PANCE Passing Score and Scoring Guide (2024)

To become a certified physician assistant, it is required that candidates take and pass the PANCE exam upon graduation from an accredited PA program. Due to the high-stakes nature of this licensure exam, PA students have many questions about PANCE passing scores, PANCE pass rates, and how the exam is actually scored. In this article, we will cover frequently asked questions about the PANCE and how it is scored.

How Is the PANCE Scored?

The NCCPA selects a diverse panel of PA content experts to determine the PANCE passing score. Charged with identifying core competencies an entry-level PA should be able to demonstrate to be trusted as a capable clinician, the panel reviews and rates each PANCE question in a meticulous process, determining its point value.

PANCE scores range from a minimum of 200 to a maximum score of 800. The PANCE pass score is 350 or above.

200

350

800

How many questions do you need to answer to pass the PANCE?

Your PANCE exam score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect or blank answers. Therefore, it is recommended that you answer every question on the exam in order to achieve your highest PANCE score possible.

How are scores calculated on the PANCE?

Performance on the PANCE is reported on a scale-score metric where scale scores are used to place all scores on a unified scale regardless of any specific test form’s difficulty. This standard means that PA students with the same level of ability will achieve the same score on the PANCE irrespective of the test form taken.

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PANCE Passing Score and Scoring Guide (1)

How to Know If You Have Passed The PANCE

The NCCPA will email you after your PANCE when your results are ready. The email will have instructions on how to find your PANCE score in your online account. In order to find out your exam results, be sure that the NCCPA has your correct email address.

When are PANCE scores released?

It can take up to two weeks to receive your PANCE exam results; however, most results are reported within four business days.

What is a good PANCE score?

The PANCE exam is scored on a scale that ranges from 200 to 800. A score of 350 or greater is a passing score. Even though a 350 is a passing score, we believe that students should strive to understand the concepts tested on the PANCE versus settling for just a passing score. Healthcare is an essential industry and PA’s are a crucial part of the healthcare landscape. PA’s are trusted to provide adequate health care and will encounter a variety of clinical scenarios. Sometimes the stakes are high, and can involve making judgment calls on matters of life and death. With those reasons in mind, we recommend students strive for excellence.

Pass Rates for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE)

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What if my PANCE score is less than 350?

Any PANCE score below 350 is a failing score. If you want to ensure a PANCE passing score on your first attempt, prep with UWorld’s premium exam-like questions and in-depth answer explanations. Working through quality PANCE practice questions builds confidence and increases exam readiness, contributing to your success on test day.

What happens if a candidate fails the PANCE?

If your PANCE score is less than 350, you will have to retake the PANCE exam at a later date in order to pass and gain licensure as a physician assistant. If you want to retake the exam you will have to wait 90-days before your next attempt. While you wait, we strongly recommend using a Qbank that includes robust performance tracking. UWorld’s PA QBank includes detailed performance tracking by subject and system. This allows you to identify your areas of weakness and remediate accordingly.

How often can you take the PANCE?

If you fail the PANCE, you can retake it; however, there is a limit to how many times you can attempt to pass the exam. You may take the PANCE up to a maximum of six times within the six years following the date of your graduation from PA school. If you haven’t passed the PANCE after six attempts, or if you don’t take the PANCE before your six-year window has ended, you will no longer be eligible to take the exam.

How to Get a 500+ PANCE Score

In order to earn your highest possible PANCE passing score, it is important to prepare in advance for your exam with UWorld’s industry-leading PANCE exam prep.

UWorld’s PANCE prep is written by accomplished, practicing PAs at or above exam level. The challenging PANCE practice questions are identical to those you will face on your PANCE exam. Additionally, UWorld provides in-depth answer explanations, vivid medical images, tables and graphs, and innovative study features to further instruction and aid in retention.

“UWorld offers challenging questions on par with PANCE level questions which helped me prepare for the board exam. The explanations are detailed and provide feedback on wrong answer choices as well which is helpful in understanding why an answer is wrong. Highly recommend this question bank!” - Morgan

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PANCE Passing Score and Scoring Guide (3)

What Is a PACKRAT Score?

The Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PAKRAT) is a practice test written by the Physician Assistant Education Association® (PAEA®). It is a 225-question exam that most PA programs provide for students after their didactic phase and at the end of clinicals. It is primarily used as a self-assessment tool. Your score on the PACKRAT can be used as a predictor of your performance on the PANCE exam.

PANCE Passing Score and Scoring Guide (2024)

FAQs

PANCE Passing Score and Scoring Guide? ›

The PANCE passing score (aka the passing standard) is 350 and you can either exceed it or meet it. This standard is determined via standard setting, a process where a panel of PA experts review questions and rate if someone who is barely qualified to practice can answer them correctly.

