The PANCE rules at a glance
- exam fee, paid when you apply
- $550
- until results are posted
- ~2 weeks
- at least, between attempts
- 90 days
- attempts at most in a calendar year
- 3
- attempts within six years of finishing your program
- 6
Checked against nccpa.net on November 1, 2026.1,2,3 For how the exam is scored, the passing score and national pass rates, see How PANCE Scores Work.
How much does the PANCE cost?
When the $550 is forfeited
- No exam in your timeframe. You did not test in your 180-day window and did not withdraw in writing in time: at least one business day before a scheduled appointment, or by the last day of the timeframe if nothing is scheduled.
- A late change. You canceled or rescheduled with Pearson VUE less than one business day before your date.
- Arriving late. You reached the test center after the cut-off time.
- Missing or mismatched ID. You did not bring two valid IDs whose names meet NCCPA's name-matching rules.
- An unfinished exam. You did not complete all required parts of the exam.
The PANCE costs $550, paid with your application. NCCPA does not process the application until the payment is complete.1,2 A returned check, declined card or chargeback adds a $35 service charge.2
The larger risk is losing the fee. NCCPA keeps the entire $550, and you must reapply and pay again, if you miss your exam timeframe, change your date too late, arrive after the cut-off, arrive without the required ID, or do not complete the exam. Once you begin the exam, no part of the fee is refunded or credited.2
A retake is a new application, so each attempt carries its own fee. A candidate who passes on a second attempt has paid $1,100 in exam fees, before any study materials.1
How to register, and when to schedule
From program to test date
- Your program sends NCCPA your expected graduation date.
- NCCPA emails an account link, good for three days.
- You apply and pay $550, from 180 days before completion.
- The acknowledgement arrives within three days and gives the dates of your 180-day timeframe.
- You book with Pearson VUE. The first possible date is seven days after completion.
Registration starts with your program. Once it tells NCCPA your expected graduation date, NCCPA emails you a link to set up your account. The link expires after three days. NCCPA accepts applications from 180 days before your expected completion date.1
Within three days of applying (longer if you request accommodations) you receive an exam acknowledgement with scheduling instructions. It gives the dates of your 180-day exam timeframe, which are based on your completion date and your application, so the timeframe may begin after the acknowledgement arrives. You book a date at one of more than 300 Pearson VUE test centers.1 The earliest you can test is seven days after your program completion date, once your program director has confirmed it.2 If you apply late in your six-year eligibility, the timeframe ends when your eligibility does.2
When should you schedule? Book as soon as the acknowledgement arrives. NCCPA advises scheduling early to get your preferred center and date, and the PANCE is given year-round: its 2026 testing period runs January 2 to December 18, 2026.2,4 The date itself should follow your preparation, not the first open seat. The PANCE study planner turns the weeks before it into a plan.
To change your date, cancel or reschedule with Pearson VUE at least one business day ahead. Canceling with Pearson VUE does not withdraw you from your timeframe. If you will not test in it at all, ask NCCPA in writing to withdraw your application, or the fee is forfeited. NCCPA must receive the request at least one business day before a scheduled appointment, or by the last day of the timeframe if nothing is scheduled.2
What to bring on test day: two IDs
IDs NCCPA lists as examples
Primary: photo, name and signature
- Driver's license
- Passport
- Military ID (no visible signature required)
- Student ID
- Naturalization papers
- International driver's license issued by a government
- Employee ID
- State-issued ID
Secondary: name and signature
- Driver's license
- Military ID (no visible signature required)
- Student ID
- Employee ID
- Social Security card
- Credit card
Bring two valid, current, original IDs. One must have a permanently attached photo, your printed name and your signature. The second must have your printed name and signature. Two primary IDs also work.1,2 Without them you cannot test, and the fee is forfeited.2
- The names must match. Your first and last names must match your NCCPA and Pearson VUE records, subject to the exceptions NCCPA lists. A middle initial on one ID and the full middle name on the other is one of them; a nickname on one and your full name on the other is not, and more than one difference is not accepted. Read the full rules on NCCPA's Name Changes/ID Information page.5
- No grace periods. An ID past its expiration date is not valid, unless it comes with paperwork showing you have filed for renewal.5
- Originals only. Photocopies, faxes and digital IDs are not accepted, and an unsigned ID cannot be signed at the center.5
- Changed your name? Update NCCPA first. It updates your record within three business days of receiving approved documents.5
Arrive at least 30 minutes early. The center takes your photo, signature, fingerprint or palm vein image, and assigns a locker. Phones, watches, bags, notes, food and drinks stay in the locker, and you can reach them only on a scheduled break, apart from medication or food you need at a set time and have approval for. You write only on the center's erasable note board.2,6 Items on Pearson VUE's list of comfort and medical aids do not need an accommodations request, and the center provides earplugs or headphones, so leave your own at home.3 The day's blocks and break time are covered in How PANCE Scores Work.
Testing accommodations: request them when you apply
Requesting accommodations
- Read NCCPA's Policies and Procedures for Examination Accommodations, and share them with the professionals who will document your request.
- Complete the accommodations request online as part of the exam application.
- Had accommodations in your PA program? Have the program complete NCCPA's Certification of Prior Test Accommodations form.
- Upload documentation from a qualified provider that names the accommodations you need and how they address your limitations.
- If approved, sign and return the Accommodation Agreement.
- Your exam acknowledgement follows in about 3 to 5 business days.
