PANCE: the practice module
Exam body: NCCPA. Verified for Content Blueprint for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), effective January 2025 on October 31, 2026.
What it covers
Covers: standard multiple-choice questions written to this exam’s outline, format and timing.
Does not cover: nothing else; the real exam is multiple-choice throughout.
Question format
- Each question has between 4 and 5 options.
- One correct answer per question.
- Not allowed as an option: “all of the above”, “none of the above”.
- Stems follow the exam’s conventions, such as “Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?”, “Which of the following is the most appropriate next step?”, “Which of the following is the most appropriate initial diagnostic study?”, “Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action for the physician assistant?”.
Exam mode
The real exam is 300 questions in 300 minutes. Exam mode keeps that pace for any number of questions. It is split into 5 sections.
Topics
The official topic list, as the exam body names it. Your questions must use these names; the coverage dashboard compares your set to each topic’s official weight.
| Topic | Weight | Subtopics |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular System | 11% | Cardiomyopathy · Conduction disorders/dysrhythmias · Congenital heart disease · Coronary artery disease · Heart failure · Hypertension · Hypotension · Lipid disorders · Shock · Traumatic, infectious, and inflammatory heart conditions · Valvular disorders · Vascular disease |
| Dermatologic System | 4% | Acneiform eruptions · Desquamation · Diseases/disorders of the hair and nails · Envenomations and arthropod bite reactions · Infectious diseases · Keratotic disorders · Neoplasms · Papulosquamous disorders · Pigment disorders · Skin integrity · Vascular abnormalities · Vesiculobullous disease · Other dermatologic disorders |
| Endocrine System | 6% | Adrenal disorders · Diabetes mellitus · Hypogonadism · Metabolic syndrome · Neoplasms · Parathyroid disorders · Pituitary disorders · Thyroid disorders |
| Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat | 6% | Eye disorders · Ear disorders · Foreign bodies of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat · Trauma of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat · Neoplasms · Nose/sinus disorders · Oropharyngeal disorders |
| Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition | 8% | Biliary disorders · Colorectal disorders · Diarrhea · Esophageal disorders · Gastric disorders · Gastrointestinal bleeding · Hepatic disorders · Hernias · Hyperemesis · Ingestion of toxic substances or foreign bodies · Metabolic disorders · Neoplasms · Nutrition · Obesity · Pancreatic disorders · Small intestine disorders |
| Genitourinary System | 4% | Benign prostatic hyperplasia · Bladder disorders · Congenital and acquired abnormalities · Infectious disorders · Neoplasms · Nephrolithiasis/urolithiasis · Penile disorders · Testicular disorders · Urethral disorders |
| Hematologic System | 5% | Autoimmune disorders · Coagulation disorders · Cytopenias · Cytoses · Hereditary disorders · Immunologic disorders · Neoplasms, premalignancies, and malignancies · Transfusion reaction |
| Infectious Diseases | 7% | Bacterial diseases · Fungal diseases · Mycobacterial diseases · Parasitic diseases · Perinatal transmission of disorders · Prion diseases · Sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome · Spirochetal diseases · Viral diseases |
| Musculoskeletal System | 8% | Chest/rib disorders · Compartment syndrome · Degenerative diseases · Infectious diseases · Lower extremity disorders · Neoplasms · Rheumatologic disorders · Spinal disorders · Thoracic outlet syndrome · Upper extremity disorders |
| Neurologic System | 7% | Cerebrovascular disorders · Closed head injuries · Cranial nerve palsies · Encephalopathic disorders · Headaches · Infectious disorders · Movement disorders · Neoplasms · Nerve disorders · Neurocognitive disorders · Neuromuscular disorders · Seizure disorders · Spinal cord syndromes |
| Psychiatry/Behavioral Science | 7% | Abuse and neglect · Anxiety disorders · Bipolar and related disorders · Depressive disorders · Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders · Dissociative disorders · Feeding and eating disorders · Human sexuality and gender dysphoria · Neurodevelopmental disorders · Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders · Personality disorders · Psychogenic nonepileptic seizure · Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders · Sleep-wake disorders · Somatic symptom and related disorders · Substance-related and addictive disorders · Trauma- and stressor-related disorders |
| Pulmonary System | 9% | Acute respiratory distress syndrome · Foreign body aspiration · Hyaline membrane disease · Infectious disorders · Neoplasms · Obesity hypoventilation syndrome · Obstructive pulmonary diseases · Pleural diseases · Pulmonary circulation · Restrictive pulmonary diseases · Sleep apnea |
| Renal System | 5% | Acid-base disorders · Acute kidney injury and acute renal failure · Chronic kidney disease/end-stage renal disease · Congenital or structural renal disorders · Electrolyte disorders · Fluid imbalances · Neoplasms · Renovascular disease · Rhabdomyolysis |
| Reproductive System | 7% | Breast disorders · Cervical disorders · Contraceptive methods · Human sexuality and gender identity · Infertility · Menopause · Menstrual disorders · Neoplasms of the breast and reproductive tract · Ovarian disorders · Pelvic inflammatory disease · Pregnancy · Trauma in pregnancy · Uterine disorders · Vaginal/vulvar disorders |
| Professional Practice | 6% | Legal/medical ethics · Medical informatics · Patient care and communication (individual patients) · PA role in professional practice · Professional development · Public health (population/society) · Risk management |
Trademarks
DoMcq is an independent practice tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or approved by any exam body. Exam names are used only to say which exam a module is for. DoMcq holds no exam content: a module is the exam body's published topic names, the question format, the exam's timing, its published weights and a prompt, and every question in DoMcq is a student's own. The marks below belong to their owners. Trademarks
DoMcq is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. (NCCPA); the names are used only to identify the exam. Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination® is a registered trademark, and PANCE and NCCPA may be trademarks, of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. The topic and subtopic names and the weights are from NCCPA's PANCE Content Blueprint (effective January 2025); source: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, https://www.nccpa.net.
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