Have a question about PA Exam Prep? Please get in touch with the appropriate McGraw Hill help resource listed below.
For institutional accounts:
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    Please email Customer Success (customersuccess@mheducation.com).
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    Please visit our Access User Center for PA Exam Prep resources including the administrator guide and video walk-throughs for students and instructors: https://www.accessusercenter.com/channels/1615-pa-exam-prep. You can also schedule an individual or group training session with our Customer Success Team.
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  • I would like to learn more about how to use PA Exam Prep.
    Please visit our Access User Center for PA Exam Prep user resources and view the video-walk through for students: https://www.accessusercenter.com/channels/1615-pa-exam-prep.
Browser and Operating System Requirements
PA Exam Prep currently supports the following browsers:
Browser Platform
Firefox Mac and PC*
Safari Mac and PC
Chrome Mac and PC*
Microsoft Edge PC Only
PA Exam Prep supports the current and previous major releases of Firefox, Chrome, and Safari on a rolling basis. PA Exam Prep will support the current and previous major releases of Microsoft Edge.
* Firefox and Chrome are set to automatically update in most instances
Note: The PA Exam Prep™ mobile app is available for download in the App Store ( Apple ) and Google play stores.
PA Exam Prep iOS application on the App Store
PA Exam Prep Android application get it on Google play
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EZproxy Configuration
Remote access to the Access resources via EZProxy requires EZproxy 2.4c GA (2004-03-21) or later combined with this database definition:
T [Insert Site Name]
U [Insert Site URL]
DJ [Insert Site Domain]
DJ mhmedical.com
For example, the database definition for PAExamPrep would be as follows:
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U: https://www.paexamprep.com/
DJ: PAExamPrep.com
DJ: mhmedical.com
Athens Authentication
If you have an Athens Organization ID that you would like to register, please email the Customer Success Team at customersuccess@mheducation.com

Student Resources


Below you will find a video tutorial that gives you step-by-step instructions on the various aspects of PA Exam Prep.

 


Getting Started: Student Account

  • Student dashboard
  • Study plan
  • Password reset
 


Quizzes, Assignments, Mock Exam

  • Create your own quiz
  • Take an assignment
  • Take the PA Exam Prep mock exam
 


Students: Looking at the Data

  • Performance Report
  • Course Performance Report
  • Mastery Report

Frequently Asked Questions


  • Account Issues/Login Issues/Dashboard

    • Q: There seems to be something wrong with my account. (I cannot log in/I cannot reset my password/I cannot access practice questions or the mock exam/I am experiencing a technical issue).
      A: If you are an individual subscriber, please email onlinecustomer_service@mheducation.com.

      If you are a student accessing PA Exam Prep through your institution, please email the Customer Success at customersuccess@mheducation.com. If you are having trouble accessing questions, please send us a screenshot of your main dashboard, as this will help us to determine the source of the issue more quickly.

    • Q: I am a student with a free sneak peek, but my institution has a subscription. What should I do?
      A: Please email the Customer Success at customersuccess@mheducation.com and we will assist you.

  • Content

    • Q: What if I think a question is incorrect?
    • A: We are committed to providing PA Exam Prep users with the highest quality content and welcome your feedback.

      At the bottom right corner of every question is a rectangular button with the letter “T” and a yield sign (triangle with an exclamation point). If you click on this button a comment box will pop up where you can describe the content issue and send it to PA Exam Prep.

  • Quizzes/Assignments

    • Q: I answered a question and saw the percentage of students who got it correct. Is this the percentage of students at my institution, or at all the institutions who subscribe to this product?
      A: The percentage of students is based on students at all institutions who subscribe to the product.

  • Mock Exam and Learning Modulesand Learning Modules

    • Q: I was taking the Mock exam on PA Exam Prep and the site froze before I could complete all the questions. I can’t seem to resume my exam because the platform thinks I have already used my one attempt. How do I solve this problem?
      A: Users should be able to continue the exam by logging back in and navigating back to the mock exam.

      If you did not complete the exam and still cannot access it to finish it, please email the Customer Success at customersuccess@mheducation.com.

