Price: $399.99 for the PANRE Review Course
Access: 30 months
CME: Up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits through the PANRE Clinical Review Module
Practice questions: More than 2,500 board-style questions, including five full-length 240-question exams
Optional add-ons: Paid Amazon or Apple gift cards from $100 to $1,500
The Amazon and Apple gift card options are paid add-ons, not free gifts. The amount selected is added to the course price, and the gift card does not provide additional CME credit.
For PAs preparing for PANRE or PANRE-LA, AAPA Category 1 credit can support both exam preparation and NCCPA certification maintenance. However, the terms “Category 1,” “AAPA Category 1,” and “100 credits” should not be treated as interchangeable in every situation.
Here are five facts to review before selecting a PANRE Review Course.
NCCPA accepts several recognized CME designations for certification maintenance, including AAPA Category 1 CME. This is why the accrediting organization and exact credit designation matter when you select a course.
For a PA who remains continuously certified, NCCPA generally requires:
The current NCCPA continuing medical education requirements explain the applicable credit categories and logging requirements.
The PANRE Clinical Review Module within the PANRE Review Course is designated for up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. This can provide a substantial portion of a PA’s CME requirement while the PA reviews core medical knowledge for recertification.
That does not mean every PA must earn exactly 100 Category 1 credits in a routine cycle. It means the activity offers up to 100 credits that may be claimed based on completion and participation.
A common misunderstanding is that every PA must earn 100 Category 1 credits during every two-year cycle. For most continuously certified PAs, the standard requirement is 100 total credits, including at least 50 Category 1 credits.
A separate 100-credit Category 1 requirement may apply to a PA who is attempting to regain certification after a lapse. If your certification has expired, review the applicable NCCPA policy before assuming that the routine maintenance rules apply.
The PANRE Review Course can still be useful under either situation because it provides up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits through its PANRE Clinical Review Module. However, you are responsible for confirming:
The course is listed under AAPA reference number CME-2016187, with approval valid from August 26, 2026, through August 26, 2027. Verify current approval details on the PANRE Review Course product page before beginning the activity.
AAPA Category 1 CME may include standard educational activities, self-assessment activities, and performance-improvement activities. These formats have different structures and may receive different treatment when logged with NCCPA.
For example, NCCPA applies additional weighting to certain activities:
The additional weighting applies to the NCCPA certification-maintenance calculation. It does not automatically change the number of credits awarded by the course provider or the number of credits accepted by a state licensing board.
The PANRE Review Course should be evaluated according to the designation stated for the specific activity. Do not assume that every question bank or exam-preparation product is automatically self-assessment CME. The course requirements, credit designation, and completion instructions control what you may claim.
The PANRE Review Course provides educational content and practice questions, but selecting the course does not automatically award 100 CME credits.
To claim the available AAPA Category 1 CME through the PANRE Clinical Review Module, you must complete the required activity components. These include:
This distinction is important when using an online PANRE review course. Access to a question bank is not the same as completion of an accredited CME activity.
After completing the activity, log the credit with NCCPA according to its current instructions. AAPA recommends having the program title, provider, number of credits, and sponsoring organization available when logging CME. Keep documentation of completed Category 1 activities for the period required by NCCPA in case of an audit.
The credit belongs to the educational activity. It does not come from the gift card add-on, the purchase transaction, or the number of dollars spent.
AAPA Category 1 CME is designed primarily for physician assistant education and is accepted by NCCPA for PA certification maintenance. State licensing boards may apply additional or different requirements.
Nurse practitioners should confirm whether their state board of nursing or certifying organization accepts AAPA Category 1 credit. Acceptance varies by state and by the specific renewal requirement.
Physicians should also verify how the activity is classified under their applicable CME system. Clinical content may be useful, but AAPA Category 1 credit does not automatically satisfy a physician’s Category 1 requirement.
The same principle applies to employer reimbursement. Before purchase, confirm that your organization permits the course and any associated paid add-on.
The PANRE Review Course is designed for practicing PAs preparing for broad recertification review. The course includes:
The five full-length examinations provide 1,200 questions in a comprehensive testing format. The additional question bank allows you to focus on specific areas such as cardiology, pulmonary medicine, gastroenterology, neurology, dermatology, infectious disease, endocrinology, renal medicine, psychiatry, reproductive health, and emergency medicine.
CME Review Courses offers optional cme gift cards through Amazon and Apple. Available amounts range from $100 to $1,500.
These are paid add-ons. They are not free gifts, rebates, discounts, or additional CME.
Examples include:
The selected gift card amount increases the total purchase price. It does not increase the number of AAPA Category 1 credits, add practice questions, or alter the access period.
Gift cards are generally processed and delivered by email within two to three business days. Gift card packages are nonrefundable after issuance. CME Review Courses is not affiliated with or sponsored by Amazon or Apple.
Your patient is a 64-year-old man who is two days postoperative from total knee arthroplasty. He develops sudden dyspnea and pleuritic right-sided chest pain. His HR is 114/min, BP is 126/78 mm Hg, RR is 25/min, and SaO₂ is 90% on room air. He has unilateral left calf swelling and tenderness. He is alert and hemodynamically stable, with no history of renal disease or contrast allergy.
Which diagnostic study is most appropriate next?
A. D-dimer assay
B. CT pulmonary angiography
C. Bilateral lower-extremity venous ultrasound only
D. Transthoracic echocardiography as the first test
E. Exercise stress testing
B. CT pulmonary angiography is correct. This patient has a high pretest probability for acute pulmonary embolism based on recent surgery, tachycardia, hypoxemia, pleuritic chest pain, and unilateral leg findings. He is stable and has no stated contraindication to iodinated contrast, making CT pulmonary angiography the appropriate next diagnostic study.
D-dimer testing is not useful when the clinical probability is high and postoperative elevation is expected. Lower-extremity ultrasound alone may identify DVT but does not directly evaluate the pulmonary circulation. Echocardiography is useful for assessing right-heart strain, especially in an unstable patient, but it is not the preferred initial confirmatory test here. Stress testing is inappropriate in an acute presentation concerning for PE.
PANCE prep courses are designed primarily for PA students preparing for initial certification. PANRE preparation is intended for practicing PAs completing recertification requirements.
The content overlaps because both examinations assess core medical knowledge. The preparation context differs. A PA preparing for PANRE should use resources that address broad review, recertification timing, full-length practice, and the current NCCPA Blueprint.
For PA students and recent graduates, PAtopia’s web version provides preparation for the PANCE, PACKRAT, EOC, and EOR examinations. PAtopia is also available through the PAtopia iOS app and PAtopia Android app.
PAtopia is separate from the PANRE Review Course and does not provide the 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits associated with the PANRE Clinical Review Module.
Before selecting a PANRE CME course, confirm:
The PANRE Review Course costs $399.99, provides 30 months of access, includes more than 2,500 board-style questions, and offers up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits through the PANRE Clinical Review Module specifically.
Optional Amazon and Apple gift card add-ons range from $100 to $1,500. They are paid additions to the course price and do not provide additional CME.
Review the PANRE Review Course with gift card options or browse CME Review Courses.
Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C
Jeremy Boroff is a physician assistant with 24 years of Emergency Medicine experience. He is an educator, author, CME developer, and founder of CME Review Courses. His review materials emphasize practical clinical reasoning, board-style vignettes, evidence-informed explanations, and efficient preparation for PA certification and recertification examinations.
CME requirements and credit acceptance can change. Verify current requirements with AAPA, NCCPA, your state licensing board, certifying organization, and employer before claiming CME or using CME funds.
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