The 10-year certification maintenance process includes five two-year cycles during which all Certified PAs must log 100 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits online and submit a certification maintenance fee by 11:59 p.m. PT, December 31 of their certification expiration year.
Visit the pages below to learn more about recertification options, CME, how to regain certification, and more.
Offered at testing centers throughout the U.S., the multiple-choice Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination® (PANRE) is designed to assess core medical and surgical knowledge.
You are eligible to take the PANRE for recertification if you are in the ninth or tenth year of the certification maintenance cycle.
**PAs may take PANRE up to two times in the ninth year and up to three times in the tenth year, with a maximum of four total attempts.
PAs who lose certification must meet CME requirements and take and pass PANRE to regain it.
Eligible PAs can register for PANRE online; the exam registration fee is $350. You may schedule your exam anytime (depending on testing center availability) within the 180-day timeframe established for you to take the exam based on the successful submission of all required materials to NCCPA. The four-hour PANRE administration includes 240 multiple-choice questions administered in four blocks of 60 questions with 60 minutes to complete each block. There is a total of 45 minutes allotted for breaks between blocks, and you will be responsible for managing your break time. You will have 15 minutes to complete the PANRE tutorial.
When registering for PANRE, please consider the following requirements:
The Alternative to PANRE Pilot Program began in January 2019 and concluded in December 2020. PAs participating in the Pilot program were able to answer answered 25 test questions all at once or throughout the quarter, each quarter for two years – January 2019 through December 2020.
These multiple-choice questions (developed by PA colleagues) assessed core medical knowledge, the knowledge all PAs maintain regardless of the specialty or setting in which they work. Pilot participants were encouraged to answer the questions without consulting references to help identify any knowledge gaps.
Pilot participants received immediate feedback on whether they got the questions right or wrong and why the right answer was the best choice. They were also provided with a list of references on the topic.
Feedback and other analyses will inform further decisions on the specifics of a permanent Alternative to PANRE. We anticipate that ultimately the new alternative will have similarities to the Pilot and will announce more detail once a final decision has been made.
The PA-C Emeritus® designation was established in 2016 to honor PAs who have demonstrated longstanding commitment to the professionalism and standards required of Certified PAs but who are no longer clinically practicing and do not have the need to be certified any longer.
Applicants will be awarded the PA-C Emeritus designation if they meet the following requirements:
*Acceptable documentation is a statement, record or letter on official letterhead from one of the following: a treating physician/medical professional, a federal government agency which issues or provides disability benefits or a state vocational rehabilitation agency.
There is a one-time $50 application fee. Proceeds from the PA-C Emeritus program will benefit the PA Foundation scholarship program, expanding the NCCPA Endowed Scholarship that awards multiple scholarships each year with the ultimate aim of reducing health disparities.
Applications are accepted only from PAs who are currently certified, and the Emeritus designation will be awarded in conjunction with certification expiration.
Like NCCPA certification, the PA-C Emeritus designation shall be maintained on two-year, calendar year cycles. There is no renewal fee.
Maintenance requires completion of a reapplication process, which will include attestation that the PA continues to meet the requirements established for initial eligibility. The PA-C Emeritus designation shall be suspended if the PA regains certification, and may be restored upon expiration of the regained certification if the PA establishes that he or she continues to meet the requirements established for initial eligibility.
The PA-C Emeritus designation may be verified by any third party by going to “Verify PA Certification” under “Resources” in the toolbar at the top of this page.
The PA-C Emeritus designation is not the equivalent of PA-C certification. Those designated as PA-C Emeritus are not considered certified by NCCPA and may not hold themselves out as such.
The PA-C Emeritus designation may not be used in any clinical setting or in the context of any clinically-related interaction, including clinical volunteer service. This does not mean the PA-C Emeritus designees may not engage in clinical volunteer service. They simply may not identify themselves as a PA-C Emeritus in that setting. Doing so – or committing any other act that would trigger NCCPA disciplinary review for certified PAs — will result in review in accordance with NCCPA’s Policies and Procedures for PA Disciplinary Matters.
PAs who have lost certification may regain it by fulfilling CME requirements and passing PANRE.
Exception: PAs who have lost eligibility for certification due to NCCPA disciplinary proceedings must first apply to reestablish eligibility.
Next steps?
You can log your CME credits, apply and pay for the exam online at your personal record.
Detailed information regarding when you are due to take a recertification exam is available on the dashboard of your online record at www.nccpa.net.
