Daily CME Tips: PANRE-LA vs Traditional PANRE : How to Pick Your Path and Earn 100 Category 1 AAPA Credits

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: 1,200 board-style questions across five 240-question exams
Optional add-ons: Paid Amazon or Apple gift cards from $100 to $1,500

The gift cards are not free gifts. They are paid add-ons that increase the total purchase price, and they do not provide additional CME credit.

For a PA approaching recertification, the first decision is not which review book to open. It is which NCCPA recertification pathway fits your testing style, schedule, and current point in the 10-year certification cycle: the traditional PANRE or the PANRE Longitudinal Assessment, commonly called PANRE-LA.

Traditional PANRE vs PANRE-LA: The Essential Comparison

Both pathways assess core medical knowledge across the NCCPA Blueprint. The difference is how and when you demonstrate that knowledge.

Feature	Traditional PANRE	PANRE-LA
Testing window	Years 9–10 of the certification cycle	Questions administered during years 7–9
Format	Single-day, closed-book, proctored exam	At-home, online, open-book assessment
Question schedule	240 questions in one sitting	25 questions per quarter
Participation requirement	One examination attempt at a time	Complete at least 8 of up to 12 quarters
Scoring	Passing scaled score of 379	Best-8 cumulative score of 1150
Testing environment	Proctored testing center	Home or another appropriate location using approved technology
Study approach	Concentrated preparation before one high-stakes exam	Repeated preparation and review over multiple quarters

The NCCPA’s PANRE-LA information explains that PANRE-LA participants receive 25 questions each quarter, may use online or printed references, and can skip up to four quarters. Scores are recalculated using the best eight quarters.

The traditional PANRE remains a more concentrated assessment: 240 questions, closed-book, proctored, and completed in a single testing session. You generally take this route during years 9 or 10.

Which path is better for you?

Choose the traditional PANRE if you:

• Prefer to prepare for one defined exam date.
• Perform well in a proctored testing environment.
• Want to complete the assessment in one sitting.
• Are already in years 9–10 of your certification cycle.
• Prefer not to manage quarterly deadlines.

Choose PANRE-LA if you:

• Prefer shorter assessment periods distributed throughout the year.
• Want to use references while answering questions.
• Are eligible during the years 7–9 testing window.
• Prefer ongoing feedback instead of one final exam score.
• Can consistently dedicate time to quarterly preparation.

PANRE-LA is not an easier version of the traditional PANRE. It is a different assessment structure. You still need broad knowledge of the NCCPA Blueprint, including cardiovascular, pulmonary, infectious disease, neurology, psychiatry, dermatology, musculoskeletal, reproductive, gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, hematology, and emergency medicine topics.

Two Distinct CME Review Course Options

CME Review Courses offers two separate preparation products. Both are designed for practicing PAs and provide access for 30 months.

PANRE Review Course

The PANRE Review Course is designed for PAs preparing for the traditional PANRE while also supporting review for core medical content assessed by PANRE-LA.

The purchase includes:

• $399.99 base price
• 30 months of access
• 1,200 board-style questions
• Five 240-question practice examinations
• Detailed rationales and cited sources
• A comprehensive PANRE Study Library
• Up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits

The 100-credit designation applies specifically to the PANRE Clinical Review Module within the PANRE Review Course. It is not a blanket designation for unrelated courses, and it does not refer to the Pharmacology course.

PANRE-LA Review Course

The PANRE-LA Review Course is a separate course for PAs preparing for the longitudinal assessment.

It includes:

• $399.99 base price
• 30 months of access
• 1,200 board-style questions
• Five 240-question practice examinations
• Organ-system review and cited rationales
• PANRE-LA-focused study organization
• Its own separate designation of up to 100 AAPA Category 1 CME credits

The PANRE Clinical Review Module and the PANRE-LA Module are distinct educational products. If you select the PANRE-LA course, the 100 AAPA Category 1 credits are attributed to the PANRE-LA Module, not the PANRE Clinical Review Module.

Use Your CME Allowance Efficiently

A recertifying PA often needs both exam preparation and a substantial amount of CME. A single purchase can address both needs when the course is completed according to the activity requirements.

