Physician Assistant Exam Prep

Physician Assistant Exam Prep 2023 Practice Test with review question answers.

Physician assistants (PAs) are medical professionals trained in rigorous postgraduate education programs to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients. They serve alongside doctors in providing medical care to patients. PAs prescribe medications, order and interpret medical tests, and perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In the United States, PAs practice in every state and every specialty. They provide care for patients with acute and chronic illnesses across the lifespan.1,2 Although the profession sometimes has a different name in other countries, PA-like professions are now in place across Europe, Africa, and South Asia.

If you graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, you can take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination® (PANCE) for certification. The multiple-choice exam assesses basic medical and surgical knowledge. You will need to submit an application and payment in advance and can choose from over 200 testing sites.

After passing PANCE, PAs are issued NCCPA certification and can use the PA-C designation until the certification expiration date (approximately two years).

Read NCCPA’s Code of Conduct for Certified and Certifying PAs, which explains the ethics and professionalism expected of all PAs seeking or holding NCCPA certification.