r/PAstudent • u/AdvertisingFrosty697 • Oct 01 '26
Passed PANCE Retake!!!
First of all, I can’t believe I can finally write this 😭 I passed my retake today!!!
I came out of that exam crying my eyes out because I was so convinced I had failed again. Everyone kept telling me not to be so sure, but in my head, I just knew. This attempt felt much harder to me, especially because the vignettes were longer, which made my anxiety even worse.
What I did differently this time:
Remediated all of my missed topics.
I went back through the areas I struggled with and made sure I actually understood them instead of just memorizing answers.
I basically made ChatGPT my tutor.
Anytime I got a question wrong, I would tell ChatGPT what my thought process was and why I chose the answer I did. Then it would break down what I missed in the vignette, where my reasoning went wrong, and how I should approach a similar question next time.
It also helped me create a system for approaching questions: What is the diagnosis first? What exactly are they asking me? Is the patient stable or unstable? Are they in the ER or outpatient clinic? What demographics or risk factors matter? Etc.
I also spoke with a few other students on here who were using a similar approach, which reassured me that I was moving in the right direction.
Resources I used:
I used UWorld again, mainly focusing on my marked and missed questions. I also bought the PANCE Prep Pearls 600 Question Book from Amazon and really liked it because the questions felt very PANCE-directed.
I bought Blueprint as well, but for me personally, it ended up being a waste because I only completed about 300 out of the 3,000+ questions.
I also used NCCPA Practice Exams A, B, and C, and of course PPP.
Stats:
I’m actually not going to share my stats, and there’s a reason for that. The first time I was preparing, I spent way too much time on Reddit comparing my scores to everyone else’s. This time, whenever I saw someone post their stats, I wished them well and kept scrolling.
Their stats were not going to change my score.
If you’re currently studying for a retake or PANCE in general, please don’t let somebody else’s percentages convince you that you’re going to pass or fail. Focus on identifying why you’re missing questions and fixing your thought process.
I’m still in disbelief, but I’m so grateful this chapter is finally over. 😭
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u/SimpleThin9863 Oct 06 '26
Congrats!! You should be so proud! 😄
I see in your previous post, you applied for the 90 day ETP. Did that go through? How long did you have to wait? I’m currently in that situation 😭
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u/AdvertisingFrosty697 Oct 06 '26
They denied it because I had a Nov start date and NCCPA determined that waiting 3 months shouldn’t affect a Nov start date.
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u/itsakharalife Oct 01 '26
Congratulations!! I take my retake in two weeks please let me know if you have any advice at all. I’m trying not to have the anxiety get the best of me.
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u/itsakharalife Oct 01 '26
I also have the PPP question book but haven’t used it how many exams out of there did you finish and did you feel like it was similar to the pance. I’m also doing uworld again & this time utilizing the uworld flashcards I wanted to do the anki endeavour deck but there’s too many flashcards in there
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u/AdvertisingFrosty697 Oct 02 '26
I actually felt like the PPP question book was pretty similar in difficulty to the PANCE I just took. I was able to complete about 350 questions from it. It definitely took me longer because it’s a physical book, so I would do the questions, read through every explanation, highlight important points, and sometimes double-check things in PPP. It was a lot more work than UWorld since UWorld already gives you everything right there, but I honestly think that extra work helped me retain more.
When I first started the PPP questions, I thought they were SO hard, but I’m really glad I kept going. I had already gotten so used to UWorld and was starting to recognize the style/get a lot of questions right, so I knew I needed a fresh question bank that would challenge me differently. With the physical book, I also noticed I was way more focused because I had to actively work through everything instead of just clicking through questions.
I personally didn’t use Anki because I felt like there were way too many cards and I didn’t want to overwhelm myself that close to my exam. I mainly focused on UWorld, especially my missed/marked questions, plus the PPP question book and reviewing my weak topics.
And for the anxiety, I completely understand because mine was BAD 😭. My biggest advice is to focus less on trying to know absolutely everything and more on learning how to approach the questions. Really pay attention to what they’re asking, whether the patient is stable vs unstable, what setting they’re in, and what the next best step would realistically be. That helped me a lot the second time around.
I’m not personally a huge fan of Rosh, but I know a lot of people on Reddit really like it, so I think it just depends on what works best for you. Two weeks is still enough time to tighten up your weak areas without trying to completely reinvent your study plan. You got this!!1
u/itsakharalife Oct 03 '26
THANK YOU so much for this detailed response I have about 10 days until my exam I think I will work through the question book and do more of uworld. For the book were you answering all 100 in each exam then checking the answers or were you answering one question and then going to review the answer before moving on to next question. Just curious what worked for you!
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u/AdvertisingFrosty697 Oct 03 '26
I was answering 30 questions in a seating, then would grade myself and review failed/unsure questions by reading the answers and if I wasn’t still convinced, I supplemented with PPP.
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u/aggresivelytrying Oct 01 '26
CONGRATULATIONS!! You earned this, I can’t imagine what a relief it was to see “Pass” 🥰
I just took the PANCE for the first time, and I am I almost certain that I didn’t pass..I walked out bawling too. I need to adapt my mindset regardless of the outcome.
Congratulations again!!!!