EVMS regularly shares the success of its students on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), as directed by its accrediting body, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).

Download the NCCPA EVMS PANCE Pass Rate Document.

Find the accessible version of this chart.

The chart below compares the EVMS first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), in the blue columns on the left for each year, to the rate of first-time takers of the exam nationally, in the rust, right-hand columns, for the last five years. EVMS pass rates are within 2 to 3 percent every year, with perfect passing rates in 2017 and 2018.  On the far right of the chart, a simple average of the five-year period is depicted, with the National Average at 95% whereas EVMS has an average of 96% first time pass rate average over the past 5 years.

EVMS PA Program Trends in Pass Rates for the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE)Compared to National First-Time Pass Rates 2011 to 2015

Student Attrition

 Graduated Classes
Class of 2020Class of 2021Class of 2022
Maximum entering class size
(as approved by ARC-PA)
80 80 80
Entering class size 83 86 85
Graduates 79 78 78
* Attrition rate 4.82% 7.14% 8.24%
**Graduation rate 95.18% 92.86% 91.76%

*Attrition rate calculation:  Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.

**Graduation rate:  Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

Comments: 
The table above reflects total cohort attrition.

Attrition includes 1) student withdrawal, 2) student dismissal, and 3) student deceleration, per ARC-PA Standards.
Student dismissal can occur for academic or professionalism reasons.

2020: 1 decelerated from CO2018, 2 decelerated from CO2019
2021: 4 decelerated from CO2020
2022: 5 decelerated from CO2021