How often do PAs recertify?

• A. Every 5 years
• B. Every 10 years
• C. Every 15 years
• D. Every 20 years

Answer: (B)

PAs maintain their board certification through the NCCPA, and the recertification process is on a roughly ten-year cycle. After you become certified, you keep it active by completing ongoing CME requirements and then by taking the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE) every ten years. This keeps your clinical knowledge up to date over the decade. While you’re within that cycle, earning CME credits (about 100 every two years, with at least 50 in Category 1) helps you stay eligible for recertification at the end of the ten-year period. So the standard recertification interval is a decade. The other intervals don’t align with how the recertification requirement is structured.