PANCE / PANRE Board Review Questions and Practice Tests
“The program is easy to use, and the reviews of each question were a great resource. ”
Joe Newcomb
Key Board Review Features
PANCE Board Review Topics Covered:
- Musculoskeletal
- Pediatrics
- Genitourinary
- Pharmacology
- Cardiovascular
- Immune System
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Human Development and Genetics
- Biology of Tissue Response to Disease
- Behavioral, Cultural, Ethics, Environmental and Psychosocial
- Multisystem Processes (Nutrition, Physiology, Fluids, Metabolic)
- Microbial Biology and Infection
- Pulmonary
- Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
- Neoplasms/Hematology
- Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Congenital Anomalies
- Injury and Poisoning
- Diseases of the Blood and Blood-Forming Organs
- Neurologic System
- Biostatistics/General Principals
- Gynecologic, Obstetric and Disorders of Reproduction
- Gastrointestinal and Nutrition
- Dermatologic
- Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-defined Conditions
- Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat
About the PANCE / PANRE Exams
PANCE
Upon graduating from an accredited physician assistant program, you may take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), which assess basic medical and surgical knowledge.
PANRE
Depending on your recertification cycle, by the end of the sixth (or tenth) year, PA-C designees must have passed the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE), which is also designed to assess basic medical and surgical knowledge.
Both Exams
While the content covered on the PANCE and PANRE exams is the same, there is some difference in the nature of the questions. As outlined by the NCCPA, the questions on the PANCE are more specific, while questions on the PANRE tend to address broader clinical issues. This difference is most apparent in the questions related to applying basic science concepts and reflects the different functions of the two exams.
Pass Rates
The 2016 Overall PANCE Pass Rate was 93%.
The 2016 PANRE Pass Rate for First-Time Takers was 92%.
What subject matter is covered on the PANCE / PANRE?
Both the PANCE and the PANRE are organized into two dimensions: Physician Assistant Practice Task Areas and Diseases/Disorders by Organ System
Physician Assistant Practice Task Areas
- History Taking & Performing Physical Examinations 16%
- Using Laboratory & Diagnostic Studies 14%
- Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis 18%
- Health Maintenance 10%
- Clinical Intervention 14%
- Pharmaceutical Therapeutics 18%
- Applying Basic Science Concepts 10%
Diseases/Disorders by Organ System
- Cardiovascular 16%
- Dermatologic 5%
- EENT (Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat) 9%
- Endocrine 6%
- Gastrointestinal/Nutritional 10%
- Genitourinary 6%
- Hematologic 3%
- Infectious Diseases 3%
- Musculoskeletal 10%
- Neurologic System 6%
- Psychiatry/Behavioral 6%
- Pulmonary 12%
- Reproductive 8%
How long is the PANCE / PANRE?
The PANCE is a five-hour exam that has a total of 300 MCQ's, which are spread out over five sections of 60 items with 60 minutes to complete each section. The way the testing is configured, you can take breaks between the sections (and we highly suggest taking a break in between).
In addition to the BoardVitals PANCE / PANRE Question Bank, be sure to review the 10 sample PANCE / PANRE questions provided by the NCCPA.
PANCE & PANRE Questions & Answers, PANCE Tips & Tricks
Question Format
Our PANCE question bank attempts to follow the format of five options per question, though you will find a few that only have four choices, specifically where we found it appropriate to limit the options and provide explanations for why each one is incorrect.
Pharma Questions
"Be careful on the pharma questions…" we hear from students over and over to know which drugs not to give, in which situations, and what the potential side effects and complications are. PANCE has a very high emphasis on patient safety and anyone preparing for this exam should keep this in mind. Our question bank has several blocks of questions that cover this content area specifically. Specifically, focus on CV drugs, neuro/psych drugs, and antimicrobials. Also, spend time on EKGS (our question bank has several good EKG questions to focus on). Don’t try to memorize the information – try to gain understanding instead.
What to Focus On
Also, make sure to focus on the systems with the higher percentages of exam content. (For example, we’ve heard that the Hematologic questions can be really tough, but it’s only a small percentage of the exam, so focus more on areas like Cardiovascular, GI, and Musculoskeletal)
Relax
Finally, remember to RELAX. After you’ve drilled thousands of questions, and studied the topics, you really are ready. The vast majority of our students pass, so take comfort in knowing that you’ll be well prepared. Our average score in the question bank is below 60%, but nearly everyone passes, so that should help give you a benchmark. Also, use our flagging system to track questions that are particularly difficult so that you have a good review session 1.5 - 2 weeks before the exam.
Learn more about the PANCE Board Exam on the blog
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Tips on Passing the PANCE and PANRE Exams-Board Vitals
Find out everything you need to know about the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), including sample questions.
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PANCE Free Practice Questions
Free sample questions for the PANCE board exam. Here are a few multiple choice questions that will help you prepare for the boards.
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