You can apply for the recertification exam by signing in to your online record and selecting the “Apply Now ” link in the Recertifying Exam Status section of your dashboard.
Within 1-3 days after your application is processed and completed, you’ll receive an exam acknowledgement email from NCCPA with instructions on how to schedule your exam.
They are given in both.
Yes, the normal lab values are provided in a separate screen that displays when examinees click “Lab Values.” Some questions may contain lab values that are not included in the separate “Lab Values” screen. In those cases, the appropriate normal range is provided within the text of the question.
Height appears in centimeters, followed by feet and inches in parentheses. An example would be 175.3 cm (5 ft 9 in). Weight appears in kilograms followed by the pound value in parentheses. An exam would be 86.2 kg (190 lb)
The generic name of a drug is always provided. The brand or trade names are also provided if the drug was approved by the FDA approximately five years or less.
No, K questions are no longer on the exam.
You will be notified by email when the results are posted to your online record (approximately two weeks after your exam date).
You must pass by the end of the tenth year, but you may take PANRE up to two times in the ninth and tenth years of your recertification cycle and up to three times in the tenth year of your recertification cycle, with a maximum of four total attempts.
There is a 90-day waiting period between retakes of the same examination.
The 90-day waiting period on PANRE attempts will be waived when (1) there are fewer than 90 days left in the last year of your recertification cycle and (2) you have not already exhausted all PANRE attempts available for the year. In such cases, one final attempt to pass the exam will be permitted.
No, you do not need to submit your CME before taking PANRE for recertification. However, if you are taking PANRE to regain certification, you must fulfill CME requirements prior to applying for PANRE. In addition, all PAs must pay past due fees must be paid before they can test.
To ensure the accuracy and professionalism of CME logging and to strengthen the value of the PA-C, NCCPA randomly audits the Category 1 CME credits of Certified PAs. To complete the CME audit, randomly selected PAs must submit supporting documentation for at least 50 Category 1 credits logged during the cycle for which they are being audited.
PAs being audited are selected by a completely random process. There is nothing that you did or didn’t do that “caused” you to be selected for the audit.
NCCPA audits PAs for a two-year certification maintenance cycle. PAs chosen to be audited will be notified during the year after the PAs previous cycle has ended. A PA could be selected for the audit for up to an entire year after their previous cycle has ended. It is very important for PAs to keep their Category 1 documentation for at least one full year after their two-year certification maintenance cycle has ended. For example: PAs who were audited for the 2013-2015 cycle are notified in 2016.
PAs selected for the NCCPA CME Audit will be notified by the email address and the physical address that we have in your record. Please log into your PA Portal at nccpa.net to ensure that your contact information is accurate.
NCCPA will provide you with a CME Audit Transcript that will list all Category 1 activities logged for the cycle being audited. This transcript will be included in the emailed and mailed notifications sent to you.
Six weeks is the standard amount of time allotted to submit your documentation for the audit. Your exact deadline will be listed in both the emailed and mailed notification correspondence sent to you and will be posted under your “CME” tab, which you can access by signing in to your personal certification record at our website, www.nccpa.net.
If you have a severe and extenuating circumstance which has prohibited you from providing the requested documentation in support of your Category 1 credits, you may request an extension to submit your documentation. NCCPA can grant a one-time only 30-day extension of your original audit deadline. Extensions for longer periods of time cannot be granted. To request an extension of your audit deadline, please submit a written request within the six-week period given to respond to the audit explaining your situation and include any supporting documentation you may have concerning your severe and extenuating circumstance. Requests must be received before the six-week deadline passes. This request can be mailed (12000 Findley Road, Suite 100, Johns Creek, GA 30097), faxed (678.417.8135) or emailed to audit@nccpa.net. Be sure to include your name and NCCPA identification number on the request.
If NCCPA has a valid email address on record, you will receive an official letter via email. If we do not have a valid email address on record, an official letter will be sent via postal mail to the mailing address we have on record for you. The letter will state your new audit deadline date.
Acceptable supporting documentation includes certificates received upon completion of an activity from the CME provider, a hospital-generated list of programs attended, or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of a CME activity. Other documentation may be considered at the discretion of NCCPA. Acceptable documentation for Category 1 credits should state that the activity has been approved by one of our four CME sponsors (AMA, AAPA, AAFP, AOA, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), or the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC)). There should also be a statement indicating the number of Category 1 credits awarded for the individual activity. If the documentation you have for a Category 1 activity does not state this information, the activity cannot be considered Category 1 CME.
