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United States · Certification exam

PANCE passing score and results

You need a scaled score of 350 to pass. The PANCE passing score sits on a scale that runs from 200 to 800, and NCCPA doesn’t set it as a percentage of questions right. Results reach your NCCPA record about two weeks after your test date, and NCCPA emails you when they’re posted.

  • 350Passing score
  • 200-800Score scale
  • About 2 weeksUntil results
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is the PANCE passing score?

350. Every PANCE score is reported on a 200 to 800 scale, which evens out small differences in difficulty between exam forms. Because of that, NCCPA says the number of correct answers needed to meet the standard varies from one test taker to another. That’s why there’s no official percentage to aim for.

How NCCPA sets the standard

NCCPA uses the modified Angoff method. A panel of practicing PAs goes through the questions and judges, for each one, whether a PA who is just barely qualified would get it right. Their ratings are combined into a recommended passing score, and the NCCPA Board of Directors reviews and approves it.

When PANCE results come out

NCCPA emails you as soon as your result is posted to your certification record, about two weeks after your test date. It doesn’t name a set weekday for releasing scores. If you owe NCCPA any fees, your score is held until they’re paid.

NCCPA also shares your PANCE score with your PA program through its program portal. It can hold a score, or judge it invalid (neither a pass nor a fail), if its statistical checks suggest something went wrong at the exam.

If you don’t pass

You can test again, within NCCPA’s limits on how often and how many times. A grievance about testing conditions has to reach NCCPA within three business days of the exam, and it can’t be used to challenge a failing score or the exam’s content.

Retake limits and eligibility →

After you pass: PANCE and PANRE

Passing makes you a Board Certified PA, and you can use PA-C while your certification is current. Keeping it runs on a 10-year cycle: every two years you log at least 100 CME credits, 50 of them Category 1, and by the end of year 10 you pass a recertification exam. That’s PANRE, 240 questions at a Pearson VUE center with a passing score of 379, or PANRE-LA, taken online in short quarterly sets.

What PANRE costs →
Sources: NCCPA and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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