NCCPA for Students: PANCE AT A GLANCE PRESENTER’S NAME

NCCPA for Students: PANCE AT A GLANCE PRESENTER’S NAME Presenter’s title

131,000 certified PAs at the end of 2018 About Certified PAs Average starting salary 94,646 PAs are a young profession; 55% are under the age of 40 33% 67%

About Certified PAs in Today’s Workforce U.S. News and World Report ranked physician assistant as #3 of the 100 Best Jobs of 2019 The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the PA profession will grow 37% by 2026

Only national certifying body for PAs Certifying PAs since 1975 About NCCPA Rely on PA practice data to inform our certification programs Publish statistical reports to inform employers, policy makers, the media, patients and others Promote qualifications and roles of certified PAs to various audiences (physicians, employers, state medical boards, public, etc.)

Our Mission is More than Creating Exams NCCPA is committed to helping maximize the safe, productive, and competent practice of medicine by certified PAs

1. The first concern must be to serve the public’s interest as we work to determine how we most effectively can deliver a recertification exam process that supports delivery of high quality, affordable, accessible health care Our Underpinnin g Principles 2. To support the flexibility PAs have to change specialties during their career span and to work in multiple specialties concurrently, it is important to maintain the generalist nature of the PA-C credential

State PA Chapte rs Our Stakeholder s Publ ic (Primary stakehold er) PAs PA Studen ts Physicia ns NCCP A Employe rs PA Program s& Faculty Policy makers Credentiali ng bodies State licensi ng agenci es Third party payers

Requireme nts to Earn Your PA-C Graduation from a PA program accredited by ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant) Students must graduate or complete program requirements before taking the exam Passing Score on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) Students can be certified within 4 weeks of graduation or less in most cases

PANCE: What is on the exam?

Computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE 200 exam centers (www.pearsonvue.com/nccpa) PANCE Quick Glance 300 multiple-choice questions that assess general medical and surgical knowledge Five-hour exam 15 minute tutorial at beginning of exam 5 blocks of 60 questions, 60 minutes each 45 minutes of break time for the entire day

Can be found at www.nccpa.net/pance-content-blueprint Examinati on Content Blueprint Two dimensions: 1. Organ systems and the diseases, disorders and medical assessments PAs encounter within those systems 2. The knowledge and skills PAs should exhibit when confronted with those diseases, disorders and assessments

13% Cardiovascular System 10% Pulmonary System 9% Gastrointestinal System/Nutrition 8% Musculoskeletal System Distributio n (%) of Content by Organ System Reproductive System (Male and Female) 7% Neurologic System 7% Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat 7% Endocrine System 7% Psychiatry/Behavioral Science 6% 6% Infectious Diseases Renal System 5% Hematologic System 5% Genitourinary System (Male and Female) 5% Dermatologic System 5%

Professional Practice 10% Applying Basic Scientific Concepts Distribution (%) of Content by Knowledge & Skill (Task) Areas 2019 Blueprint 5% Pharmaceutical Therapeutics 14% Clinical Intervention 14% Health Maintenance, Patient Education, & Preventive Measures 10% 18% Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis 12% Using Diagnostic and Laboratory Studies History Taking and Performing Physical Examination 0% 17% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Preparing for PANCE Every Day You are preparing for PANCE every day through what you are learning in your program The most difficult part of preparing for PANCE is sorting out the vault of knowledge in your own head

50 online Practice Exam 120 questions taken from the exam item banks (Two sections of 60 questions each) Practice Exams General performance feedback helps inform your exam preparation Register online the same way you do for a certification exam

By Exam Content and Task Area Performance band for overall performance Format of Practice Exam Feedback Your mean performance on the test questions in each content area Mean performance of test questions when last administered on exam

PANCE: Registration, Application and Resources

Register at www.nccpa.n et

PANCE Application

PANCE Application – NAME

PANCE Applicati on

Name Confirmati on

You can apply as soon as your program has entered your expected graduation date but no sooner than 90 days prior to your expected graduation date. Applying for PANCE You will receive an Exam Acknowledgement email from NCCPA 3-5 days after the application process has been completed 180-day exam window (starting 7 days after your graduation date) Details about how to schedule your exam Cost: 500

Exam Acknowledgem ent Email PLEAS E READ! ! Information and link to FULL O F schedule Iyour MPOexam RTANT INFO! Policy reminders Preparing for PANCE information and link to exam tutorial/demonstration What to expect on exam day

PANCE Exam Day: What can I expect?

Read ALL correspondence and view a short video at www.nccpa.net for detailed instructions about what to expect on exam day Exam Day Be sure the name on the ID you will present at the test center matches your name as listed with NCCPA Two forms of valid ID required If you don’t have the appropriate ID, you won’t be able to take your exam! If something goes wrong, call NCCPA before you leave the exam center! (678) 417-8100 Visit www.nccpa.net/ID for list of required ID & acceptable name differences.

