NCCPA has developed a system that allows PAs more control over how and when they receive communications about certification maintenance and exam information.

Beginning in 2006, PAs in their certificate expiration year may choose to receive two to four reminders about outstanding certification maintenance requirements. The notifications will detail the PA’s outstanding requirements and will direct PAs to their online personal certification record for more information.

Required reminders – delivered in May and December – will be sent by mail or e-mail based on each PA’s expressed preference. PAs can report their preference regarding delivery method online or opt to maintain the default settings and receive the May reminder by postal mail and the December reminder by e-mail.

Additional e-mail reminders will also be available for delivery in March and September. Though NCCPA recommends that PAs receive both of these communications, those who do not want them may opt out.

PAs who would like to edit their communications preferences should sign in to their personal certification record, click the Personal Info link in the left column and follow the on-screen instructions.

In addition to providing more information to PAs who want it without burdening those who don’t with unwanted communications, this new reminder system is expected to curtail the escalating costs of mailing reminders to a growing PA population.

“In 2005 alone, we spent upwards of $70,000 providing mailed certification maintenance reminders to PAs,” said Janet J. Lathrop, NCCPA president. “With a still-increasing population of certified PAs, we knew that we needed to develop a solution that allowed us to control those costs.”

When NCCPA surveyed a random sample of certified PAs about how and when they’d like to receive reminder notifications, 63% of PAs indicated that they preferred to receive e-mail communications.

“With more than half of the population requesting e-mail, it made sense for us to transition to an e-mail-focused system; however, we also wanted to be responsive to those PAs who preferred mailed notifications, which is why we’ve built our system to allow PAs to continue to receive two reminders by postal mail,” said Lathrop.

After completing this project, NCCPA looked to other processes where a similar PA-preference philosophy could be applied to communications received by the PA.

For example, NCCPA already solicits from PAs taking PANCE or PANRE their delivery preference for the exam scheduling permit. When PAs apply for an exam, they are given the option to receive the recommended e-mailed scheduling permit or wait for a mailed permit.

Based on this expressed preference, NCCPA now delivers a PA’s acknowledgement letter in the same way. The acknowledgement letter is the first communication PA’s receive after applying for an NCCPA examination, and it provides critical information regarding when PAs should expect their scheduling permit and what to expect on test day for PANCE and PANRE examinees.

“By sending information based on a PA’s expressed preference, we are increasingly customized in our responses to PAs,” said Lathrop. “In addition, with more PAs moving toward an e-mail preference, the new system advances NCCPA’s paperless agenda, which helps us provide additional services without increasing the certification maintenance fee paid by all PAs.”

Self-assessment exams for PAs preparing for NCCPA exams will be offered online for $35 beginning in early 2006.

As first announced in the Summer 2005 issue of NCCPA News, the Board approved the development of self-assessment exams so PAs have a legitimate way to gain a better understanding of the kinds of questions to expect on NCCPA’s exams and test their readiness for either PANCE or PANRE. The decision to offer the self-assessment exams came on the heels of NCCPA’s investigation into incidences in which PAs shared exam questions in violation of NCCPA policies and copyrights.

As the self-assessment concept was developed at NCCPA, efforts were made to keep the cost of the experience as low as possible. According to an NCCPA survey conducted last year, PANCE examinees spend $361 on average preparing for their exam, though some report spending as much as $3,000. PANRE examinees spend slightly less on average at $264, but the upper range of reported spending was $3,500 for that group.

“We understand that there is a great deal of anxiety associated with taking PANCE and PANRE, and we’re excited to offer this new service to certified and certifying PAs for such a reasonable price,” said Janet J. Lathrop, NCCPA president.

The Self-Assessment Exam for PAs Preparing for Initial Certification and the Self-Assessment Exam for PAs Preparing for Recertification will both include 120 multiple-choice questions that have been retired from the PANCE and PANRE item banks. The exams will be administered in two 60-minute blocks, with 60 questions in each block.

After completing the self-assessment exam, PAs will receive feedback that compares their individual performance to the performance of actual PANCE and PANRE examinees. While a pass/fail determination will not be issued, nor will PAs be notified of the questions answered incorrectly, PAs can use the comparative feedback to focus their study efforts.

