Information about the physician associate registration assessment

If you’re applying for GMC registration as a physician associate (PA), you’ll need to have passed an approved registration assessment within the last 2 years. GMC approved registration assessments for PAs are the Physician Associate Registration Assessment (PARA) or its forerunner the Physician Associate National Examination (PANE).

You’ll need to evidence a pass in both parts of either the PANE or the PARA when you apply. You won't be able to apply without completing this.

The PARA is run by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). You can find more details about the exam on the RCP website.

In September 2025, the PANE became the PARA and has continued to be run by the RCP on our behalf. The PARA has been aligned to the updated PA curriculum, but the format of the assessment is identical to the PANE, and the content is very similar. 

The assessment is made up of:

  • a 200-question, single best answer, knowledge-based assessment, taken online
  • a 14-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), held at the RCP building in Liverpool.

You can have four attempts at each part of the PARA unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you have any queries about booking and sitting the PARA, you can email PAexams@rcp.ac.uk.

Visit the RCP website – PARA information for candidates for more information around PARA, including: examination regulations, blueprints, sample questions for the knowledge assessment, and sample scenarios for the OSCE.

US qualified physician associates

If you are a US-qualified PA who was admitted to the FPA’s managed voluntary register for PAs on the basis of your US Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), we will accept your PANCE pass in place of a UK PARA pass.

We'll verify your exam pass with the FPA in advance of regulation and ask you to confirm these details when you apply for registration with us. If you are a US qualified PA and you have never been a member of the FPA's managed voluntary register, we are unable to accept your PANCE pass and will need you to sit the PANE/PARA.

How do I book to sit the PANE/PARA?

This depends on your situation, please see below requirements for each cohort to understand further.

Newly-qualified UK physician associates

Your course provider should tell you the best time for you to book your exam. When you’ve made your application to sit the exam, the RCP will check your eligibility with your course provider to make sure you have met all the requirements of your course.

If you aren’t sure what to do, we recommend that you speak to your course provider for more information about this.

Previous PANE/PARA pass over two years old

If you passed PANE/PARA more than two years before making your application, then during the transition period (up to 12 December 2026) you may not need to retake an assessment, if you can provide us with satisfactory evidence of recent, post-qualification, UK practice as a PA. You should read our transition policy on demonstrating knowledge and skills to determine whether your evidence of recent UK practice will meet our criteria.

From 13 December 2026, you will need to hold registration with the GMC in order to be able to work as a PA in the UK. It is therefore important that you gather the evidence you need, and apply to us in good time in order for us to consider and make a decision on your application before this date.

If you cannot evidence that you meet our criteria that your knowledge and skills are up to date, we recommend you re-take the PANE/PARA. You will need to book this directly on the RCP website.

International physician associates

If you have an international PA qualification and are new to UK practice, or have never been a member of the FPA’s managed voluntary register, you will need to have your international qualification assessed first, before you apply for registration.

Please see our Registration guidance for international physician associates for prospective international PA applicants. You must wait for further information and individual instruction from us before you try to book the PARA exam. The RCP will not accept bookings from international PAs until they have received confirmation from us that your PA qualifications meets our requirements.

How much does the assessment cost?

You can find the up-to-date cost of the assessment on RCP’s website.