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Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Syllabus
Certification exam required to become a certified physician assistant (PA-C) in the United States.. The complete Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) outline — 9 subjects, 44 chapters and 185 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
5 chapters · 22 topics · 29 sub-topics
Pulmonary System5 chapters · 20 topics · 11 sub-topics
Gastrointestinal System and Nutrition5 chapters · 22 topics · 8 sub-topics
Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology5 chapters · 20 topics · 5 sub-topics
Neurology and Behavioral Health5 chapters · 19 topics · 5 sub-topics
Endocrine, Renal, and Genitourinary Systems5 chapters · 20 topics · 8 sub-topics
Reproductive System and Women's Health4 chapters · 17 topics · 3 sub-topics
Dermatology, EENT, and Hematology-Oncology5 chapters · 24 topics · 8 sub-topics
Infectious Disease, Professional Practice, and Clinical Skills5 chapters · 21 topics · 6 sub-topics
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) flashcard decks
462 question-and-answer cards across 9 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Cardiovascular System — 50 cards
- Pulmonary System — 53 cards
- Gastrointestinal System and Nutrition — 51 cards
- Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology — 52 cards
- Neurology and Behavioral Health — 51 cards
- Endocrine, Renal, and Genitourinary Systems — 51 cards
- Reproductive System and Women's Health — 52 cards
- Dermatology, EENT, and Hematology-Oncology — 51 cards
- Infectious Disease, Professional Practice, and Clinical Skills — 51 cards
How to work through the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Dermatology, EENT, and Hematology-Oncology carries 24 topics while Reproductive System and Women's Health carries 17. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
The ~155 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus?
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) covers 9 subjects: Cardiovascular System, Pulmonary System, Gastrointestinal System and Nutrition, Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology, Neurology and Behavioral Health, Endocrine, Renal, and Genitourinary Systems, Reproductive System and Women's Health and Dermatology, EENT, and Hematology-Oncology, and 1 more. Together they contain 44 chapters and 185 named topics.
How big is the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus?
The full Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) outline breaks down into 44 chapters, 185 topics and 83 sub-topics. Dermatology, EENT, and Hematology-Oncology is the largest single subject with 24 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus?
Roughly 155 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 7 weeks.
Are there Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) flashcards?
Yes — 462 question-and-answer flashcards across 9 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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