The national first-time PANCE pass rate is 91%. That is the 2025 calendar-year figure, and it is the most recent number the NCCPA has published — 2026 data arrives in 2027.
Here is every year the NCCPA currently reports, what the trend actually means, and why the number on a program's website is a different number from this one.
National PANCE first-time pass rate, year by year
| Calendar year | National first-time pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 95% |
| 2021 | 93% |
| 2022 | 92% |
| 2023 | 92% |
| 2024 | 92% |
| 2025 | 91% |
| 2026 | Available in 2027 |
So the pass rate is falling. How worried should you be?
Not very — but don't ignore it either.
The honest read is that the rate has drifted down four points since 2020, and it has moved in one direction the whole way: 95, 93, 92, 92, 92, 91. That is not noise. It is a slow, consistent slide.
The equally honest read is that 91% still means roughly nine out of every ten first-time takers pass. If you graduate from an accredited program and you prepare properly, the odds are overwhelmingly with you. This is not an exam most people fail.
What the slide should change is your assumption. A 95% pass rate lets you treat the PANCE as a formality. A 91% doesn't. Roughly one in eleven of the people sitting the exam alongside you this year won't pass it on the first try — and none of them planned on that either.
Why your program's pass rate is a different number
This trips people up constantly, so it's worth being precise.
The number above is the national first-time pass rate for a calendar year — every first-time taker in the country, in one pool.
What a PA program publishes is its own five-year first-time pass rate for its own graduates. Different denominator, different window. You cannot average a bunch of program rates together and arrive at the national figure, and a program sitting at 100% is not telling you the national exam got easier.
Both numbers are useful; they answer different questions. If you want to compare programs on their own five-year rates, we keep every accredited program's live, verified numbers in our PANCE pass rate rankings — searchable, filterable, and updated from the source rather than typed in once and forgotten.
PANRE pass rates — and why the published table stops at 2018
If you go looking for recent PANRE numbers you will not find them, and it is not your search skills. The most recent PANRE pass rate table the NCCPA has published is dated January 2019 and ends with the 2018 exam year.
| Year | First-attempt takers | First-attempt pass rate | Ultimate pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 10,949 | 91% | 96% |
| 2015 | 11,886 | 91% | 96% |
| 2016 | 12,847 | 92% | 97% |
| 2017 | 13,673 | 95% | 98% |
| 2018 | 8,996 | 97% | 99% |
Two things stand out. First-attempt performance climbed steadily, from 91% to 97%. And the ultimate pass rate — the share who pass eventually, allowing for more than one attempt — reached 99%. Practically speaking, PAs who set out to recertify do.
The reason the table froze is that most PAs stopped taking that exam. The PANRE-LA, the longitudinal assessment, became a permanent alternative — registration closed in November 2022 and the first questions went out in January 2023. Instead of one high-stakes sitting, you answer questions quarterly at home over several years.
The pilot that led to it is the most reassuring data point in this whole article: over 18,000 PAs took part in 2019–2020, more than 98% stayed with it for the full two years, and 97.5% of them passed.
Worth knowing if you're deciding between the two: the passing score for the traditional PANRE is 379 on a 200–800 scale. For the PANRE-LA it's 1150 on a 1000–1500 scale. Different scales, so the numbers aren't comparable to each other.
What to actually do with this
Nine out of ten first-time takers pass. You want to be in that nine, and the way you get there hasn't changed: know the blueprint, work problems rather than reread notes, and start early enough that the last month is review instead of panic.
One thing I'll tell you as somebody who has now sat the PANCE and every PANRE since 2004 — I have walked out of every single one convinced I failed. Every time. I never have. That feeling is not information. Don't let it talk you into anything on the drive home.
If you want a study system built around the current blueprint, that's exactly what we built Smarty PANCE for.
Sources
- NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report — national first-time pass rate by calendar year, 2020–2025. Figures cross-checked across three independently published copies of the report (print dates February 2025 and April 2026); the overlapping years agree exactly.
- NCCPA PANRE Pass Rates, published January 2019 — first-attempt and ultimate pass rates, 2014–2018.
- NCCPA PANRE/PANRE-LA Performance Guide — passing scores and scales.
- NCCPA announcement of PANRE-LA as a permanent alternative — timeline and pilot results.
Checked August 2026. The NCCPA releases the prior calendar year's national figure in the spring, so this page is next due for review in spring 2027, when the 2026 number publishes.
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I am comparing average enrollment, graduation, with average initial test takers. The information here is appreciated! Do you know of any data on average enrollment, or more practically class size per school?
