The PANCE exam: questions, time, score and test dates
The PANCE has 300 multiple-choice questions in five 60-minute blocks, so testing takes five hours and the full appointment six. NCCPA reports scores from 200 to 800, and 350 is the passing score. In 2025 the first-time pass rate was 91.5%. PANCE testing dates 2026 run from January 2 to December 18 at Pearson VUE test centers.
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How many questions are on the PANCE?
There are 300 multiple-choice questions on the PANCE, delivered in five blocks of 60. So if you are asking how many questions is the PANCE per sitting, the answer is all 300 in one appointment; there is no second day.
NCCPA says its exams include both scored and pretest items, and you cannot tell them apart. NCCPA does not state how many questions on the PANCE are pretest items, so answer every question as if it counts.
Source: NCCPA — Test Day. Checked 18 October 2026.
How long is the PANCE exam?
Testing time is five hours: 60 minutes for each block of 60 questions, about one minute per question. Add 45 minutes of break time that you can split between blocks and a 15-minute tutorial, and the whole appointment takes six hours.
Practise at that pace before test day: full blocks of 60 questions in 60 minutes show whether your timing holds for five blocks in a row.
Source: NCCPA — Become Certified. Checked 18 October 2026.
PANCE passing score and score range
The PANCE score range runs from 200 to 800, and the PANCE passing score is 350. Scores are scale scores: NCCPA places all results on one scale to adjust for differences in question difficulty, so 350 is not a percentage of correct answers.
The PANCE exam passing score is set through standard setting, in which a panel of PA experts uses the modified Angoff method and the NCCPA Board approves the final standard. Your score report also shows subscores by content area with an indication of measurement error; NCCPA advises interpreting them with caution because smaller areas have fewer questions.
What is the average PANCE score? NCCPA does not publish an average or percentiles on the pages checked.
Source: NCCPA — PANCE Performance Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
PANCE pass rate
NCCPA publishes a five-year table. The PANCE pass rate for first-time takers was 91.5% in 2025, out of 13,145 candidates; including repeat takers, the PANCE passing rate was 88.4%.
- 2025: 91.5% first-time, 88.4% all takers
- 2024: 92.4% first-time, 89.5% all takers
- 2023: 92.0% first-time, 89.4% all takers
- 2022: 91.9% first-time, 89.0% all takers
- 2021: 93.2% first-time, 91.3% all takers
Source: NCCPA — Five Year Pass Rates for PANCE. Checked 18 October 2026.
PANCE testing dates and exam schedule
The PANCE is not given on single fixed dates. NCCPA lists an administration window, and within it you schedule your own appointment at a Pearson VUE test center. The PANCE test dates 2026 window runs from January 2, 2026 to December 18, 2026; the 2027 window runs from January 2 to December 18, 2027.
Your personal PANCE testing dates are narrower: the earliest is seven days after your program completion, and from the start of your exam timeframe you have 180 days to test. Changes to an appointment must be made at least one business day before the exam through Pearson VUE.
Source: NCCPA — Key Dates. Checked 18 October 2026.
How to register for PANCE exam
To register for PANCE exam dates, you apply to NCCPA and pay $550. NCCPA accepts applications from 180 days before your expected program completion date. After your application is processed, you receive instructions for scheduling your date with Pearson VUE; NCCPA advises scheduling as soon as possible to get your preferred center and date.
Source: NCCPA — PANCE Policies, Procedures and Authorization. Checked 18 October 2026.
PANCE score release and retakes
NCCPA emails you when your results are in, approximately two weeks after your test date. Your PANCE score is withheld if fees are outstanding.
If you do not pass, you can retake the PANCE once in any 90-day period and no more than three times in a calendar year, within the overall limit of six attempts in six years.
Source: NCCPA — PANCE Policies, Procedures and Authorization. Checked 18 October 2026.
PANCE exam: questions people ask
How many questions on the PANCE?
300 multiple-choice questions in five blocks of 60. Source: NCCPA, checked 18 October 2026.
How long is the PANCE exam?
Five hours of testing; six hours in total with 45 minutes of breaks and a 15-minute tutorial. Source: NCCPA, checked 18 October 2026.
What is the passing score for PANCE?
350 on a scale of 200 to 800. Source: NCCPA PANCE Performance Guide, checked 18 October 2026.
What was the PANCE pass rate in 2025?
91.5% for first-time takers and 88.4% for all takers. Source: NCCPA, checked 18 October 2026.
What are the PANCE testing dates 2026?
NCCPA’s 2026 administration window runs from January 2 to December 18, 2026. Source: NCCPA Key Dates, checked 18 October 2026.
When do PANCE scores come out?
Approximately two weeks after your test date; NCCPA notifies you by email. Source: NCCPA, checked 18 October 2026.