  • Reports/Data

    • Q: What do each of the student reports show?
      A:
      • Practice Performance Report: This report shows you your performance by quiz and your total quiz performance. It shows you your quiz score as well as the questions you got correct, incorrect, or skipped. You can use the filter to review a particular quiz.
      • Course Performance Report: This report organizes the questions you’ve practiced by content category. Explore each category to review the questions you’ve practiced in that category.
      • Mastery Report: This report shows you your performance by content category and subcategory. “Mastery” gives you a quick visual for how you are doing in various topic areas of the exam, while “Performance” gives you your actual percentage score. You can use this report to determine your strengths and weaknesses for the various categories of the exam.
  • Mobile App

    • Is there a mobile app? How do I find it?
      A: Yes! PA Exam Prep has a mobile app that is free for subscribers to download. Access your PA Exam Prep account through the app and practice questions on-the-go. Go to the App Store or Google Play and search "MHE PA Exam Prep". Once you have downloaded the app, use your existing PA Exam Prep credentials to log in.

Video Tutorials


Below you will find a series of 5-10 minute videos that give you step-by-step instructions on a particular aspect of PA Exam Prep.

For additional information you can also download the PA Exam Prep Instructor User Guide here and the Admin User guide here.

 


Getting Started: Admin Account

  • Admin functionalities
  • Create instructor accounts
  • Usage reports
 


Getting Started: Instructor Account

  • Instructor dashboard
  • Create student accounts and class sections
  • Manage student accounts
 


Instructor: Assignments

  • Create assignments
  • Distribute assignments
  • Review assignment results
 


Instructor: Looking at the Data

  • Performance Report
  • Engagement Report
  • Category Report

Frequently Asked Questions



  • Managing User Accounts and Class Sections

    • Q: How do I add instructors or students?
      A: The institutional admin must use the admin login to create the instructor accounts. From there, the institutional admin can also create class sections and student accounts OR the instructor can create class sections and student accounts from within their instructor account.

      Please watch the short admin and instructor “Getting Started” videos above for a step-by-step demonstration of creating instructor accounts, class sections, and student accounts.

    • Q: I do not know who the institutional admin is/who manages the admin account for our school. How do I find out?
      A: Email Customer Success at customersuccess@mheducation.com.

    • Q: I am an instructor. How do I add students?
      A: An instructor can easily add students to a class section from their instructor account. You can watch the short “Getting Started: Instructor Account” video above for a step-by-step demonstration or use the following steps:

      1. From the main menu on the left, go to “Manage Class”.
      2. Select the class section you need to add students.
      3. Once selected, click the + sign to add a student. Enter the required information to create the student account.

        Alternatively, click “+ Add Multiple Students” and follow the steps to add one or more students. Once you have done this, students will be emailed a link to complete the registration process and be added to the class section.


    • Q: Can students be enrolled in multiple concurrent class sections?
      A: Yes. Students can now be enrolled in multiple concurrent class sections.
      1. From the main menu on the left, go to "Manage Class".
      2. To add a student who is already enrolled in another class to your class section, you must use the + sign (to the left of the Action dropdown menu) to add students one at a time.
      3. When you enter the student's email address, you will see a pop-up message stating that the student account already exists in the same institution. Click "OK" to add the student to your class section.

    • Q: How do I move students to a different class section?
      A: If a student has accidentally been enrolled into the wrong class section, you can move them to the correct class section.

      Please Note: Students can be enrolled in multiple class sections concurrently. Moving a student to a different class section will remove them from that class section and delete any instructor assignment data from that class.

      1. From the main menu on the left, go to "Manage Class".
      2. On the Class Section Summary page, click on the class section FROM which you would like to move students.
      3. Use the checkboxes to select the students you wish to move out of this class section into a different class section.
      4. Once you have the students selected, click on the "Action" dropdown menu, and then select "Move Student(s)" from the dropdown menu.
      5. Use the dropdown menu in the pop-up window to select the class section TO which you would like to move the selected students. Then select "Move Student(s)."

