What You Need to Know About the PANCE

The time is finally here! You have spent the past few weeks prepping for literally the biggest exam of PA school. Now that the day is approaching you realize you have spent so much time preparing that you are not actually sure what to expect on test day.

Let me break it down for you…

The exam consists of 5 blocks. Each block has 60 questions and allows 60 minutes to answer them. Within one block you can answer the questions in any order and return to questions you flagged for review. Once a block has ended, you are not able to return to those questions.

There is a total of 45 minutes of break time that you are in charge of managing. A scheduled break can be taken in between blocks and during this time you can access food/water/ items in your locker. An unscheduled break is if you need to leave the testing room during a block. With this type of break, the time you use will be deducted from the time you have to answer questions and you cannot access personal items. Each time you re-enter the testing area you will need to re-scan your palm as well.

How I took the PANCE…

I took blocks one and two straight through, 120 questions just like EOR exams. The first break I took was for about ten minutes. Then I proceeded with block three. Following this block I took a longer break (~twenty-five minutes) and ate my lunch. To end my exam I took block four, a quick 5 minute break, and block five.

This method worked for me. Whatever you decide to do I recommend testing it out on a full length practice exam. Stamina is the hardest part of this test and practice makes perfect!