirements

To take the PANCE, you must graduate from an entry-level PA program that was accredited by ARC-PA when you entered it (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/), and your program must confirm to NCCPA that you've completed it. Here's everything that has to be in place before test day.

Check what you need before test day

PANCE requirements checklist: eight things to check before test day
Requirement What to check or do
1. Eligible PA education Your PA program must be ARC-PA accredited at the time you started (matriculated). Check its status and history on ARC-PA's program list (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/currently-accredited-programs/).
2. Your program completion date Ask your program which completion date it reported to NCCPA. This date can differ from your ceremony or diploma date.
3. Application and $550 fee Apply in your NCCPA account starting 180 days before your expected completion date. The fee is $550 (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/).
4. Earliest test date You can test no sooner than 7 days after you complete your program, and only after your program director confirms completion.
5. Your exam window NCCPA normally gives you 180 days to take the exam; the window can be shorter near the end of your eligibility. Use your acknowledgment's dates to book a Pearson VUE (https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/nccpa.html) exam that falls within that window.
6. Attempts and time left Never-certified graduates on or after January 1, 2003, ordinarily get up to six years from program completion and six attempts, whichever runs out first. Retakes are limited to one per 90 days and three per calendar year. Details below.
7. Accommodations, if needed Request them in your application and complete NCCPA's review before booking. If approved, NCCPA must receive your signed Testing Accommodation Agreement before you can schedule.
8. Two valid IDs Bring two original accepted IDs that meet NCCPA's validity and name rules. Check NCCPA's ID rules (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/name-changes/).

NCCPA decides your eligibility and authorizes your exam. This checklist helps you get each step done right.

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified: November 5, 2026 — NCCPA eligibility, fee, dates, ID, accommodations, attempt limits, and exception policies.

Your key PANCE dates

The PANCE is the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, run by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Your program completion date affects when you can apply, how soon you can test, and the standard six-year eligibility period: it is the day you finish all your program's requirements, as your program defines it. NCCPA says this doesn't have to match your graduation ceremony or diploma date (https://www.nccpa.net/pa-program-resources/). If your program changes the date it reported, your exam timeframe moves too, and a booked exam can be cancelled.

Key PANCE timing rules
What Rule
Application opens 180 days before your expected completion date. NCCPA also emails you when you can apply.
Earliest test date 7 days after completion, once your program confirms it
Exam timeframe Normally 180 days, shortened if your six-year eligibility period ends sooner. Your exact start and end dates are in your NCCPA acknowledgment email.
Six-year limit Six years after completion for never-certified graduates from January 1, 2003 onward; six attempts can end eligibility sooner.
PANCE testing periods January 2 – December 18, 2026, and January 2 – December 18, 2027 (NCCPA key dates (https://www.nccpa.net/key-dates/))

Three worked examples (simple calendar math from these rules; your NCCPA account shows your official dates):

Three worked PANCE date examples
Program completion Application opens Earliest date under the seven-day rule
May 14, 2027 November 15, 2026 May 21, 2027
December 15, 2026 June 18, 2026 December 22, 2026 — outside the published testing period. The next administration window begins January 2, 2027, subject to your authorization and an available appointment.
August 20, 2027 February 21, 2027 August 27, 2027

If you finish in mid-December 2026, watch the gap. NCCPA lists testing through December 18, 2026, with the next administration window beginning January 2, 2027. If your 7-day mark falls in that gap, your first possible exam is in January. Plan your study time and job start date around it.

Two more timing points:

  • Applying late shortens your window. If you apply near the end of your six years, your timeframe ends on your six-year date, even if that's less than 180 days away (PANCE policies (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/PANCE-Policy-Procedures-and-Authorization.pdf)).
  • An open testing period doesn't guarantee a seat. Your date must fit your own NCCPA timeframe and an available Pearson VUE appointment, so book early.

Who is eligible to take the PANCE?

You're eligible if you graduate from an entry-level PA program accredited by ARC-PA (the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant). NCCPA counts you as a graduate of an accredited program if the program was accredited when you matriculated (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/), meaning when you started it.

This is PA program accreditation, not your university's general accreditation. Look up your program on ARC-PA's list (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/currently-accredited-programs/), which shows each program's status and accreditation history.

What if my program is on probation or provisional?

Both are accreditation statuses (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/entry-level-accreditation-types-and-review-cycle/). ARC-PA states that probation is an active accreditation status (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/student-questions/), so students who enter a program on probation are entering an accredited program. What matters for you is the status when you started and that you finish the program.