The self-assessment exam is timed to simulate the time pressure of an actual exam; however, PAs will have the flexibility to sign in and out of the self-assessment as needed. Of course, keep in mind that such flexibility is not available on an actual NCCPA examination.

To access the self-assessment exam, PAs will sign in to their personal certification record and complete an online application, much the same way they would do for a certification examination. The self-assessment exam and accompanying results will then be available online for 30 days and accessed directly through the PA’s personal certification record at NCCPA Connect.

“NCCPA is always looking for ways to better inform PAs’ expectations and increase PA satisfaction; and we’ve carefully deliberated about how to best fulfill this known need because we wanted to ensure that we could offer the best product at the most manageable price,” said Lathrop.

The launch date of the new online exams will be announced via e-mail and online when the self-assessment exams are available.

Exam Scores Available Faster, Online

Beginning with the 2006 exam administrations, NCCPA will post exam score reports online in PAs’ secure personal certification records, providing them faster access to the details of their exam performance.

Prior to the change, only the pass/fail status was posted online, and PAs had to wait to receive their detailed score report in the mail.

Under the new system, PAs will receive an e-mail notification when their exam scores are available. The e-mail will provide PAs instructions on how to access their scores and other details by signing in to their personal certification record.

“With more than 14,500 PAs expected to take an NCCPA exam in 2006, we wanted to be sure we would be able to continue to provide exam results and other services quickly,” said Lori Leal, NCCPA’s vice president of operations and finance. “Developing electronic score reporting will give PAs access to the specific details of their individual exam performance virtually the minute that information is available.”

By signing in to their personal certification record to view their score report, PAs will also be able to verify what additional outstanding certification maintenance requirements they may have.

For fastest access to your score report, be sure that NCCPA has a valid e-mail address on file for you. To verify or update your e-mail address, sign in to your personal certification record at NCCPA Connect.

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Practice Analysis Validates Content Blueprint

The results of NCCPA’s practice analysis, based principally on a survey of certified PAs conducted last year, validated the certification and recertification exams’ current content blueprint.

“The validation of our exam content blueprint is of huge importance not only to NCCPA but to the PA profession and the larger medical community because it’s evidence that the certifying and recertifying exams cover what PAs are actually doing in clinical practice,” said Randy D. Danielsen, PhD, PA-C, chair of the Research and Test Development Committee that oversaw the project.

During this practice analysis, a new layer of evaluation was added. When completing the survey, PAs were asked to rate the importance of specific tasks and skills when considering three levels of patient acuity: acute limited, chronic progressive or a life-threatening emergency.

“The PA survey responses were invaluable,” said Danielsen. “The new information that surveyed PAs provided helped inform our discussions as to whether exam questions and vignettes accurately reflected the frequency and criticality of patient encounters in the different task and skill areas.”

In addition to the survey, completed by more than 4,000 certified PAs, the practice analysis involved extensive secondary research and statistical analysis. Statistical evaluation of a sampling of exam forms indicated that the exams already accurately reflected the impact of this patient acuity dimension.

The Board’s decision to maintain the current content blueprint came after more than 15 months of extensive research and analyses. NCCPA conducts a practice analysis every five to seven years.

To view the content blueprint, please click here.

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Pathway II Online Demo Available

PAs interested in the Web-based Pathway II can access an online demo at NCCPA’s Web site to familiarize themselves with the exam design and technical requirements.

The demo allows PAs to test the functionality of the computer of their choice with the software used to administer the Pathway II exam. The demo also provides opportunities to identify settings or software that may need to be updated or changed to ensure optimal viewing of the exam.

In addition, the demo allows PAs to experience the screen layout and navigational tools available for the exam.

“We strongly recommend that all PAs access the demo before they register for the exam to ensure the compatibility of their computer with the Pathway II exam software,” said Lori Leal, vice president of operations and finance.

PAs who discover – after they have registered – that their computer is incompatible with the exam software may be allowed to transfer to the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE) if sufficient time remains to process the transfer. Transfer requests must be received at least four weeks prior to the opening of the Pathway II administration.

For more information about registering for the exam and accessing the demo, click here.

The conversion of the Pathway II recertification exam was first announced in the Winter 2004 NCCPA News. NCCPA’s Board of Directors approved the conversion of the exam to a Web-based delivery and a fee increase to $475 to maintain NCCPA’s commitment to financially independent services.

