PANRE® Exam Eligibility, Registration, and Cost
To take the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination® (PANRE) and maintain licensure, there are a few PANRE eligibility and registration steps you must follow. While none of them are particularly difficult, it’s important to cross your t’s and dot your i’s to ensure you can properly recertify and continue practicing. We’ll also cover PANRE costs to give you a better idea of what to expect.
PANRE Eligibility
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants® (NCCPA®) requires PAs to recertify every 10 years. The purpose is to ensure PAs stay current with continual advancements in medical technologies and management. Your PANRE eligibility begins in the 9th year of your certification maintenance cycle and extends through the following year. You may take the exam up to two times in your 9th year and up to three times in your 10th year, but only four total attempts are allowed. You are eligible to take the PANRE only one time in a 90-day period; although, this limit is waived if you have fewer than 90 days remaining in your 10th year and have not yet used all of your exam attempts.
In addition to passing the PANRE, you must log 100 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and submit a certification maintenance fee during your two-year eligibility window before you can become recertified. If you’re ineligible to take the PANRE, but do so anyway, your score will be rescinded.
PANRE Registration
Once you’ve entered your PANRE eligibility window, you can complete your PANRE registration by logging in to your NCCPA account. Once the registration fee has been paid and all associated information has been submitted, you will receive an acknowledgement email listing your 180-day testing window. You will also receive instructions on how to schedule your exam with Pearson VUE. If you wait until late into your 10th year to apply, your testing window will be shorter than 180 days (ending the final testing date of your recertification expiration year). You may only be registered for one NCCPA recertification exam at a time.
Can I cancel my PANRE registration?
Yes, if you are unable or choose not to take the PANRE during your testing window, you can cancel your PANRE registration by submitting a written request to the NCCPA. If you have already scheduled an exam and would like to cancel it, your request must be received at least 1 business day prior to the scheduled exam date. If no exam has been scheduled, your request must be received on or before the final day of your testing window as listed in your NCCPA acknowledgement email. You will forfeit your exam fee if you fail to submit a written withdrawal request to the NCCPA in these time frames. Canceling your exam with the testing vendor is not sufficient. If you qualify for a refund, it will be issued to the party who paid the exam fee.
Regaining PA certification
If you’ve lost your PA certification, your recertification process will be different. To become eligible to sit for the PANRE, you will need to complete your CME requirements before you take the exam. More specifically, you will need to log 100 Category 1 CME credits in the two years prior to your application date (i.e., if you intend to apply for the PANRE on June 1, 2024, your CME window will extend back to June 1, 2022). Once complete, you can apply for the PANRE through your NCCPA account. After receiving your exam acknowledgement email, you can take the PANRE one time in any 90-day period.
The only exception is for PAs who lost their eligibility for certification due to NCCPA disciplinary proceedings. In this case, you must first apply to reestablish eligibility with the NCCPA.
How Much Does the PANRE Cost?
The PANRE costs $350, charged as a registration fee. However, there are a few other costs that you should be aware of during your recertification process. Among them include your certification maintenance fee, the cost of CME credits, and potential PANRE prep course fees.
At UWorld Medical, we offer an industry-leading QBank with PANRE-style practice questions based on the latest NCCPA blueprint. You can sign up for a free 7-day PANRE trial.
The PANRE costs $350, charged as a registration fee. However, there are a few other costs that you should be aware of during your recertification process. Among them include your certification maintenance fee, the cost of CME credits, and potential PANRE prep course fees.
At UWorld Medical, we offer an industry-leading QBank with PANRE-style practice questions based on the latest NCCPA blueprint. You can sign up for a free PANRE trial.
How do I pay for my PANRE exam?
You can pay your $350 PANRE registration fee online through your NCCPA account. All fees must be paid in full to take the exam. Your application will only be approved, and your exam score received, once payment for all current, outstanding, and past due charges has been received.
CME cost and certification maintenance fee
In addition to taking the PANRE, you will need to log 100 CME credits, and pay a $180 certification maintenance fee by 11:59 p.m. PT on Dec. 31 of your final year of eligibility. Of the CME credits, 50 must be Category 1, while the remaining 50 can be Category 1 or 2. PAs can expect their CME credits to cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars depending on the services they use. You can log your CME credits through your NCCPA account.
PANRE review course cost
Similar to CME credits, the prices of PANRE review courses vary widely by provider. At UWorld Medical, we offer only what you need to succeed on the PANRE to save you time and money during your exam prep. Our PANRE QBank comes with realistic practice questions that are highly representative of the NCCPA blueprint, and features in-depth, visually engaging rationales to improve your information retention. This is all offered via a subscription service that allows you to pay for only as much as you need to pass the PANRE. Try it risk free with our 7-day PANRE free trial.
Is the PANRE exam expensive?
While the PANRE is not incredibly expensive by itself (i.e., the $350 registration fee), the additional costs to achieve recertification can quickly add up. Aside from the cost of your CME credits, certification maintenance fee, and exam prep course, there are a couple of miscellaneous fees to be aware of. In cases of returned checks, credit card charge backs, and declined credit cards, the NCCPA will assess a $35 service charge. If you need to replace your certificate due to a change of address, name change, or lost certificate, the NCCPA will assess a $50 charge.