PANCE Prep: Using Test Banks for Self-Assessment

I’m glad to see you visiting the blog once again. We're continuing our discussion from last week about PANCE preparation and the importance of using test banks for self-assessment. In my PANCE Masterclass webinar, this testing practice and the following self-assessment are significant components of complete PANCE preparation.

We covered the usefulness of the NCCPA’s practice exams. I recommend using these at particular times during preparation to get a good overview of a prepper’s readiness for facing the PANCE. However, practice testing and self-assessment are used regularly throughout my 10-week PANCE study plan, and in fact, I recommend that PANCE preparation include 2,000 or more practice questions. 

Multiple purposes of practice exams

The purpose of practice testing is, first, to accustom oneself to the format of timed testing, the style of the questions, and to get into the habit of spending a minute or less on each question. Then, obviously, practice testing also helps understand how the prepper is doing. Naturally, the goal is to get as many correct answers as possible and to show improvement over time - and as we discussed last week, we use the NCCPA practice tests to get a good 30,000-foot view of preparedness.

But if the prepper does not engage in self-assessment at the end of a practice test, they have missed one of the best ways to improve! Preppers must engage in introspection regarding their incorrect answers and discover the “why” of their mistake. Why did they get this answer wrong? Was it really that they didn’t know the correct information, or something else? For a surprising number of “wrong” answers, one of the following mistakes happened: Misreading or misunderstanding the question, or having the correct answer and then changing it. Preppers can learn to avoid these all-too-common errors and significantly improve their test-taking skill.

Choosing the right test bank  

Test banks provide a wide range of questions, often mimicking the format and content of the actual exam. There are many test banks available, and the number is growing. I offer the following recommendations to ensure that the test bank chosen has the following features:

1. Completeness. Does it include all the organ systems? Are there a good number of questions? Most test banks include 1500-2000 questions. This number is essential to ensure that repeat questions are rare and do not appear for some time.

2. Professionally created. Beware of test banks without professional credentials. These can have too-easy questions that create a false sense of security. Preppers need a test bank that lets them experience what it’s like to miss answers, and to learn why they missed them.

3. Focus on A-type questions (a vignette or stem and 4-5 answer choices with one correct answer). The PANCE has no other question types.

4. The ability to create timed exams in at least 60-question blocks (allowing one minute per question). Ideally, the test bank also allows creating a 300-question test block to fully simulate the PANCE, but if the test bank has limitations, creating five 60-question blocks is sufficient. 

5. The ability to designate the topic for test questions. My PANCE study plan includes multiple instances where preppers must create a 60-question exam regarding a system. A good test bank allows users to select questions by organ system, specific disease states, task areas, and demographics.

6. The ability to flag questions in-test. Since we practice “flagging” problem questions to return to later, having this option in the test bank is very important.

Pointers for using practice questions effectively

Here are some points I always tell my Masterclass, which you may find quite interesting and helpful!

• Do not “study” test questions. They are an annotation of information, not a resource.

• Don’t use “tutor mode” on practice tests. Always use timed test-mode, and develop the habit of spending one minute or less per question.

• Personalized analytics are often a benefit featured by test banks. Dashboards will allow users to track their progress in many ways. I caution my preppers not to take these progress charts at face value until they have answered at least a thousand questions. That’s when the program will have enough data to give a more accurate viewpoint of progress.

• Beware of “predictive data.” Test banks cannot accurately predict a PANCE score. There is no way to do so without using regression on multiple data sets.

• If a PA program mandates using a test bank, the student should try to understand its functionality to get the most out of it. However, when it comes time to prep for the PANCE, I highly recommend that preppers invest in a different test bank to ensure they get fresh questions.

• Many test banks offer explanations of the multiple choice answers: both the correct answers (why this is right) and incorrect ones (why this is wrong). However, time is limited. Do not waste it by going down a rabbit hole, reading all the answer options and explanations on every test question. Save these for incorrect answers only, as a way to improve self-assessment.

I hope I have given you some great ideas and insights into using test banks for PANCE prep. I have one more session of my PANCE Masterclass to highlight with you, and we’ll move forward with that soon.

Next time: Hey, PA Week is almost here!

October 6-12 is National PA Week. As we celebrate, I want to extend my gratitude to the educators who shape the future of our profession. Teaching the next generation of Physician Assistants is no small task—it requires patience, creativity, resilience, and above all, a deep commitment to service. Thank you for inviting me into your space each week!

Mark your calendars!

If you’d like to participate in the next presentation of PASS AND EXCEL, we’ll be holding our October session on October 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2025. These live strategic sessions take place on Fridays at 12:00 Noon EST. You can sign up now by clicking the button below to reserve your seat.