Primary ID: The primary ID must be a valid (not expired) original document (not a photocopy or fax) and contain a permanently affixed photo of you, your pre-printed name and your signature. Identificati on Informatio n Acceptable examples (as long as they meet the above criteria) are: Driver's license Passport Military ID Student ID Naturalization papers International Driver's License issued by government Employee ID State issued ID

Secondary ID: The secondary ID must be a valid (not expired) original document (not a photocopy or fax) and contain the examinee's pre-printed name and their signature. Identificati on Informatio n Acceptable examples (as long as they meet the above criteria) are: Driver's license For more information about acceptable ID Military ID and name differences, Student ID visit www.nccpa.net Employee ID Credit card Social Security card and navigate to: Become Certified PANCE Registration Name Changes

Arrive 30 minutes early Exam Day Pearson VUE will take a photo and a palm vein scan each time you enter and leave the testing room Lockers will be provided to store your personal items or leave them at home or in your car

You won’t be allowed to bring any personal items into the exam room including but not limited to Exam Day Watches, bracelets, purses Electronic equipment Hats, jackets, sweaters Food and drink Notes

All examinees are provided with earplugs Noise Reducing Headsets are provided and can be requested at the test center -- In some test centers, they already have them on the workstation All examinees are given one sheet of laminated paper and a dry erase marker to use during the exam Exam Day The test center will also provide tissues Items considered "Comfort Aids" can be taken into the test center without approval through an accommodations request A link to the list of comfort aids that do not require special accommodations can be found a: www.nccpa.net/SpecialAccommodations

Exam Day Tips Take breaks between exam blocks (scheduled breaks). Keep in mind your total break time is limited to 45 minutes. Scheduled Break – occurs BETWEEN exam blocks Unscheduled Break – occurs DURING exam blocks ***Unscheduled breaks do not stop the clock*** Taking long or frequent breaks early may leave you with no break time — even between blocks —later in the day Each time you leave, you will be required to sign out and sign back in upon return.

Answer every question. Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly; points aren’t deducted for incorrect answers Exam Tips You may answer the questions within a block in any order, and you may review and change responses within a block of questions during the time allotted for that section Mark (flag) those that you’re not sure about, and review them if you have time at the end of the block. The computer assists in review of skipped and marked items

Exam Tips There are NO “True/False”, “All of the Above”, or “None of the Above” questions on the exam After you exit a block of exam questions or after time expires for that block, you won’t be allowed to review its questions or change your answers

PANCE: Life after the exam

Do not discuss the exam with others After the Exam Sharing exam questions or even general subject matter with others constitutes “irregular behavior” and it is considered cheating. It’s just not worth it! If an unusual event or condition occurred during the administration of the exam, document the situation in writing and contact NCCPA within 3 business days of your exam We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or 678-417-8100

Did an unusual event or condition occur during the administration of your exam? Report any incident to Pearson VUE staff before leaving and get an Incident Report # Exam Grievan ce Submit information to: [email protected] Must be submitted within three (3) business days of your exam date Simply reporting your grievance to the test center staff does not constitute a formal examination grievance You may NOT submit an exam grievance for the following: Exam Score Exam Content

Results When your results are ready (about two weeks after your exam date) you will receive email instructions for accessing your score report available via your online record. To ensure receipt of your score notification email, be sure NCCPA has your current email address.

You PASSED!! Exams/ View Results Score Report Performance Interpretation Guidelines

Keep in mind two key policies: Policy You are limited to taking PANCE one time in any 90-day period or up to three times in a calendar year, whichever is fewer You may attempt PANCE up to six times within six years of your program completion

Request certification status and score results be sent to Third Parties Dashboard – Credentialin g Info Release Click here to view Previous Requests

Dashboard – My Account/ Personal Info We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or 678-417-8100

CME: Maintaining your certification

1. Get definitive information about your certification only from NCCPA Tips for Maintaini ng Your Certificati on 2. Read all NCCPA correspondence 3. Take personal responsibility for your certification, i.e. don’t delegate 4. Update your personal information: email address, name change, postal address, phone number 5. Log CME as you earn it 6. Save all Category 1 CME documentation for 4 years

There’s an app for that! Tips for Maintaini ng Your Certificati on ation c fi i t r e C f your o k c a r t Keep Log CME a s you earn it! We are always there for you at NCCPA.net or 678-417-8100

100 CME credits every two years - 50 Category 1 credits Certification Maintenanc e Process - Self-assessment CME and PI-CME are now optional PANRE every 10 years

NCCPA: Helping PAs Succeed

CALL: 678-417-8100 Questions for NCCPA? Information Service Representatives available to answer your questions Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST) EMAIL: [email protected] Explore our website at www.NCCPA.net See what other Certified PAs are doing at www.PAsDoThat.net

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/5-answers-from-nccpa/ id1358442966?mt 2 NCCPA Podcast Yes, we have one too!

Telling the World about Certified PAs Ongoing effort to publish articles and garner positive media attention for Certified PAs Online hub: www.PAsDoThat.net

Connecting with Employers Search hundreds of jobs for Certified PAs Upload your résumé Set up alerts for new jobs Click “Career Center” Link at www.nccpa.net

THANK YOU! Follow us on: Facebook - @NCCPAcert Twitter - @NCCPAcert LinkedIn – National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants Instagram – nccpa cert www.nccpa.net