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Plastic Wallet Card Offered Online

In 2006, PAs can sign in to their personal certification record to easily request their free plastic wallet card.

The wallet card includes the PA’s name, certificate number, initial certification date and certificate expiration date.

“Before we decided to offer the plastic wallet card, we surveyed PAs about how and how often PAs used the paper wallet cards we previously provided,” said Lori Leal, vice president of operations and finance. “About 65% of PAs responded that they used their paper wallet cards on an occasional or frequent basis, so we looked for a nicer, sturdier way to produce the wallet card for those PAs who used the card.”

NCCPA debuted the new wallet card at the 2005 American Academy of Physician Assistants’ Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, received overwhelmingly positive feedback and decided to make the new plastic wallet card available to all certified PAs.

Certified PAs can request their new plastic wallet card by signing in to their personal certification record and clicking the “Wallet Card” link in the left column. A requested wallet card should be received in 7 to 10 business days, and PAs can receive one free wallet card per cycle.

Certified PAs should keep in mind that their wallet card – and their NCCPA certificate – should not be presented to interested third parties as proof of certification. Valid proof of certification can be obtained by using the Verify PA-C function on NCCPA’s Web site.

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The NCCPA News Goes Paperless

The NCCPA News is going paperless. Look for all future editions of NCCPA’s newsletter to be delivered to your e-mail inbox.

“With an increasing number of our services and communications being conducted electronically, now seemed the right time to eliminate the mailed version of the NCCPA News," said Ragan Cohn, head of NCCPA’s communications department. “With more than 50,000 PAs already receiving the newsletter electronically, the extra time and cost associated with printing and mailing the paper version isn’t the most effective use of our resources, and we’re always looking for ways to ensure the best use of your certification dollars.”

PAs with a valid e-mail address will continue to have the option to receive the newsletter in HTML format, which includes colors and graphics, or in plain-text format.

The approximately 8,000 PAs who currently receive the paper version will be earmarked to receive the HTML version of the newsletter; however, PAs can sign in to their personal certification record at NCCPA Connect and choose to receive e-mails either in HTML (recommended) or as a text-only version.

PAs without a valid e-mail address can access the quarterly newsletter on the Web by clicking the “In the News” link at NCCPA Connect. Or, take advantage of one of many available free e-mail services, and then just be sure to e-mail nccpa@nccpa.net with your new e-mail address.

If you’re not a PA but would like to receive the NCCPA News electronically in 2006, please e-mail tiffanyf@nccpa.net with your name, affiliation, and e-mail address.

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Q & A Corner

Q. My state board has requested proof of my NCCPA certification, but I don’t want to take my certificate out of its frame. Can NCCPA provide primary source verification?

A. Yes! To obtain a verification letter, which includes the same information presented on your NCCPA certificate, use Verify PA-C on NCCPA’s Web site. By following the on-screen instructions, you can request verification of your certification to be sent directly to you, your state board, or other interested third parties. You can choose to receive this information via postal mail or e-mail – just enter the address information online. Also, keep in mind that your NCCPA certificate should not be copied; a verification letter is the only acceptable form of primary source verification.

Q. My certification expired in 2005. How can I get my certification back?

A. NCCPA offers three ways to regain your certification depending on why your certificate expired. If your certificate expired because you did not log your CME hours or because you did not pay a fee, you can regain your certification through a process called reinstatement. Reinstatement requires you to submit any outstanding CME hours and a $250 fee, less any certification maintenance fees already submitted, by June 30, 2006. If your certificate expired because you did not earn enough CME or did not take or pass a recertification exam, you can regain your certification by passing PANCE or – if you can meet special CME requirements – by passing PANRE or the Web-based Pathway II exam.

Q. I want to sign in to the Web site to view my 2006 requirements, but I forgot my password and my e-mail address has changed. How can I sign in to the Web site?

A. To sign in to the Web site, e-mail nccpa@nccpa.net with your name, certificate or social security number and new e-mail address. An NCCPA staff member will update your e-mail address, and let you know that the change has been made. Then, follow the “Forgot Password” links. Once you’ve set your new password, sign in to view your outstanding 2006 requirements and develop a plan for completing them on time.

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Dates and Deadlines

Click here for a current listing of dates and deadlines.

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