If you’re like most PA students, the PANCE feels like an ever-looming presence, the grand finale. A test that, despite all your hard work throughout the didactic and clinical year, truly determines your ability to practice as a PA. No pressure, right? To top it all off, it doesn’t help when you feel left in the dark about what it takes to pass, wondering, “How is the PANCE scored? Does anyone even know?”
If you’ve got some stress about what you need to do to pass, we can help. In this article, we’ll answer the age-old question, “How is the PANCE scored?” give you some test-taking tips, and let you know what to do once the exam is over.
How the PANCE Is Created
The process the NCCPA utilizes to create each PANCE is very involved. There’s a panel of physician assistant content experts that evaluate the overall knowledge base entry-level PAs should possess. These professionals spend time reviewing individual test questions and deciding on whether or not a qualified entry-level PA could answer it correctly.
Once each question is reviewed and rated, the content team creates a PANCE from the pool of questions. They also suggest a recommended “cut score,” which is the lowest number of correct answers needed to pass the exam. The cut score is then further reviewed by the NCCPA exam board.
The last step is that two independent PA committees review each PANCE to ensure the content it covers is appropriate and relevant. (This content shows up on the PANCE content blueprint, so be sure to utilize it when you‘re studying!) The committees work towards exam standardization, fairness for all test takers, and to ensure that test questions are frequently updated to avoid any “sharing” of material.
Once the committees have reviewed an exam, it’s ready to go. According to the NCCPA, each PANCE is thought to be equivalent in terms of blueprint topic representation and test difficulty. A lot of effort is expended for each exam to ensure this is true.
How the PANCE Is Scored
So now that we know how a PANCE is constructed, let’s take a look at how an exam is actually scored.
The PANCE is scored on a scale of 200-800, and a score of 350 (or higher of course) is a pass. While 350 is the passing score for every PANCE, the exact number of correct questions it takes to reach that score can vary slightly with each version of the exam.
Each PANCE has 300 questions (five blocks of 60 questions), but only 240 count towards your final score. There are 60 questions allotted as “experimental questions.” Unfortunately, you’ll have no idea which of the questions are a part of the 60 “throw out” questions. (Although it’s a good coping mechanism to tell yourself those really difficult ones may end up getting tossed!)
Wrong answers don’t count against your final score, so it’s very important to answer every question!
Top 4 PANCE Test-Taking Tips
Now let’s talk about some strategies you can use during the exam to maximize your score.
We recommend the following:
1. Guess before you move on!
You can flag questions you’re unsure of to review prior to submission, but I highly recommend at least guessing before moving on to the next question in case you run out of time. As we said, it’s important to answer every single question! And remember, wrong answers don’t count against your final score.
2. Don’t submit a block until you’ve answered all the questions.
As noted, there are five blocks of questions (with 60 questions in each block). After you submit a question block, you can’t return to it. So be sure you answered all the questions before hitting submit!
3. You should spend about a minute on each question.
You have a total of 60 minutes to complete each block of 60 questions (unless you have any timing accommodations set ahead of time). Therefore, prepare to spend an average of one minute on each question.
4. Take your break(s)!
Between each question block set, you have the opportunity to take a break. Each test taker will have 45 minutes total of break time, which can be used between blocks in any way.
For example, you can take three 15-minute breaks between various blocks, or utilize one total 45-minute break. It’s important to take at least one break for the restroom and/or a quick snack, because if you’re forced to leave during any question block you’ll forfeit that time.
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!
What to Do After Taking the PANCE
I know it’s hard to believe, but one day this exam will be in the rearview mirror! What to do then?
I don’t have too much to say in this regard, other than the following:
Don’t talk about the test questions.
Remember, you’re prohibited from discussing PANCE questions following the examination. Doing so could result in disciplinary action (including the invalidation of your score).
Relax! You’ve earned it.
Once you take the exam, the NCCPA says there could be up to a two-week processing time before you get your score. However, from my experience most students receive it within four to five business days. I took my exam on a Thursday morning and had my results the following Tuesday.
The wait is brutal, but remember to enjoy the first guilt-free downtime you’ve had in years! (And check out this post if you’re stuck on what to do while waiting for PANCE results!)
So, how is the PANCE scored? In the end, the question doesn’t matter as much as you may think!
Despite how much pressure you feel over this exam, odds are, you’ll be just fine. The PANCE pass rate for the 2025 test year was 91.5%. This means more than 90% of students who took the examination came out as certified! If you come into test day prepared and knowing what to expect, you can feel confident that you’ll be a practicing PA soon enough.
Of course, everyone has “off” days. And sometimes this can just be out of our control. If you don’t pass, remember that you can retake the examination up to six times. While the extra expense of a retest and having to wait three months before you can take it again isn’t ideal, just know that at the end of it all you’ll still likely come out of this as a PA-C. And when you’re finally practicing, it’ll all feel like ancient history. Now, go out there and rock that test!
