Daily CME Tips: How to Verify AAPA Category 1 Credit Before You Buy a PANRE Review Course, and Where a Paid $100–$1,500 Gift Card Add-On Fits

Course price: $399.99. Access: 30 months. Included exam practice: 1,200+ questions across five 240-question exams. The PANRE Review Course offers up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits through the PANRE Clinical Review Module when you complete the module requirements. Amazon and Apple gift cards from $100 to $1,500 are paid add-ons that increase the purchase total; they are not free gifts.

Before you use your CME allowance, check that the credit designation matches the specific course you’re buying, the approval is current, and the credit can be documented for your NCCPA cycle. Here’s a practical way to do that.

AAPA Category 1 Credit: A Pre-Purchase Checklist

1. Verify the specific activity, not just the provider’s name

A provider may offer multiple courses with different credit amounts, formats, or approval dates. Look for an explicit statement that the activity you plan to complete is designated for AAPA Category 1 CME credit.

Check the course page for:

• The activity or module title
• The AAPA reference number
• The approval start and end dates
• The maximum credit available
• The steps required to earn credit

Use the AAPA CME catalog and AAPA’s accreditation information to help verify the designation. If the activity isn’t easy to match, ask the provider to confirm the reference number, approved activity name, and dates before you buy. A logo by itself is not the full check.

For this PANRE Review Course, the published activity information identifies AAPA reference number CME-2016187 and an approval period of August 26, 2026, through August 26, 2027. Because approvals have dates, check the current activity page again if you plan to complete the module after that period.

2. Confirm how many hours the activity awards

“Up to 100 credits” is not the same as receiving 100 automatically at checkout. Review the course requirements and find out whether you need to complete the module, pass a post-test, submit an evaluation, or finish other steps.

AAPA criteria call for a certificate that reflects the specific credits earned by the individual learner, rather than a generic certificate showing only the maximum available. After completing an activity, review your certificate for your name, the activity, the credit designation, and the number of credits you actually earned.

For the PANRE Review Course, the 100 AAPA Category 1 credits attach to the PANRE Clinical Review Module. They are not a blanket credit award for every CME Review Courses product. In particular, the 100 hours do not apply to the Pharmacology Course; that course has its own credit amount and requirements. Check the specific PANRE Review Course details and Pharmacology course category rather than assuming that one course’s credit transfers to another.

3. Match the approval dates to your completion date and NCCPA cycle

PAs need 100 CME credits during each two-year NCCPA cycle, including at least 50 Category 1 credits. Your earning window is tied to your individual certification dates, so check your cycle in your NCCPA account, rather than assuming it follows the calendar year. AAPA summarizes these certification maintenance requirements.

Before enrolling, compare three dates:

1. The activity’s approval period
2. Your planned module-completion date
3. Your NCCPA CME earning window

A course can offer 30 months of access while its AAPA approval has a separate end date. Access length does not, by itself, extend the approval period. If your expected completion date is after the listed approval end date, confirm the activity’s current approval status with the provider before you rely on those credits.

When you finish, save the certificate and any completion documentation. NCCPA may audit CME records, so retain proof and log the activity accurately. AAPA’s CME FAQs explain that PAs log credits with NCCPA and should keep Category 1 documentation in case of an audit.

4. Know the difference between Category 1 and Category 2

Category 1 credit is tied to an approved educational activity or other qualifying Category 1 pathway. For a PA, it helps meet the required Category 1 portion of the NCCPA cycle when properly earned and logged.

Category 2 is a different category of elective CME that PAs may self-report when an activity meets NCCPA criteria. It can contribute to the overall CME total, but it is not the same as an approved Category 1 activity and does not replace the minimum Category 1 requirement.

Physicians and other clinicians have their own certification, licensing, and employer rules. Some may be able to document certain learning as Category 2 or elective credit under their applicable requirements. The PANRE course’s AAPA Category 1 designation should not be treated as physician Category 1 credit; physicians should verify how their own board or employer accepts it.

What the PANRE Course Includes

The PANRE Review Course is $399.99 with 30 months of access. It includes 1,200+ questions across five 240-question exams and offers up to 100 AAPA Category 1 credits through the PANRE Clinical Review Module, after you meet that module’s completion requirements. That puts exam review and substantial Category 1 CME in one purchase.

Before buying any PANRE review course, or comparing it with PANCE prep courses, look beyond the headline credit total. Check the exact approved activity, the amount awarded, and the documentation you’ll receive. You can also try the PANRE Review app before purchasing.

Where Paid CME Gift Card Add-Ons Fit

An Amazon or Apple gift card in an amount from $100 to $1,500 can be added to any purchase. It is a paid add-on: its face value is added to your total, so the add-on is not a complimentary gift or an included bonus. See the CME with Gift Card product page for available options.

If you receive an employer CME allowance or stipend, compare the total purchase with your remaining balance and your employer’s reimbursement policy. That can help you use CME funds efficiently while selecting educational content you’ll use. Confirm in advance that your organization permits the paid gift-card option as part of a CME purchase.

Practice Question

Your patient is a 67-year-old man with active cancer who reports new unilateral calf swelling and tenderness after a recent long-haul flight. HR 84, BP 128/76 mm Hg, RR 16, and SaO₂ 98% on room air. He has no chest pain or dyspnea. What is the best next diagnostic test?

A. D-dimer
B. Compression duplex ultrasonography of the affected leg
C. CT pulmonary angiography
D. Arterial Doppler ultrasonography

Correct answer: B. Compression duplex ultrasonography of the affected leg. The patient’s risk factors and presentation create a high clinical suspicion for DVT, so ultrasound is the appropriate initial diagnostic study. D-dimer is less useful when pretest probability is high. CT pulmonary angiography is not indicated without symptoms suggesting PE, and arterial Doppler evaluates arterial rather than venous disease.

Quick Check Before You Buy

• Approval: Can you match the activity name, AAPA reference number, and approval dates?
• Hours: Does the stated credit amount apply to the module you’ll complete?
• Certificate: Will you receive a certificate showing your specific earned credit?
• Cycle: Do the approval dates and your planned completion fit your NCCPA earning window?
• Course: Is the credit attached to the PANRE Review Course, rather than another course such as Pharmacology?
• Budget: Is the total, including any paid $100–$1,500 gift-card add-on, allowed under your CME policy?

A few minutes of checking can help prevent confusion between access, approval, and credit earned. For PAs seeking a large amount of Category 1 credit alongside recertification review, the PANRE Review Course combines up to 100 AAPA Category 1 credits through its PANRE Clinical Review Module with a structured set of exam questions. Log the activity accurately, retain your certificate, and confirm the rules that apply to your own cycle and employer.