Daily CME Tips: 5 Facts About AAPA Category 1 Credit That Protect Your License and Your Budget

Course price: $399.99
Access: 30 months
CME: Up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits
Included study material: 2,500+ PANRE practice questions, five 240-question mock exams, 15 organ-system modules, and a complete PANRE Study Library

If you are a PA planning for recertification, the type of CME you earn matters. A course may be clinically useful but still fail to provide the Category 1 credit needed for NCCPA certification maintenance.

The following five facts can help you select valid CME, avoid counting errors, and use your CME budget efficiently.

Fact 1: Category 1 CME is structured professional education that supports patient care

AAPA Category 1 CME consists of clinical and professional educational activities designed to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance used in patient care.

This is different from simply reading a medical article or attending an informal educational session. Category 1 activities are reviewed against established criteria and formally designated for a specific amount and type of CME credit.

For PAs, Category 1 CME is important because NCCPA certification maintenance requires:

• 100 CME credits during each two-year cycle
• At least 50 Category 1 CME credits
• The remaining credits may be Category 1, Category 2, or a combination
• A recertification examination every 10 years, such as PANRE or an applicable PANRE-LA pathway

Review the current requirements directly through NCCPA Continuing Medical Education and the AAPA CME FAQs.

The PANRE Review Course with Gift Card is designed to combine exam preparation with CME completion. The course offers up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits when you complete the required content, post-test, and evaluation. Claim only the credit amount supported by your actual participation and completion.

Fact 2: AAPA Category 1 credit is accepted by NCCPA for the CME requirement

NCCPA accepts AAPA Category 1 CME toward the 100-credit certification maintenance requirement. This makes AAPA Category 1 credit directly relevant to PAs preparing for PANRE and managing their two-year CME cycle.

The practical distinction is important: PANRE is the recertification examination, while CME is part of the ongoing certification maintenance process. Completing CME does not replace the examination requirement when an exam is due. However, earning appropriate Category 1 CME helps you satisfy the CME component of maintaining national certification.

The PANRE Review Course provides:

• 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits
• More than 2,500 board-style PANRE questions
• Five full-length mock exams with 240 questions each
• 1,200 total questions across the five mock exams
• Questions covering the organ systems and task areas represented in the NCCPA PANRE Blueprint
• Detailed answer explanations and cited sources
• Online access for 30 months

A single completed course can provide enough credit to satisfy the total 100-credit requirement for a two-year NCCPA cycle, including the minimum 50 Category 1 credits. You should still review your NCCPA account and current certification cycle before deciding how much CME you need.

Some Category 1 activities are designated specifically as self-assessment or performance improvement CME. NCCPA may apply additional weighting to eligible self-assessment and PI-CME activities. Do not assume that every Category 1 course receives this weighting. Log the credit type and amount exactly as stated by the provider.

Fact 3: Category 1 and Category 2 are not interchangeable

Category 1 CME is formally reviewed and designated by an accepted CME sponsor or accreditor. Examples include:

• AAPA Category 1 CME
• AAPA Category 1 Self-Assessment CME
• AAPA Category 1 Performance Improvement CME
• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit from an appropriately accredited provider
• AOA Category 1-A credit
• Other credit types recognized by NCCPA

Category 2 CME includes educational activities related to medicine, patient care, or the PA profession that have not been designated for Category 1 credit. Examples may include independent reading, certain professional meetings, clinical research, or other eligible self-directed education.

Category 2 can be useful, but it does not replace the minimum Category 1 requirement. If you complete 100 hours of Category 2 education, you may still have a Category 1 deficiency for NCCPA certification maintenance.

This is why the product description, accreditation statement, and final certificate matter. The PANRE Review Course is specifically designated for 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. The separate Pharmacology Review Course provides its own stated amount of Category 1 AAPA credit; do not combine or transfer credit between products unless the provider documentation supports it.

Fact 4: You should verify the accreditation statement before purchasing

Do not rely on the words “CME,” “board review,” or “continuing education” alone. Before counting a course as AAPA Category 1 CME, verify the following:

1. Look for explicit language.
   The course should state the exact credit designation, such as “AAPA Category 1 CME” or “AAPA Category 1 Self-Assessment CME.”

2. Confirm the number of credits.
   The provider should identify the maximum credit amount and explain whether credit is based on completing specific modules, passing a post-test, or completing an evaluation.

3. Check the sponsor and reference information.
   The current PANRE Review Course accreditation statement identifies review by the AAPA Review Panel, an approval period of August 26, 2026, through August 26, 2027, and AAPA reference number CME-2016187.

4. Review the completion requirements.
   For this course, you must review the content, complete the post-test with a score of at least 70%, and complete the evaluation before receiving a certificate.

