PA-CAT
The PA-CAT is Exam Master's standardized admission test for physician assistant programs, built to measure how well you've retained the nine prerequisite sciences PA schools assume you've mastered. A growing list of accredited PA programs require or recommend it, and because seats are brutally competitive — many programs admit well under 10% of applicants — your scaled score becomes one of the few objective data points an admissions committee can line up across thousands of pre-PA candidates. This page breaks down exactly what the exam tests, how it's scored and delivered, and how to get it done right.
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How the PA-CAT is built — at a glance
240
A single bank of 240 four-option multiple-choice questions drawn from nine prerequisite science disciplines. Unlike the GRE or GMAT, the PA-CAT is content-based, not abstract reasoning.
9
Anatomy, Physiology, General Biology, Biochemistry, General & Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Behavioral Sciences, Genetics, and Statistics — the courses PA programs already require.
4
Results come back as three combined domains — Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, and Chemistry — plus a single Composite score, each shown as a scaled score and a percentile rank.
The exam is delivered inside a 4.5-hour appointment window that includes mandatory pre-exam tutorial questions, the test itself split into sections, a scheduled break, and a post-exam survey. A basic calculator is built into the test driver — outside calculators are not allowed — and the test is not adaptive, so every candidate answers a fixed bank of items.
Your raw count of correct answers is converted to a scaled score from 200 to 800 to adjust for form difficulty, then reported alongside a percentile rank. The Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, and Chemistry domains carry the most weight in the Composite. There is no national passing mark — each PA program decides what it wants to see.
Every PA-CAT item is drawn from these prerequisite disciplines, rolled up into three scored domains
| Prerequisite subject | Reported domain |
|---|---|
| Anatomy | Anatomy & Physiology |
| Physiology | Anatomy & Physiology |
| General Biology | Biology |
| Microbiology | Biology |
| Genetics | Biology |
| General & Organic Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Biochemistry | Chemistry |
| Behavioral Sciences | Composite |
| Statistics | Composite |
All nine subjects feed the Composite score, but Exam Master reports performance in just three named domains. Behavioral Sciences and Statistics are tested but folded into the overall result rather than broken out, so a weak showing in a "minor" subject still quietly drags your Composite down.
The three reported domains — bars show their relative pull on your Composite score
The single heaviest-weighted domain. Tests structure and function of body systems — the material that most directly predicts success in a PA program's first didactic year.
Combines General Biology, Microbiology, and Genetics. A broad domain that rewards candidates who kept their cell, molecular, and micro coursework fresh rather than cramming late.
Folds General & Organic Chemistry together with Biochemistry. For most pre-PA applicants this is the rustiest domain, since organic and biochem are often years behind them by application time.
Exam Master states that the Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, and Chemistry domains have the most impact on your overall PA-CAT result. A lopsided profile — strong A&P but a weak Chemistry domain — can pull your Composite percentile down even when your headline number looks acceptable.
Two ways to sit the PA-CAT — and what to expect on test day
You sit the PA-CAT in a quiet, monitored room at one of 5,000+ Pearson VUE centers. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room on camera. You register with your Pearson VUE eligibility number, which stays the same across every attempt.
You take the PA-CAT from a private room at home through Pearson VUE's OnVUE remote proctoring. You run a system test, install the secure OnVUE app, complete an ID and 360° room scan, and are watched by a live and AI proctor for the full 4.5-hour session. You can cancel or reschedule online any time up to the appointment with no fee.
A valid, unexpired government photo ID with a name matching your registration. OnVUE captures your photo and ID images before the exam unlocks.
A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone or notes within reach, and a webcam scan of the room. No one else may enter while you test.
Stay in frame and on-camera throughout. A scheduled break sits between sections. Talking aloud, leaving the seat, or losing connection can flag the session.
The PA-CAT is built for physician assistant program applicants
No formal gate — but the recall load is the real hurdle
Difficulty: The PA-CAT is hard not because any single question is exotic, but because it asks you to hold nine separate science courses in active recall at once — across a 4.5-hour sitting — when most applicants last touched organic chemistry or genetics years earlier. With only 3 attempts allowed per 12 months and an 8-week score release, there is little room for a casual retake. That breadth-under-fatigue is exactly the pressure point our help is designed to remove.
The PA-CAT is a breadth-heavy science exam sitting between you and a CASPA deadline, with only three attempts a year and an 8-week wait on results. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted health-sciences specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your target domains, delivery method (center or OnVUE), test date, and which PA programs you're applying to. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and the score your programs expect and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a specialist who maps the work across the Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, and Chemistry domains and the OnVUE environment — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your result is confirmed on your official score report. No verified result, nothing owed.
Pay-after-you-pass support for science-heavy admission tests across the pre-health pathway.
ServiceTargeted help with the biology and chemistry content that trips up most pre-PA candidates.
ServiceKnow exactly what the OnVUE check-in, room scan, and on-camera rules involve before test day.
Start a private, no-pressure conversation and get an honest feasibility answer first.
Straight answers about the PA-CAT
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Pair with a vetted health-sciences specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified result.
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View examGet expert PA-CAT help with no upfront fee — you settle only after your verified result. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.