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PA EOR Exam Blueprint

Get a clear breakdown of the seven PA EOR exams, with subject overviews and downloadable topic lists.

End of Rotation (EOR) exams are standard evaluations that PA students take during their clinical year. Each EOR exam has 120 multiple-choice questions and reflects the needs of a broad diversity of patients. 100 of the 120 questions are scored; 20 of the questions are unscored and used to aid in the development of future PANCE exams.

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) develops the EOR exams from a standard blueprint and topic list. The EOR exam blueprint and topic list are made public in order to aid students as they prepare for the PANCE exam. (Note: The “topic list” for each medical specialty is not intended to be all-inclusive.)

New Surgery End of Rotation™ Exam

The new Surgery End of Rotation™ (EOR) exam was updated in September 2024 to reflect current surgical practices and the evolving demands of clinical care. This revision aims to provide a more accurate evaluation of PA students’ knowledge and skills in surgery. Key updates to the Surgery EOR include:

A revised blueprint for improved alignment with surgical competencies.
120 multiple-choice questions, with 100 scored and 20 unscored questions for future exam development.
Content that focuses on essential surgical topics and critical patient care skills.

EOR Exams

There are seven unique EOR exams students will take during clinicals. Explore the exam blueprints below and download the EOR topic lists for each exam.

Emergency Medicine

20% Cardiovascular
15% Orthopedics / Rheumatology
10% Gastrointestinal / Nutritional
10% Pulmonology
8% Neurology
7% ENOT/Ophthalmology

6% Urology / Renal
5% Dermatology
5% Endocrinology
5% Obstetrics / Gynecology
5% Psychiatry / Behavioral Medicine
4% Hematology

Want to dive deeper? Download the Emergency Medicine End of Rotation Exam Topic List

Family Medicine

15% Cardiovascular
12% Pulmonology
11% Gastrointestinal / Nutritional
8% ENOT / Ophthalmology
8% Obstetrics / Gynecology
8% Orthopedics / Rheumatology
6% Neurology

5% Dermatology
5% Endocrinology
5% Psychiatry / Behavioral Medicine
5% Urology / Renal
4% Hematology
4% Infectious Diseases
4% Urgent Care

Want to dive deeper? Download the Family Medicine End of Rotation Exam Topic List

General Surgery

17% Gastrointestinal
15% Cardiovascular
13% Pulmonology / Thoracic surgery
10% Dermatology
10% Breast Surgery

8% Renal / Genitourinary
8% Trauma / Acute Care
7% Pain Medicine / Anesthesia
7% Neurologic / Neurosurgery
5% Endocrinology

Take a deeper look at the topic list by downloading our General Surgery End of Rotation Exam Topic List

Internal Medicine

20% Cardiovascular
15% Pulmonology
12% Gastrointestinal / Nutritional
12% Orthopedics / Rheumatology
8% Endocrinology

8% Neurology
8% Urology / Renal
7% Critical Care
5% Hematology
5% Infectious Diseases

Want to dive deeper? Download the Internal Medicine End of Rotation Exam Topic List

Pediatrics

15% Dermatology
15% ENOT / Ophthalmology
12% Infectious Diseases
12% Pulmonology
10% Cardiovascular
10% Gastrointestinal / Nutritional

6% Neurology / Developmental
6% Psychiatry / Behavioral Medicine
5% Orthopedics / Rheumatology
3% Endocrinolog
3% Hematology
3% Urology / Renal

Want to dive deeper? Download the Pediatrics End of Rotation Exam Topic List

Psychiatry & Behavioral Health

18% Depressive Disorders; Bipolar and Related Disorders
18% Anxiety Disorders; Trauma- and Stress-Related Disorders
14% Substance-Related Disorders
12% Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
10% Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
8% Personality Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
8% Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders; Nonadherence to Medical Treatment
8% Feeding or Eating Disorders
4% Paraphilic Disorders; Sexual Dysfunctions