5. Confirm the timing.
   CME must fall within your applicable NCCPA earning window. A valid course completed outside the relevant cycle may not satisfy the cycle you are trying to complete.

6. Keep the provider documentation.
   Your certificate should identify your name, activity title, completion date, credit amount, and credit designation. NCCPA may audit Category 1 submissions.

You can also compare available activities through the AAPA CME Catalog and review NCCPA’s guidance on acceptable CME sponsors and activity types.

Fact 5: A large Category 1 course can protect both your schedule and your budget

Many PAs postpone CME until the end of the cycle and then search for disconnected activities. That approach can create unnecessary administrative work and make it harder to ensure that enough of the completed education qualifies as Category 1.

The PANRE Review Course offers a more consolidated option: exam preparation and up to 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME in one activity. You can work through the material over 30 months while preparing for PANRE or PANRE-LA.

The course is also available with paid Amazon or Apple Gift Card add-ons from $100 to $1,500. These are optional paid add-ons, not free gifts or credits included at no cost. The selected gift card amount is added to the purchase price, and the card is delivered by email according to the product terms. Review your employer’s CME spending policy before purchasing.

Explore the PANRE Review Course with Gift Card or visit the CME Review Courses website to review available CME packages.

Clinical Practice: PANRE-Style Questions

Question 1

Your patient is a 64-year-old man with substernal chest pressure for 45 minutes. He is diaphoretic and nauseated. HR is 104/min, BP is 158/92 mm Hg, and SaO₂ is 96% on room air. ECG shows 2-mm ST-segment elevations in leads II, III, and aVF. Which intervention is most appropriate?

A. Administer IV alteplase immediately
B. Obtain outpatient stress testing
C. Activate the cardiac catheterization laboratory
D. Administer a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
E. Observe for serial troponins only

Correct answer: C. Activate the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

This patient has an acute inferior STEMI requiring immediate reperfusion, preferably primary PCI when promptly available. Fibrinolysis is considered when PCI cannot be delivered within the appropriate timeframe. Outpatient stress testing, NSAIDs, and observation alone delay definitive treatment.

Question 2

Your patient is a 27-year-old woman with polyuria, vomiting, and abdominal pain. HR is 122/min, BP is 96/60 mm Hg, and respirations are 30/min. Serum glucose is 480 mg/dL, bicarbonate is 10 mEq/L, and potassium is 4.8 mEq/L. What is the first step in management?

A. Begin an IV insulin infusion
B. Administer IV isotonic crystalloid
C. Give IV sodium bicarbonate
D. Administer potassium replacement immediately
E. Give subcutaneous long-acting insulin

Correct answer: B. Administer IV isotonic crystalloid.

This patient has DKA with significant volume depletion. Initial treatment is IV isotonic fluid resuscitation, followed by insulin and electrolyte management. Insulin should not be started before assessing potassium, and bicarbonate is reserved for severe acidemia. Potassium replacement depends on the measured serum potassium and total-body deficit.

Question 3

Your patient is a 71-year-old man with new unilateral weakness and aphasia beginning 70 minutes ago. HR is 88/min, BP is 176/98 mm Hg, and glucose is 112 mg/dL. Noncontrast head CT shows no hemorrhage. Which treatment should be considered next?

A. IV thrombolytic therapy after confirming eligibility
B. Immediate anticoagulation with IV heparin
C. Aspirin only because the blood pressure is elevated
D. Lumbar puncture
E. Discharge with outpatient neurology follow-up

Correct answer: A. IV thrombolytic therapy after confirming eligibility.

The presentation is consistent with acute ischemic stroke within the treatment window. After hemorrhage is excluded and contraindications are reviewed, IV thrombolytic therapy should be considered. IV heparin is not routine acute treatment, and aspirin alone is inadequate when the patient is otherwise eligible for reperfusion therapy.

Use Your CME Budget Deliberately

Before purchasing any CME product, confirm the credit type, approval status, completion requirements, access period, and total price. For PAs, the PANRE Review Course with 100 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME can consolidate certification maintenance education with structured PANRE preparation.

If you are a PA student or preparing for the PANCE, explore PAtopia on the web, the PAtopia iOS app, or PAtopia on Android. PAtopia provides PANCE prep courses, EOR review, PACKRAT preparation, and EOC practice in one platform.

About the Author

Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C, is a physician assistant with 24 years of Emergency Medicine experience. He is an author and educator who develops clinical review materials for physician assistants, including PANRE preparation, PANCE prep courses, and continuing medical education. His work emphasizes practical clinical reasoning, board-style assessment, and efficient preparation for certification and recertification exams.

Ready to combine PANRE preparation with Category 1 CME? Visit the PANRE Review Course with Gift Card to review the 100-hour AAPA Category 1 CME option and available paid Amazon and Apple gift card add-ons.