Hi, Travis, you can compare schools on many different variables including class site using my PA program picker: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/
Also, you can search geographically and compare most schools on my companion website at https://www.paschoolfinder.com/
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Stephen
I think we need complain to our Gov in every state. One this doesn’t prove anything about our medical knowledge or ability. I have been in medicine for years. One thing people need to understand. Our NCCPA Pres and the person that is in charge of this test, she hasn’t seen a patient herself in over ten years. No wonder her tests are worthless. She probably doesn’t know how to pull out a splinter. She hasn’t taken care of a patient in 10 years. This means she can’t write a test and medical knowledge unless she deeps in texts at the library.
Second,I called the NCCPA and complained about the test. It was interesting what I was told by the NCCPA. They thought about getting rid of the test. But TOO many companies were filing the NCCPA law suits becaiuse all the pre test books seminars were filing suits against them forthe loss of their income and losing money and filing suits against NCCPA from all the prep businesses for the tests. So the NCCPA kept the tests so they would not have to go to court and quiet all the law suits.
I have been told the NCCPA is a non profit organization and they are broke. Lets look at the math here >8k tests divide 6-10 years and 350 per tests plus failure rates. My math tells me they aren’t broke
I sat for the PANRE last Friday. I have practiced 35 years in occupational and family practice. I truly agree the exam leaves you wondering what was that test all about? The world of academia needs to get in touch with the real world of of medicine. The questions are directed at never seen diseases. Never seen in most careers.
Hi James, I think the NCCPA and AAPA agree as well. I am pretty sure we will start seeing the current PANRE phased out over the next 10-20 years. They are already testing a new model (which I am not sold is any better) but you are certainly not alone in your feelings. I am eager to see what happens.
Stephen
Rosh Review is hands down the best review I bought. I bought so many books, Davis, Oconnell, Hippo Pance Review and Rosh Review. Rosh Review questions were longer and gave a better explanation also seemed harder. It helped me get better on my time because their questions are so long. After I did all of the 1720 HIPPO test questions twice, I did all 3000 Rosh Review questions twice and then Reread Oconnell last. I was able to pic out topics in the Oconnell book that I didnt think were important when I read it the first time. I can say that Rosh Review was the reason I Passed the Pance and “Aced” two sections. When I took the PANCE I was able to identify what I was dealing with and eliminate 2 BS answers right off the bat. FYI the questions in the O’connell Book and PA easy are super simple and the PANCE is nothing like that. I would Highly recommend doing a whole bunch of questions before the PANCE, so you get better at test taking. I used a good test taking technique and it worked, 1) Read Answers first, 2) Read last question, 3) Read entire question, 4) Eliminate 2 wrong answers. Doing alot of questions over and over helped me get my time down.
This is good advice Pedro, I have also heard very good things about the Rosh Review Program.
Hi,
I failed PANCE twice and going to attempt my third one by sept 20th. I scored 315. I don’t know what i haven’t done to prepare. Did kaplan question bank, 5 day review course, online kaplan review course and cert & recert book. I need serious advices and evaluation. Please help.
200 multiple choice questions every day for 3 weeks (exam master test bank) with answers to why you missed The questions will surely make you pass. Trust me practice and experience makes perfect
what is the % required to pass, with a 240 bank and a score of 379 and up is passing what is that? 70% 75% 80%. I can find this answer no where.
Hi Jodi. At 65 I sat for my PANRE last week. My last recertification was 2009. I failed. Pretty bummed. I did prepare but came up with 351. Nearly had a panic attack.. feeling a little better. ( found out this morning) First exam I failed since 1984
I totally agree. Just sat for my exam today. Second recertification exam in past 12 years. So much obscure and zebra type questions. Seems like I was guessing on a third of the test. Hopefully there will be a large curve because I like my job
It appears that the NCCPA is in agreement as well! Looks like this will probably be the last time you (and I) will have to sit for this type of exam as the PANRE is going to be getting a big update come 2018. Yeeehaaa!!! I am rooting for you, I’m sure you did great.
Stephen
I took the PANRE for the 5th time today in my 30 year career after studying the 3 books they recommend and took a 5 day course. Maybe 20% was relevant and I am not sure I passed. I don’t believe it tested my medical abilities but tested obscure disease processes and things I would look up if needed and not memorize. I was very disappointed with this exam and the AAPA for allowing it.
Hi Pete, I don’t think there is a PA on earth who doesn’t feel exactly the same way you do after taking the PANRE. I do see some positive changes happening though (especially the change to a 10 year cycle) that makes me think things will get better in the years to come. But as you said, about 20% of the exam seems relevant, so what exactly is the point of designing a recertification exam in such a way? I am not sure it helps make us better PAs.
Thanks for you comment, and don’t stress too much, I feel like I fail every time I take the exam as well and will bet taking my PANRE later this year for my 2nd time… uggh!
– Stephen
Great information. I’m actually a little surprised that the failure rate is that high. The last statement about the numbers from 2003, are those PANCE and PANRE combined numbers?