What is considered acceptable documentation for certificate programs like BLS, ACLS, or PALS?
NCCPA will accept a copy of the card you received, a certificate of attendance or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of the certificate program.
In instances where the certificate shows the credits earned as “contact hours” or “CEU” credit, the certificate of completion accreditation statement will be thoroughly reviewed to determine Category 1 CME credit eligibility.
Please note: In most cases, NCCPA does not accept Category I CME credit for activities that award contact hours or CEU credit. However, these activities are approved for Category II CME credit.
“Confirmed” credits are Category I credits that NCCPA has received documentation for or Category I credits logged through the Conference Logging System. Since these credits have already been confirmed as Category I, no additional supporting documentation is required.
Supporting documentation can be mailed (12000 Findley Road, Suite 100, Johns Creek, GA 30097), faxed (678.417.8135) or emailed to audit@nccpa.net. Be sure to include your name and NCCPA identification number on all materials.
It takes approximately 7-10 business days for NCCPA to complete an audit. Once your documentation has been reviewed, if we cannot verify at least 50 Category 1 credits, we will notify you via email (or telephone, if you do not have a valid email address on record). NOTE: It is strictly the PAs responsibility to check the status of their audit to ensure NCCPA has received the appropriate documentation.
Sign in to your personal certification record at www.nccpa.net and click on “CME” in the left-hand menu bar then choose “CME Audit Information”.
Yes. Additional Category I CME credits can be submitted to meet the audit requirements as long as the credits have not been previously logged to meet certification maintenance requirements and the credits were earned within the earning window of the cycle that is being audited. Acceptable documentation will have to be submitted in order to have these credits applied to the audited cycle.
PAs who are unable to submit supporting documentation for at least 50 Category I credits will fail the CME audit and will automatically be audited for their new cycle.
NCCPA will send an official email to you once your audit has been completed. If we do not have a valid email address, an official letter will be mailed to the address we have on record for you.
PAs who fail the audit because they reported Category I CME credits that could not be substantiated, that were erroneously reported as Category I activities, or that were incorrectly categorized as self-assessment or performance improvement CME will retain certification but will be audited again during the next two-year certification maintenance cycle and will be subject to the following additional requirements which must be completed prior to the expiration of their current two-year NCCPA certification including:
In the second audit, PAs are required to submit appropriate documentation to NCCPA as they log their Category I and II CME credits. This documentation includes certificates of completion (for Category I CME credits), and all CME must be logged on an NCCPA paper logging form. If all required CME credits (including replacement credits) are not earned, logged and documented before the end of the certification expiration year, certification will lapse.
PAs who successfully maintain certification during the second audit, including completing the requirements specified above for the failed audit, will also be subject to an additional audit of their Category I credits in at least one of their next three certification maintenance cycles.
The CME Audit Detail Report is your audit transcript that shows which Category I credits have been verified by NCCPA and any discrepancies in activity information that was logged (i.e., incorrect sponsor, incorrect provider, incorrect activity name and/or date).
The new 10-year certification maintenance cycle will include five, two-year CME cycles. Every two-year cycle, you will need to earn and log 100 CME credits, including 50 Category I credits. You will need pass PANRE by the end of your 10th year instead of the 6th year. You will have the option to take it year early in the 9th year.
Your CME credits should be earned and logged by 11:59 p.m. PT, December 31 of your certification expiration year along with submitting the certification maintenance fee. Sign in to your personal certification record to view any outstanding requirements and upcoming deadlines.
NCCPA accepts Category I CME credit for activities designated by the AMA PRA Category I Credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Acceptable supporting documentation for Category I credits includes certificates, a hospital-generated list or transcript of CME activities attended, or written verification of attendance of credits earned from the accredited provider. The documentation should indicate the PA’s name, name of the accredited ACCME organization, title and date of the CME activity, and the number of credits designated for Category I Credit. If the documentation does not state this information, the CME activity should be logged as Category II CME.
Sign into your personal record and follow these instructions.
CME credits cannot be transferred from a closed cycle to a new cycle. If there is a special circumstance requiring the transfer of credits between cycles, a request must be sent to cme@nccpa.net.