    • Q: How do I deactivate student accounts or class sections?
      A: Instructors can deactivate student accounts or class sections from within their instructor account. Please watch the short “Getting Started: Instructor Account” video above for a step-by- step demonstration or use the following steps:

      1. From the main menu on the left, go to “Manage Class”.
      2. Select the class section.
      3. Click “Action” and then “Disable Class Section” to disable the class section. To deactivate a particular student, select the student, then click “Action” and “Deactivate Selected Students”.

      Disabling a class section means that all students in that class section will no longer be able to access that class. If the students are also enrolled in another class section, they will still have access to PA Exam Prep.
    • Q: Is there a way to delete students who have graduated?
      A: You can deactivate the student’s account. Once the account is deactivated, the student will no longer be able to log in. Please watch the short “Getting Started: Instructor Account” video above for a step-by-step demonstration or use the following steps:

      1. From the main menu on the left, go to “Manage Class”.
      2. Select the class section.
      3. Select the student, then click “Action” and “Deactivate Selected Students”.

    • Q: I am an instructor and I want to reset my instructor dashboard? How do I do this?
      A: Instructors cannot reset accounts. Only individual students can reset their accounts.

      To start a new class without a previous class’s data showing in your instructor dashboard, you will need to create a new class section for yourself and the new students. You can do this from within your instructor account. Please watch the short “Getting Started: Instructor Account” video above for a step-by-step demonstration or use the following steps:

      1. From the main menu on the left, go to “Manage Class”.
      2. Click “+ Class section” to create a new class section.
      3. Enter the class section name. The course should already be selected as “ PA Exam Prep Course”.
      4. Click “Save”.
      5. Once your class section is created, you can add students by clicking “+ Add multiple students” and following the steps.

    • Q: I am an instructor with multiple class sections. How do I switch between them?
      A: You can easily toggle between class sections by going to “Class” at the top right and selecting from your list of classes. Once you select a particular class, that class’s data will show up on your main dashboard and in the assignments and reports.

    • Q: Can my email address be affiliated with both the instructor and admin account, or do I need to use a different email address for one?
      A: Your email address can be affiliated with both the instructor and admin account. However, you will need a different username for your admin and instructor accounts. Typically the admin username is “school name_admin”, and your instructor username will be your email address.

    • Q: I do not know who the institutional admin is/who manages the admin account for our school. How do I find out?
      A: Email Customer Success at customersuccess@mheducation.com

  • General/Content Questions

    • Q: What is the total number of questions in PA Exam Prep?
      A: PA Exam Prep contains approximately 2,960 questions, as well as a 300-question mock exam that students can take on their own and a separate 300-question mock exam that instructors can assign.

    • Q: What if content is incorrect?
      A: We are committed to providing PA Exam Prep users with the highest quality content and welcome your feedback. If you notice that content is incorrect, please let us know! As you look through the questions in the question bank to build your assignments, at the bottom right corner of every question is a rectangular button with the letter “T” and a yield sign (triangle with an exclamation point). If you click on this button a comment box will pop up where you can describe the content issue and send it to PA Exam Prep.

      Students can also report content issues: the button will appear at the bottom right corner of the questions when they take quizzes or assignments). The PA Exam Prep team will review and address your comments.

    • Q: Are the questions in the Instructor Question Bank the same as the questions students access when creating their own quizzes?
      A: Yes. Instructors and students both use one extensive question bank (2,500+ questions). The instructor and student mock exams are separate exams that each contain different questions.

  • Assignments

    • Q: How many points is each question worth?
      A: Each question is worth one point. In an assignment with 100 questions, a student who answers 72 correctly out of 100 should score 72% on that assignment.

    • Q: What time zone are the assignments in?
      A: The system defaults to the user’s time zone. For example, if you are in the Pacific time zone, the times will be displayed in Pacific time.

    • Q: I am an instructor. Can I enable multiple attempts at an assignment?
      A: There is not currently a way to place multiple attempts on individual assignments. However, once all students have completed the assignment, you can assign it again by going to Create "Assignment" → "My Library". Find the assignment and assign it again.

    • Q: Can I put a time limit on an assignment?
      A: Instructor assignments are not timed. Instructors have the option to disable the 3 hour time limit on the mock exam by checking “Deactivate Time Limit” when assigning the mock exam.

