Price: $499.99 for the PANRE Review Course; any gift card is a paid add-on that increases the total.
Access: 30 months.
Questions: 2,500+ board-style questions, including five 240-question mock exams.
Credits: The PANRE Clinical Review Module is worth up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits.
Gift card notice: Amazon and Apple gift cards are not free, discounts, or rebates.
If you’ve heard that you need 100 Category 1 credits to maintain NCCPA certification, the short answer is no. The actual requirement is 100 CME credits per two-year cycle, with at least 50 in Category 1. The remaining 50 may be Category 1, Category 2, or a mix.
The math does leave room for a useful option: a completed PANRE Review Course module can provide up to 100 AAPA Category 1 credits. That is more than the Category 1 minimum and can cover the cycle’s full 100-credit load, provided you earn and accurately log the credits.
For each two-year cycle, NCCPA requires you to earn and log at least 100 CME credits, including at least 50 Category 1 credits. The other 50 credits can be Category 1, Category 2, or a combination. So, no: you do not need 100 Category 1 credits.
Your CME earning and logging window begins May 1 of the year your certification was issued and continues through December 31 of your certification expiration year. Newly certified PAs may log CME earned as of their certification issue date. NCCPA also requires a separate certification maintenance fee; check the NCCPA CME requirements page for the current rules and deadlines.
NCCPA gives additional credit for certain designated activities: it adds 50% to Category 1 Self-Assessment CME and doubles the first 20 PI-CME credits logged per cycle. For example, a 10-credit self-assessment activity converts to 15 NCCPA credits. PANRE-LA participation also earns Category 1 Self-Assessment credit: two credits per completed quarter, or three with NCCPA’s 50% bonus.
The PANRE Clinical Review Module is regular Category 1 CME, not self-assessment-designated CME. Its credits count at face value. Self-assessment and PI-CME bonuses apply only to activities designated for those types. For the full requirements and logging instructions, use NCCPA’s CME page.
The PANRE Review Course’s Clinical Review Module is worth up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. To earn credit, review all module content, pass the post-test with a score of 70% or higher, and complete the activity evaluation. Missed questions may be retaken. Your completion certificate states the precise credit earned.
| NCCPA minimum per cycle | One PANRE Review Course purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Total credits to earn and log | 100 | Up to 100 AAPA Category 1 credits |
| Category 1 requirement | At least 50 | Up to 100 Category 1 credits |
| Remaining credits | 50 may be Category 1, Category 2, or a mix | The course’s earned credits are Category 1 |
| What to do after completion | Log eligible CME with NCCPA | Review your certificate and log the credit you earned |
The course’s up-to-100 credits exceed the 50-credit Category 1 floor and, if you complete the activity for the full amount, cover the entire two-year cycle’s 100-credit requirement in one activity. You still need to confirm that the activity fits your NCCPA cycle and log only the credit shown on your certificate.
The $499.99 purchase includes 30 months of access to the online, self-paced course. It works on a phone, tablet, or computer, with no download required. The PANRE Review Course includes 15 body-system question modules mapped to the NCCPA PANRE blueprint, five full-length 240-question mock exams with rationales and cited sources, and a readiness dashboard. This AAPA Category 1 credit applies to the PANRE Review Course only, not the Pharmacology course.
You are responsible for logging your CME with NCCPA. PAs log CME online; purchasing or completing an activity does not log the credits for you. Use the certificate to report the precise amount earned, and claim only credit commensurate with your participation.
PANRE-LA does not replace your continuing CME requirements. The CME rules continue separately during PANRE-LA participation. If you’re a physician, this activity meets AAPA Category 1 requirements but counts as Category 2 for your own reporting. Nurse practitioners should check with their state board of nursing because acceptance of AAPA Category 1 credit varies by state.
The Amazon or Apple gift card is a paid add-on you select at checkout, in tiers from $100 to $1,500. The add-on cost is added to the $499.99 course price in the same transaction. It is not a free gift, discount, or rebate, and the gift card itself earns no CME credit.
Gift cards are emailed within 2–3 business days of purchase; you do not need to finish the course first. There are no refunds on gift card packages once the gift card has been emailed. Check your employer’s CME policy before checkout, especially if you plan to use an employer benefit. CME Review Courses is not affiliated with Amazon or Apple.
You’re evaluating a 34-year-old patient with a persistent dry cough and tender red nodules on both shins. HR is 86, BP is 122/76 mm Hg, RR is 16, temperature is 37.0°C, and SaO₂ is 98% on room air. Chest imaging shows bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. A lymph node biopsy shows noncaseating granulomas. Which diagnosis best fits this presentation?
A. Pulmonary sarcoidosis
B. Active pulmonary tuberculosis
C. Hodgkin lymphoma
D. Histoplasmosis
Correct answer: A. Pulmonary sarcoidosis. Bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, erythema nodosum, and noncaseating granulomas together support sarcoidosis.
Practical exam note: Noncaseating granulomas are not exclusive to sarcoidosis. Consider infectious causes such as TB and fungal disease before initiating immunosuppressive treatment. Counting the findings in the stem is much like the credit math: the combination matters.
Review the PANRE Review Course with gift card add-on or start with the free PANRE test drive. If you’re looking for PANCE prep courses, try the PAtopia web test drive, or find PAtopia on the App Store and Google Play.
Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C is an Emergency Medicine PA with 24 years of clinical experience, a PA educator, author, and CME developer. He is the sole faculty member for this activity and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
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