If a program loses accreditation while you're enrolled, ARC-PA says students will be told the next steps. Confirm your own eligibility with NCCPA, and check your target state's licensing rules too, since a state can set its own education requirements for a license.

Can a medical degree replace PA school?

No. NCCPA says that even a medical degree, including one from another country (https://www.nccpa.net/faqs/), does not replace graduating from an ARC-PA-accredited PA program. NCCPA doesn't consider exceptions to that requirement (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Policies-Governing-the-Consideration-of-Requests-for-Exceptions-to-Policy.pdf). Some PA programs may give credit for earlier training; that's each program's decision (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/trained-outside-usa-questions/).

One recent change: ARC-PA now lists one accredited program outside the United States (https://www.arc-pa.org/entry-level-program/currently-accredited-international-programs/), at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Dublin), with provisional accreditation since July 2026. If that's your program, confirm PANCE eligibility with NCCPA and license acceptance with your target state board before you rely on it.

How to apply and schedule

  1. Set up your NCCPA account. After your program reports your expected completion date, NCCPA emails you setup instructions. The link expires after 3 days (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/), so act quickly. If it lapses, contact NCCPA for a new one.
  2. Apply and pay $550 in your NCCPA account, starting 180 days before your expected completion date. Request accommodations in this application if you need them. Paying doesn't make you eligible; NCCPA still has to approve you and receive your program's confirmation.
  3. Read your exam acknowledgment. NCCPA says it arrives within 3 days after your application is processed and complete (https://www.nccpa.net/faqs/) and shows your earliest test date and assigned timeframe.
  4. Book with Pearson VUE. First-time test takers create a Pearson VUE account using the NCCPA ID number from the acknowledgment. Keep Pearson's confirmation.
  5. Make sure your program confirms completion. If NCCPA doesn't receive confirmation in time, you're withdrawn and your exam date is cancelled. Your application is reinstated automatically once confirmation arrives, and NCCPA sends a new acknowledgment and exam timeframe (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/PANCE-Policy-Procedures-and-Authorization.pdf).

You can be registered for only one NCCPA exam at a time.

Requesting accommodations

Request them in the online application and send documentation from a qualified medical professional, following NCCPA's accommodations policy (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Policies-and-Procedures-for-Examination-Accommodations.pdf). If the assessment is more than 12 months old, NCCPA ordinarily requires an updated statement on letterhead from a qualified medical professional who treated or evaluated you within the preceding 12 months. It must identify relevant changes in functional limitations or confirm none. For an assessment within the preceding five years, the exception still requires the professional to attest that there was or would be no material change in your condition, treatment plan, or need for the specific accommodations between the assessment and your request. Accommodations you had in school are considered but don't guarantee approval.

Complete NCCPA's accommodations review before scheduling. If accommodations are approved, NCCPA must receive your signed Testing Accommodation Agreement before you can book. After NCCPA receives it, your acknowledgment usually arrives within about 3–5 business days (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/testing-accommodations/). Have your paperwork ready when you apply so missing documentation doesn't delay the review and your ability to schedule.

Changing plans: cancellation and withdrawal deadlines

Under the standard rules, the $550 is forfeited if you miss your timeframe, don't show up, arrive too late, or arrive without acceptable ID. Follow NCCPA's PANCE policies (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/PANCE-Policy-Procedures-and-Authorization.pdf):

  • Reschedule or cancel with Pearson VUE at least one business day before your appointment.
  • If you won't test in this timeframe at all, tell NCCPA in writing. Cancelling with Pearson VUE alone is not a withdrawal. NCCPA must receive your request by the last day of your timeframe and, if an exam is booked, at least one business day before that appointment.

Under the standard PANCE policy, once you start the exam, there's no refund or credit. NCCPA can separately consider fee-refund exception requests for qualifying extenuating circumstances (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Policies-Governing-the-Consideration-of-Requests-for-Exceptions-to-Policy.pdf); fees associated with reserving a seat remain nonrefundable.

How long you have and how many attempts

If you graduated on or after January 1, 2003, and have never been certified, you can take the PANCE for up to six years after completing your program, with up to six attempts. Whichever limit you reach first ends your eligibility (NCCPA (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/)).

On top of that, you can test only once in any 90-day period and three times per calendar year, whichever allows fewer. So using all six attempts takes at least two calendar years. The six years start at program completion, not your first attempt.

Graduated before 2003, or previously certified? Different rules apply. PAs whose certification lapsed regain it through CME and the PANRE, not the PANCE (NCCPA policy (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Policy-for-Physician-Assistants-Regaining-Certification.pdf)). Contact NCCPA for your situation.