    • Q: Can I see how long a student spent on practice questions for a particular week?
      A: Yes. You can watch the short video “Instructor: Looking at the Data”above and go to the section on the “Engagement Report” specifically, or use the following steps:

      1. Go to “Reports” ➔ “Engagement Report”.
      2. At the top right of the report, click on the pink “Student Engagement Report” button and click “Student Practice Quiz Report”.
      3. This will open up the sub-report “Student Practice Quiz Report”. This report shows student performance on their practice quizzes, including number of correct questions, total number of questions, and time spent taking these questions during the specified date range. Practice quizzes refers to the quizzes students take on their own. This report does not include any data from assignments you have given students.

  • Mock Exam

    • Q: What is the set-up of the Instructor Mock Exam? Does the exam match the PANCE exam blueprint in terms of number of questions per category?
      A: The Instructor Mock Exam contains 300 questions and matches the latest exam blueprint in terms of number of questions per medical content and task area category (i.e. same category weighting for medical content categories like cardiovascular and task area categories like formulating most likely diagnosis).

      The questions were written and reviewed by physician assistant educators and experts in the field to ensure questions are accurate, relevant, and closely mirror the exam in terms of style and difficulty level. Answer-explanations for each question are included and will be accessible to students once they have finished the exam. You cannot move questions in or out of the mock exam. You may re-assign the mock exam once all students who were assigned it the first time have completed it.

  • Q: Can I move questions in or out of the mock exam?
    A: You cannot move questions in or out of the mock exam. You may re-assign the mock exam once all students who were assigned it the first time have completed it.
  • Q: Will you be adding more mock exams?
    A: In addition to the mock exam available for instructors to assign, there is a second mock exam on the student side of the platform, available for students/individual subscribers to access themselves. An instructor may tell their students to complete it, but this exam isn’t available for instructor assigning.

    We have heard that instructors are interested in more mock exams so it is on our radar. Stay tuned!

  • Q: How do I assign the mock exam?
    A: Please watch the short video “Instructor: Assignments” above or use the following steps:
    1. Go to “Assignments” ➔ “+ New Assignments”.
    2. Select the option “Select an exam from the Mock Exam Test Library”.
    3. You will see 1 assessment available. To preview the questions in the mock exam, click on the test name “PA Exam Prep Instructor Mock Exam”.
    4. To assign the mock exam, click “Assign” and set up the assignment.


    You may re-assign the mock exam once all students who were assigned it the first time have completed it.
  • Q: How do I view the mock exam results?
    A: From the main menu, go to “Assignments”. Find “PA Exam Prep Instructor Mock Exam 1” and then click “See results”.

  • Reports/Data

    • Q: What do each of the instructor reports show?
      A: You can watch the short video “Instructor: Looking at the Data” above, or find the following explanations below:
      • Performance Report: This report displays student performance. The "Class Performance" tab provides an overview of your class section's performance, while "Student Performance" allows you to filter between individual students. (Assignments that students haven't submitted by the assignment due date are counted as zero points.) You may also view your students’ performance in the Mock Exam under "Student Mock Exam Performance".
      • Engagement Report: This report tracks assignment progress, number of practice quizzes students have taken, and overall time spent answering questions. You can toggle the dropdown menu on the top right to view a sub-report called "Student Practice Quiz Report", which shows a detailed breakdown of student performance on practice quizzes.
      • Category Report: The category report shows student performance by content category. You can view the report for your overall class or by an individual student. “Mastery” gives you a quick visual for how the student is doing in various topic areas of the exam, while “Performance” gives you their actual percentage score. You can use this report to determine your students’ strengths and weaknesses for the various categories of the exam.

    • Q: What do each of the content reports found in the admin account show?
      A:
      • Lessons Completed: Shows how many recommended readings were accessed by users within the selected date range.
      • Questions Answered: Shows how many quiz or assignment questions were answered by users within the selected date range.
      • Assessment Submitted: Shows how many assessments (quiz + assignment) were submitted/completed by users within the selected date range.
    Top Five TLOs: Shows the top five learning objectives (content categories) used by users based on the number of questions answered by users from that particular learning objective.