View the Center City PA Program's Attrition Rates (PDF)

The Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE) is the qualifying examination administered by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) for physician assistant graduates. 

The examination is a multiple-choice, comprehensive assessment of an individual’s clinical knowledge.  The NCCPA is the only certifying organization for the physician assistants in the U.S.  To be eligible for PANCE, you must graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) as a Physician Assistant Program or a Surgeon Assistant Program. PA program graduates will be deemed to have graduated from an accredited program if their PA educational program was accredited at the time of their matriculation. Following successful completion of the PANCE, a physician assistant is “certified” to practice and can use the initials “PA-C.”

The Jefferson PA Program- Center City Campus is honored to report a 100% first time pass rate for the Classes of 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and a 5-year first-time pass rate of >99%, which is well above the national average.