NCCPA provides accommodations for documented disabilities under the ADA, and for qualifying medical conditions that are temporary or not otherwise covered by the ADA.2,7 Examples include extended time, frequent breaks, a separate room, a reader, and a medical device that is not on the approved list of comfort and medical aids.3
Ask with your exam application, following NCCPA's six steps.7 NCCPA typically decides within 3 to 5 days of receiving complete documentation.3 Your application waits until then, and a delay can narrow the dates and centers left to choose from.2
If you already applied without a request, you must withdraw the application in writing, which cancels any scheduled date, and reapply with the request.3 If you had accommodations on an earlier NCCPA exam, you may not need to resubmit documentation, but you still submit the request with each application.7
When do PANCE results come out?
After test day
- Test day You finish the exam at the center.
- Within three business days The deadline to file a grievance about testing conditions, if something went wrong.
- About two weeks NCCPA posts your result to your online record and emails you.
- Then Your program can see the score in NCCPA's program portal, and you can release it to a state board.
About two weeks after your test date. NCCPA emails you as soon as your result is posted to your online certification record.2,3 There is no earlier way to see it. A result is held if any NCCPA fees are outstanding.2 NCCPA also releases PANCE scores to your PA program through its program portal.2
What time of day, and on weekends? NCCPA does not publish a release time or day of the week. Its only stated timing is about two weeks. Forum reports of a particular hour or weekday are anecdotes, not policy, so watch your email rather than a clock.
Why does it take two weeks? NCCPA does not explain the interval. Its policies do say that every examinee's performance is monitored and may be analyzed statistically, and that a score can be held while NCCPA checks its validity.2
While you wait, counting the questions you think you missed will not tell you your result. Some questions on every form are unscored pretest items,8 and the result is a scaled score, not a percentage correct. The scale and the passing score are explained in How PANCE Scores Work.
For a state license, request a score or eligibility release to your state board from your NCCPA online record (the Certification Info Release option).3
How many times can you take the PANCE?
Two worked examples
The 90-day rule. First attempt July 10, 2026.
July 10 + 90 calendar days = October 8, 2026, the earliest second attempt.
October 8 + 90 calendar days = January 6, 2027, the earliest third.
The calendar-year cap. Attempts on January 5, April 5 and July 4, 2027.
The 90-day rule alone would allow October 2, 2027.
Three attempts in 2027 are used, so the next waits for 2028.
Up to six times, within six years of completing your program's graduation requirements. Eligibility ends when you use the six attempts or reach six years, whichever comes first. This rule covers candidates who have never been certified and who graduated from an ARC-PA accredited program on or after January 1, 2003.2
Between attempts, two limits apply at once: one attempt in any 90-day period, and no more than three in a calendar year, whichever allows fewer.1,2 Each retake is a new application with its own fee, and you can be registered for only one NCCPA exam at a time.1,2
Once either limit is reached, eligibility ends, and NCCPA does not waive eligibility requirements. The only way to regain it is to enter and complete an unabridged ARC-PA accredited PA program again.2
What happens if you fail the PANCE?
You can retake it. A failed attempt uses one of your six, and the next can be no sooner than 90 days later, within the calendar-year cap and your six-year window.2 Each attempt needs its own application and fee, so you apply and pay again when you are ready.1 Your program will see the result through NCCPA's program portal.2
A grievance is not a way to contest a failing score. It covers only an unusual event during the administration that significantly affected your performance, it must reach NCCPA within three business days of the exam, and it may not be used to challenge exam design, content or a failing score.2 Other NCCPA decisions can be reviewed on written request, with 30 days to ask for further review after an adverse decision.2
Your score report shows your scaled score and content-area subscores. Read them before you plan; How PANCE Scores Work explains what the subscores and their error bars can and cannot tell you.
A recovery plan for the retake
- Take a few days before you plan. Rest first. The rules give you time: at least 90 days before the next attempt, and up to six attempts in all.
- Choose a date you can be ready for. Find the earliest date with the calculator below, then pick the date your preparation supports. The earliest date is a limit, not a target. Apply once you have it, so your 180-day timeframe covers it.
- Let the report set your priorities. Start with the content areas that were low and carry many questions on the blueprint. Treat a low score in a small area as a lead to check, not a verdict, since it rests on few questions. Breeze Ed's performance analytics break your practice results down the same way, to the topic and condition, so you can see whether a weak area is improving.
- Change how you study, not only how much. Keep an error log: for each miss, write why the right answer is right and why your choice was wrong, then retest the topic a few days later. Breeze Ed's custom exam builder can build that retest from just the topics or conditions you missed.
- Rebuild stamina with full-length practice. The PANCE is 300 questions over five hours.6 Take timed, full-length practice exams under test conditions, and plan your break time as you will on the day. Breeze Ed's Clinical plan includes three full-length, 300-question PANCE practice exams. Through November 30, code NOV25 takes 25% off your first payment.
- Use the people around you. Ask your program what support it offers graduates preparing to retest. If a job offer depends on certification, talk with the employer early about timing.
When can I take the PANCE next?
Enter the date you completed your PA program and any attempts you have taken. The example below is a graduate who tested six weeks ago.
Earliest next attempt
December 17, 2026
90 days after your attempt on September 18, 2026. NCCPA allows one attempt in any 90-day period.
- Attempts used
- 1 of 6
- Attempts left
- 5
- Six-year window ends
- June 5, 2032
A planning aid built from NCCPA's rules as published on November 1, 2026: one attempt in any 90 days, three per calendar year, six within six years, and the first test no sooner than seven days after completion, inside NCCPA's posted testing periods.1,2,4 NCCPA does not say how it counts the 90 days, so this counts calendar days from the attempt date. The dates in your exam acknowledgement email are the ones that apply. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