How many questions can you miss on the PANCE and Pass? ›

Unlike the MCAT, they don't use percentiles for your score. The PANCE is a pass or fail test with a set passing score: 350. Fortunately, the exam is simply based on the items you answered correctly. There are no deductions for wrong or missed answers like in a right-minus-wrong exam.

What is a good score on UWorld for PANCE? ›

What is a good PANCE score? The PANCE exam is scored on a scale that ranges from 200 to 800. A score of 350 or greater is a passing score. Even though a 350 is a passing score, we believe that students should strive to understand the concepts tested on the PANCE versus settling for just a passing score.

What is the lowest score to pass the PANCE? ›

The PANCE scale has a minimum score of 200, a maximum score of 800, and the passing score is 350.

What is the best predictor of PANCE score? ›

The rule of thumb is a PACKRAT score greater than 150 means your odds of passing the PANCE are astronomically high. The national mean is ~130 and a score of 110 has been correlated to not passing the PANCE. You should aim for a score of 70% on your PACKRAT, which is 157/225 correct answers.

How many questions do you need to get right on the PANCE to pass? ›

The PANCE passing score (aka the passing standard) is 350 and you can either exceed it or meet it. This standard is determined via standard setting, a process where a panel of PA experts review questions and rate if someone who is barely qualified to practice can answer them correctly.

How many points is each question worth on PANCE? ›

You're likely concerned with your total Physician Assistant Exam (PANCE or PANRE) test score and whether it's high enough to pass. Each question can yield either a 1 (correct) or a 0 (wrong) — you get 1 point for each correct answer and nothing for wrong or unanswered questions, so there's no penalty for guessing.

Is 60% on UWorld good? ›

What percentile on UWorld do I need to pass the NCLEX? Your NCLEX QBank percentile is defined by how many QBank users perform at or below your performance level. For example, if you are in the 47th percentile, you perform better than 47% of other users. Ideally, you want to perform better than 60% of users.

Is UWorld harder than PANCE? ›

The PANCE practice questions you will encounter in your UWorld question bank (QBank) are at the exam level or more difficult than those you will face on your exam. It is imperative that you challenge yourself with difficult questions to prepare for the exam and clinical practice.

What is the national average PANCE pass rate? ›

Where is this data coming from? The national first-time pass rate was down to 92% in both 2022 and 2023. This usually correlates with a change in the PANCE blueprint from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

How long does it take to get PANCE results in 2024? ›

Exam Final Results

Most people say they receive their PANCE results about 5 business days after taking their exam, but the NCCPA website states it could take up to two weeks. When your results are available, you will receive an email from the NCCPA telling you to long onto their portal to view your report.

What is the pass rate for the Chapman PA PANCE exam? ›

Since graduating its inaugural class in 2018, the Chapman PA Program has rapidly become one of California's top programs. New graduates maintain a 100% PANCE pass rate, with a first-time pass rate of 98%.

Does the PANCE have 4 or 5 answer choices? ›

For most questions on the PANCE, there is a question stem, followed by five multiple choice options. One is the correct answer, and the other four are distractors.

What percent of people pass the PANCE the first-time? ›

PANCE Pass Rates
YearPANCE pass rate among first-time test takers
201993%
202095%
202193%
202292%
Jan 25, 2024

Does the PANCE tell you your score? ›

How long does it take to get your PANCE exam results? While the NCCPA reports it can take up to two weeks to receive your scores, most individuals hear back after about four business days. For example, if you were to take your exam on a Monday, there's a good chance you'll know your score by the end of the week.

Is the PANCE hard? ›

The PANCE is a long, challenging exam for future physician assistants, but passing it with flying colors is a feeling like no other. Create your PANCE study timeline, get some study tips, and get all the deets you need for the exam below!

What is the pass rate for the PANCE? ›

Consistent with national trends for recently accredited PA programs (date first accredited years 2019-2020), West Chester University's first-time PANCE pass rates for our inaugural cohort fell below the national mean of 92%.

What is a good PANCE pass rate for a PA school? ›

The national first-time pass rate was down to 92% in both 2022 and 2023. This usually correlates with a change in the PANCE blueprint from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

How many chances do you get to pass the PANCE? ›

LIMITATIONS ON ELIGIBILITY: THE SIX-YEARS-SIX-ATTEMPTS RULE

During that six-year period, PANCE may be taken a total of six times. When either the six attempts or six years are exhausted, whichever occurs sooner, the individual loses eligibility to take PANCE.

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