Month 3: Hematology (5%) + Infectious Disease (6%) + Musculoskeletal (8%) = 19% Here is a brief example of what a study guide might look like: Month 1: Cardiology (13%) + Dermatology (5%) = 18% Personally, I would recommend starting out with your more challenging topics rather than saving them for the end. For example, if you find yourself studying ~6 months before the exam, I would recommend dividing topics into what you want to cover per month. Schedule Your TopicsĪfter you check out the PANCE content blueprint, you’ll need to look at your timeline to see how the two should align. The PANCE content blueprint also breaks down each system into specific topics that could be covered. For example, cardiovascular is the largest topic on the PANCE, and it makes up 13% of the exam. It also breaks down the exam content by percentages. This is an excellent resource provided by the NCCPA that goes over the different topics that are tested on the PANCE. The best way to get started on a study guide is to look at the PANCE content blueprint. The key is to make sure you are allowing yourself time to review all of the topics, so nothing is missed, and to make sure every time you sit down to study you have a plan of what you want to review. Remember, if you are feeling overwhelmed and unprepared as you approach your test date, you can always reschedule it up to one day prior to the exam without penalty.Īny study guide you create will have a lot to do with your timeline. If you find yourself just now thinking about starting to study and you are less than 6 months out from the exam, don’t freak out! You’ll just want to devote more time per day to studying. Realistically, when you reach the end of the didactic portion of your studies, you have everything you need to start getting ready. If you feel like you need more time, then you should start studying earlier. I think this timeline worked well, and I see it often recommended by others. This period of time included a month-long break for the holidays, and the ~2 weeks after my last clinical. I started seriously studying for the PANCE about 6 months out as I was entering my final semester of PA school. One way to get a jump on your studying is to treat your end-of-rotation exam prep as a way of getting ready for the PANCE, though you’ll want to have time set aside for specific PANCE prep outside of this. Getting an early start means you won’t have to worry about cramming, and you can spend less time per day preparing. Overall, the earlier you start preparing for the PANCE, the less stress you will (hopefully) have by the time the test comes around.

Pance blueprint 2018