Credits earned on or after May 1 of your current certification expiration year can be transferred to the next cycle, if both of the following conditions exist:
Taking an NCCPA exam does not qualify for Category I CME credit. However, you may claim your studying, preparation, and reading time for Category II CME credit.
Simply log the exact number of credits earned according to your certificate with up to two decimal places (i.e., 1.75, 2.5, etc).
You can earn Category I credit for certain certification programs. View a complete list of certification programs.
The maximum number of Category I credits that you can earn as an instructor is included in the list of certification programs. However, you may only log those instructor credits once each year (or twice per logging cycle) regardless of how many times you actually teach the course. Additional, duplicative instructing activities may be logged for Category II credit based on the number of hours spent preparing for and teaching the course.
The ATLS course does count for Category I (Preapproved) CME credit even though you did not receive a card or certificate for completing the course. You should have received a “letter of audit” indicating that you attended the course. If you are audited by NCCPA, the letter of audit (with a date listed) from the CME provider will be sufficient documentation of the activity.
You can earn Category I credit for delivering lectures to PA students or other medical professionals if the attendees receive documentation that the activity is approved for Category I credit. If the lecture was not preapproved for Category I credit, you can log time spent preparing for and delivering the lecture as Category II credit. Category II CME is earned on an hour-for-hour basis.
There are no maximums on the number of credits that you can earn for any Category 2 activity. All Category 2 credits are earned on an hour-for-hour basis.
The activity start and end dates are the dates the provider list on documentation as the date the activity began and ended.
Category II CME is any medically related activity that enhances the role of a PA (including journal reading). If you serve on committees at the local, state or national level that meet those qualifications, you may log the time you spend on committee work for Category II credit.
CME earning windows always open on May 1. You can begin earning and logging CME credits for your next cycle on May 1 during the certification expiration year of your current cycle.
Sign in to your online portal at www.nccpa.net/sign-in. Select the CME menu. Under the CME Details tab, select the appropriate CME Cycle Year to view the transcript. If you desire to print the transcript, select the Print button.
NCCPA provides the option to upload Category I CME documentation during the logging process; however, you should keep your Category I CME documentation for your current CME cycle and your last CME cycle in case you are audited and additional information is needed. For example, if you are currently on the 2019-2021 CME cycle, you need to keep that documentation and the 2017-2019 CME cycle documentation. NCCPA does not audit Category II CME.
Check with your state medical board regarding their individual auditing and documentation requirements.
Acceptable supporting documentation includes certificates received upon completion of an activity from the CME provider, a hospital-generated list of programs attended, or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of a CME activity. Other documentation may be considered at the discretion of NCCPA. Acceptable documentation for Category 1 credits should state that the activity has been approved by one of our four CME sponsors (AMA, AAPA, AAFP, AOA, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), or the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC)). There should also be a statement indicating the number of Category I credits awarded for the individual activity. If the documentation you have for a Category I activity does not state this information, the activity cannot be considered Category I CME.
In instances where the certificate shows the credits earned as “contact hours” or “CEU” credit, the certificate of completion accreditation statement will be thoroughly reviewed to determine Category I CME credit eligibility.
Please note: In most cases, NCCPA does not accept Category I CME credit for activities that award contact hours or CEU credit. However, these activities are approved for Category II CME credit.
NCCPA will accept a copy of the card you received, a certificate of attendance or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of the certificate program.
PAs who have let their NCCPA certification lapse may regain it by fulfilling CME requirements and passing the PANRE.
To be eligible to apply for PANRE to regain certification, you must first log at least 100 Category 1 CME credits earned within the two-year period ending on the date your PANRE application is submitted to NCCPA.
For example, if you plan on applying for PANRE on June 1, 2017, your CME earning window will be June 1, 2015 – June 1, 2017. You can apply any CME credits that you have previously earned within the timeframe mentioned above.
You will be eligible to apply for PANRE as soon as you meet the CME requirement (100 Category 1 CME earned within the two-year period ending on the date your PANRE application is received.)
PAs may take PANRE only one time in any single 90-day period.
There is no limit on the number of attempts to take PANRE for regaining certification. However, the 100 Category 1 CME credits earned within the two-year period ending on the date your PANRE application requirement must be met for each exam application.
When you sign in to your online record, you will need to submit your projected exam application date. You will receive your CME earning window based on that projected application date. As you enter your CME credits, the system will calculate your credits and your dashboard will show the amount you have logged and how many are needed.
If you have met the CME requirement, the exam application link will be provided in your dashboard.
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