The practical strategy is simple:

1. Select the review course that matches your recertification pathway.
2. Use the 30-month access period to build a sustained study schedule.
3. Complete the educational content, post-test, and evaluation.
4. Claim only the AAPA Category 1 credit that matches your participation.
5. Apply the course purchase to your employer’s CME allowance if permitted by your workplace policy.

The base course is $399.99. You may also select an Amazon or Apple gift card add-on in amounts from $100 to $1,500. The add-on is included in the total package price, but it does not increase the CME credit awarded. It also should not be treated as a free promotional item. Confirm that your employer permits this type of CME package before purchase.

Gift cards are delivered by email after processing. CME credit is earned by completing the course requirements, not by selecting a gift card.

PAs should also confirm current NCCPA requirements and their employer’s reimbursement policy. Nurse practitioners may find value in the clinical content, but acceptance of AAPA Category 1 credit for NP licensure or certification varies by state. Physicians may use the clinical material as professional education, but they should verify how their own accrediting body classifies the activity.

PANRE-Style Practice Question

Clinical Vignette

Your patient is a 67-year-old man who presents with sudden-onset pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea. He underwent total knee replacement 10 days ago. His HR is 118/min, BP is 128/74 mm Hg, RR is 26/min, and SaO₂ is 92% on room air. He has no hemoptysis. His lungs are clear to auscultation, and his left calf is mildly swollen and tender.

Which of the following is the most appropriate next step?

A. D-dimer testing
B. Immediate systemic thrombolysis
C. CT pulmonary angiography
D. Outpatient venous duplex ultrasound only
E. Reassurance and follow-up with his surgeon

Correct Answer: C. CT pulmonary angiography

CT pulmonary angiography is correct because this patient has a high clinical suspicion for pulmonary embolism based on recent major surgery, tachycardia, hypoxemia, pleuritic chest pain, and unilateral calf findings. He is hemodynamically stable, so diagnostic imaging should be obtained promptly.

D-dimer testing is not useful when the pretest probability is high. Systemic thrombolysis is generally reserved for massive PE with hemodynamic instability. Venous duplex ultrasound alone does not adequately evaluate suspected pulmonary embolism, and reassurance is inappropriate.

This is the type of core medical knowledge tested across both traditional PANRE and PANRE-LA. A strong review plan should emphasize clinical reasoning, not only memorization of isolated facts.

PANCE Prep Courses Are Not the Same as PANRE Resources

The PANCE is the initial certification examination for PA students and recent graduates. PANCE prep courses are designed around that stage of training.

Practicing PAs preparing for recertification need PANRE-focused or PANRE-LA-focused resources. The exam timing, assessment format, and recertification context are different. If you are already certified and approaching the later years of your cycle, select materials organized for the traditional PANRE or PANRE-LA rather than relying only on an initial-certification review product.

For the current NCCPA topic structure, review the NCCPA PANRE/PANRE-LA core content document.

Bottom Line

Your choice should match your timeline and testing preferences:

• Traditional PANRE: one-day, closed-book, proctored, 240-question exam with a passing scaled score of 379.
• PANRE-LA: at-home, open-book, 25 questions per quarter, at least 8 of up to 12 quarters, with a best-8 cumulative passing score of 1150.
• PANRE Review Course: $399.99, 30 months of access, 1,200 questions, and up to 100 AAPA Category 1 credits through the PANRE Clinical Review Module.
• PANRE-LA Review Course: a separate $399.99 product with 30 months of access, 1,200 questions, and its own up to 100-credit AAPA Category 1 designation through the PANRE-LA Module.
• CME gift cards: optional paid Amazon or Apple add-ons from $100 to $1,500 that increase the total price but do not add CME credit.

Plan around your certification year, then use your CME budget for a course that supports both your exam preparation and your continuing education requirements.

About the Author

Jeremy Boroff, MPAS, PA-C, is the founder of CME Review Courses, an author, educator, and practicing physician assistant with 24 years of emergency medicine experience. He develops board-style clinical education and CME review materials for physician assistants preparing for certification, recertification, and ongoing clinical practice.