If you reach a limit

The standard way back after using up your six years or six attempts is to complete another full ARC-PA-accredited PA program.

NCCPA can also review an Exception to Policy request for severe, documented circumstances, such as your own medical issue, a medical issue affecting a family member for whom you are a primary or secondary caregiver, a death in the family, military deployment outside the US, becoming a parent through birth or adoption within three months before the NCCPA deadline, or severe weather. Under its exception procedures (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Exceptions-to-Policy-Procedures.pdf), NCCPA can consider extending your PANCE eligibility after you've used your six years or six attempts, and can consider waiving the 90-day wait between attempts. These are NCCPA's decisions, not automatic, and you need verifiable documentation. Inconvenience alone doesn't qualify. Financial hardship may be considered only when it relates to a qualifying extenuating circumstance (PDF) (https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/Policies-Governing-the-Consideration-of-Requests-for-Exceptions-to-Policy.pdf).

December edge case: If your six-year eligibility would expire while testing is closed in late December, NCCPA's procedures allow it to grant a single one-month administrative extension. Don't assume it applies to you; get NCCPA's answer.

Read NCCPA's exception-request process (https://www.nccpa.net/resources/exceptions-to-policy-and-exam-grievances/). NCCPA says its staff reviews complete, verified requests and notifies applicants of the outcome within 45 business days. PANCE eligibility extensions referred to the Review Committee can take longer.

Test-day ID and arrival

Bring two valid, unexpired, original IDs — not photocopies or digital versions (NCCPA ID rules (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/name-changes/)):

  • Primary ID: permanently attached photo, preprinted name, and signature. Examples: driver's license, passport, military ID (military ID doesn't need a visible signature).
  • Secondary ID: preprinted name and signature. Examples: a Social Security card, credit card, or student or employee ID. Two primary IDs also work.

Sign any required signature area before arriving; an unsigned ID cannot be signed at the center and then accepted. An expired or invalidated ID may be accepted if it otherwise meets the rules and comes with paperwork showing that you filed for renewal. State renewal grace periods alone do not count.

Your first and last names must match your NCCPA and Pearson VUE records, subject to NCCPA's allowed name differences. A middle name on one ID and not the other is fine, and so is a middle initial versus a full middle name. A nickname versus your full name is not, and neither is more than one difference. If your name has changed, update it in your NCCPA account and send the supporting documents well before your exam.

Arrive 30 minutes early (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/test-day/). Arriving late or without acceptable ID can mean you're turned away and lose your fee.

Passing, certification, and your license

The exam: 300 multiple-choice questions in five 60-minute blocks of 60 questions, plus 45 minutes of break time and a 15-minute tutorial (test day details (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/test-day/)). Approved accommodations can change the timing. Content follows NCCPA's blueprint effective January 2025 (https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/pance-blueprint/).

Passing: a scaled score of 350 on a 200–800 scale (https://www.nccpa.net/examdevelopmentscoring/). It isn't a fixed percentage; NCCPA says the number of correct answers needed varies from one examinee to another. Results post to your NCCPA account about two weeks after your exam (https://www.nccpa.net/faqs/).

After you pass: You earn NCCPA certification and can use PA-C while your certification is current. That isn't a license. Before you practice, obtain the required license (https://www.aapa.org/career-central/become-a-pa/) from the PA licensing authority in the state or jurisdiction where you will work. When the board needs your scores or verification, send them through Certification Info Release in your NCCPA account (NCCPA FAQs (https://www.nccpa.net/faqs/)).

Quick answers

Can I take the PANCE before I graduate? You can apply up to 180 days before your program completion date, but you can't test until 7 days after completion, and only once your program confirms it.

Can I take the PANCE in a different state from where I'll work? Yes. Choose a Pearson VUE location offering PANCE (https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/nccpa.html), with an appointment inside your NCCPA-approved timeframe. Your license comes from the state where you'll practice.

Is the $550 per attempt? It's the fee for each PANCE application. If you forfeit a timeframe, you reapply and pay again.

Sources

Checked November 5, 2026 (UTC).

Eligibility, application, and attempts

Dates and scheduling

  • NCCPA — Key Dates (https://www.nccpa.net/key-dates/)
  • Pearson VUE — NCCPA testing (https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/nccpa.html)

Accreditation

ID, accommodations, and exceptions

Exam format, scoring, and certification

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) or ARC-PA. Exam and credential names identify the subjects discussed; trademarks belong to their respective owners. NCCPA determines your exam eligibility and dates; your state licensing board determines your licensing requirements.