PA CME requirements come from two places: NCCPA, which sets the rules for keeping your PA-C, and your state licensing board, which sets its own rules for renewing your license. This guide covers the NCCPA side in detail and explains how AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ courses fit in.
We checked these requirements against NCCPA’s and AAPA’s websites. Rules change, so confirm with NCCPA before your renewal.
The short answer
- NCCPA certification maintenance runs on a 10-year cycle made up of five two-year CME cycles.
- In each two-year cycle you must earn and log at least 100 CME credits, and at least 50 of them must be Category 1.
- Credits and the certification maintenance fee are due by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31 of your certification expiration year.
- You also pass a recertification exam once per 10 years, either the PANRE (years 9 and 10) or the PANRE-LA (years 7 through 9).
- NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME or a recognized state medical society.
How the NCCPA certification cycle works
NCCPA describes certification maintenance as a 10-year process that includes five two-year cycles. In every two-year cycle you earn and log CME and pay a certification maintenance fee. Once in the 10 years, you also pass a recertification exam (NCCPA, Maintain Certification).
NCCPA also charges a certification maintenance fee, due with your CME by December 31 of your certification expiration year, and a separate application fee for the recertification exam. Check NCCPA for current amounts.
PA CME requirements for each two-year cycle
Here is what NCCPA requires in each two-year cycle, from its CME requirements page.
| Requirement | What NCCPA says |
|---|---|
| Total CME | At least 100 credits per two-year cycle |
| Category 1 minimum | At least 50 Category 1 credits |
| Remaining 50 credits | Category 1, Category 2, or a mix of both |
| Category 2 | Any educational activity related to medicine, patient care, or the role of the PA, earned hour for hour |
| PI-CME and SA-CME | No longer required, but they earn bonus credit when logged |
| Deadline | 11:59 p.m. PT, December 31 of your certification expiration year |
| Fee | Certification maintenance fee, due with your CME |
What counts as Category 1
NCCPA accepts Category 1 credit for activities designated by a defined list of sponsors. The list includes AAPA, AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society, AOA Category 1-A credit, AAFP Prescribed credit, EACCME, and several Canadian bodies.
Programs approved for nursing credit only don’t count as Category 1. AAPA says those should be logged as Category 2 (AAPA CME FAQs).
Self-assessment and performance improvement CME
NCCPA used to require self-assessment (SA-CME) and performance improvement (PI-CME) credits within the Category 1 total. It says these types are no longer required as part of the 50 credits. They still carry a bonus if you choose to do them.
Self-assessment credits are multiplied by 1.5 when you log them, so a 10-credit activity counts as 15. The first 20 PI-CME credits you log in each two-year cycle are doubled. Be careful with categorization, though. NCCPA notes that CME logged incorrectly as self-assessment or performance improvement is one reason PAs fail a Category 1 audit.
Logging, audits, and the deadline
You log CME online in your NCCPA account. NCCPA says your earning and logging window begins May 1 of the year your current certification was issued, and everything is due by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31 of your certification expiration year (NCCPA).
NCCPA also says credits can’t be transferred from a closed cycle to a new one, though credits earned on or after May 1 of your current expiration year can be transferred (NCCPA FAQs). If you’re unsure which cycle a credit belongs to, ask NCCPA before the deadline.
NCCPA audits the Category 1 submissions of randomly selected PAs. A PA who fails because credits couldn’t be documented or were miscategorized keeps certification but is audited again in the next cycle and pays a re-audit fee. Keep every certificate, and make sure each one shows the credit type and the accrediting body.
- Save the certificate or letter of participation as soon as you finish an activity.
- Check that it names the credit type (for example, AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™) and the accredited provider.
- Log it in your NCCPA account under the right category.
- Check your Category 1 total against the 50-credit minimum well before December 31.
PANRE and PANRE-LA
Once every 10 years you pass a recertification exam. NCCPA offers two options, and both use the same content blueprint and question format (NCCPA PANRE-LA fact sheet).
| PANRE | PANRE-LA | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Years 9 and 10 of the cycle | Apply in year 6, take it in years 7 through 9 |
| Format | Proctored exam at a Pearson VUE test center | 25 questions per quarter over 12 quarters, five minutes per question |
| References | Not allowed | Allowed |
| CME | None stated | 2 Category 1 Self-Assessment credits per completed quarter |
NCCPA says PANRE-LA participants must complete at least eight quarters, and PAs who don’t complete it get up to three chances to take the PANRE if needed. PAs regaining certification aren’t eligible for PANRE-LA. One more detail matters here: NCCPA says PAs who don’t complete their CME requirements will be withdrawn from the PANRE-LA process (NCCPA FAQs).
State licensing boards set their own PA CE rules
Keeping your PA-C and renewing your state license are separate obligations. Each state board decides whether CME is required for renewal, how much, which credit types count, and whether specific topics are mandated. AAPA notes that acceptable credit types for individual state licensing boards may vary, and NCCPA tells PAs to check with their state board about its auditing and documentation rules.
Check your state board’s PA rules, since they can differ from NCCPA’s. Check your board’s rules directly. Our CME requirements by state hub is a starting point for physician rules, but PA rules can differ, so read your PA board’s page as well.
How PAs can use AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ courses
Under the AMA PRA rules, only physicians are technically awarded AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. AAPA explains that accredited CME providers can and should give PA participants documentation, often called a certificate or letter of participation, stating that the activity was certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ (AAPA CME FAQs). AAPA says that documentation is acceptable for NCCPA and state renewal purposes as long as it clearly shows the activity was certified for that credit.
AAPA’s own template language for providers states that NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society (AAPA CME accreditation). That’s the path most physician-oriented courses take to count for PAs. For more on how the credit works, see our AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ explainer.
Travel Medical Seminars offers Audio-Digest self-study courses in a 10-credit short course and a 20-credit full course, each designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Audio-Digest lectures are individually designated for credit by the Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, which is accredited by the ACCME. You study at your own pace and complete testing online, in specialties PAs commonly work in, such as family practice and emergency medicine. Log your certificate with NCCPA as Category 1, and check your state board’s rules for license renewal. You can browse all courses here.