The PANCE has 300 multiple-choice questions in 5 blocks of 60, with 60 minutes for each block. You get 45 minutes of break time in total between blocks and 15 minutes for the tutorial.
| Questions | 300 multiple choice, five options each |
|---|---|
| Blocks | 5 blocks of 60, 60 minutes each |
| Breaks | 45 minutes in total, between blocks |
| Where | Pearson VUE test centers, all year |
You may answer the questions in a block in any order, and review and change answers while that block's time lasts. Once you leave a block, or its time runs out, you cannot go back to it.
You manage your own break time. Five hours of questions plus the breaks and the tutorial make a full day: plan your pace at about a minute a question.
Medical content is 94% of the exam, organized by organ system, and professional practice is 6%:
Every medical question is also coded to one task, so the same organ system is tested from several angles:
12% to 15% of questions focus on conditions in pediatric patients, and up to 8% to 10% cover general surgical topics. NCCPA notes that the exact shares can vary slightly from one exam to another.
A 74-year-old woman with COPD has 1 week of worsening dyspnea and mild ankle swelling. Her examination is difficult to interpret because of hyperinflation and scattered wheezes. Which of the following blood tests best helps determine whether heart failure is contributing to her dyspnea?
A 3-year-old girl is brought in at night with a barking cough and a hoarse voice after 2 days of cold symptoms. Which of the following findings would most indicate that her croup is moderate rather than mild?
A PA explains to a 58-year-old man the nature of a planned joint injection, how it is done, its expected benefits and its material risks. The patient asks no questions. Which additional element must be discussed for his consent to be informed?
300 multiple-choice questions, in 5 blocks of 60.
5 hours of questions: 60 minutes for each block of 60. On top of that come 45 minutes of break time and a 15-minute tutorial.
Fourteen organ-system categories make up 94% of the exam, led by cardiovascular (11%) and pulmonary (9%), and professional practice makes up 6%. Each medical question is also coded to a task such as formulating the most likely diagnosis (18%) or pharmaceutical therapeutics (15%).
Only within the block you are in. After you leave a block, or its time runs out, its answers are locked.