AAPALearning vs FirstPassPA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AAPALearning
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The American Association of Pathologists' Assistants (AAPA) is the only professional organization exclusively built for the advancement of pathologists' assistants, from student to working professional and beyond. The AAPA advocates, promotes, and sustains the highest education and standards for the profession. All AAPA educational content is created specifically for the success of PAs at any stage in their career – from the Study Guide for those prepping for the ASCP BOC exam, to PA-specific CE for working PAs who need to recertify, and the Preceptor Program for PAs that have taken on new training responsibilities in the lab. Through AAPALearning, the AAPA LMS App, AAPA members can access all free educational content included with membership, such as peer-reviewed journal articles and monthly manuscripts, webinars on demand, and special features. Buy and stream conference lectures from the last two years, and easily watch and take quizzes on your mobile device. Keep up to date and enhance your skills with special courses designed by PAs for PAs including the Preceptor Program, a multi-part course designed to feature lab-specific training and resources. Students can access the Study Guide with content created specifically to help them prepare for the ASCP BOC exam, and discover which areas are their strongest and which may require some extra studying. Search materials by content type and credit type, including Advanced AP, General AP, Medical Ethics, and Laboratory Safety. All credits earned in the LMS will be transferred weekly to your ASCP certification account for AAPA Fellow members.
FirstPassPA
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Study smarter. Show up ready. FirstPassPA is focused board prep for PA students and recertifying PAs — the full NCCPA blueprint, explained like a great preceptor. EVERYTHING IN YOUR POCKET • 7,700+ board-style questions spanning all 13 organ systems plus Professional Practice — the entire bank is stored on your device, so practice works even offline • Every question teaches: why the correct answer is correct, and why each wrong answer is wrong • 4,800+ clinician-reviewed flashcards with Again / Hard / Good / Easy grading, minute-level learning steps, and exam-date-aware spaced repetition • A 190+ drug pharmacology reference — mechanism, indications, adverse effects and monitoring, as an outline or as flashcards • 40 memory-hook mnemonics and 25 twelve-lead ECG tracings KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU STAND • Blueprint Tracker: all 514 PANCE blueprint diagnoses, organized by organ system and weighted the way the exam scores them — check each off as you master it • Guidelines & Screening: 72 reference cards covering USPSTF screening, ACIP immunization schedules, pregnancy and pediatric screening, and chronic-disease targets — every number linked to its official source • Analytics: accuracy by system, 14-day trends, and exam-weighted points at risk • Timed exam simulation at true NCCPA pacing (60 seconds per question) • Highlight and cross-out tools while you work a question, the way you would on test day CLINICAL YEAR COVERED • EOR mode: pick your rotation and the dashboard counts down to that exam, builds your daily plan from that rotation's question bank, and asks what's next when the date passes — all 7 PAEA End of Rotation exams • Clinical Sim (beta): interview an AI standardized patient, examine them, write your SOAP note, and get OSCE-style graded feedback across history-taking, physical exam, communication, and assessment & plan — 10 cases AI TUTOR ON EVERY QUESTION Ask why an answer is right, how a drug works, or what separates two look-alike diagnoses — without leaving the question. START FREE Answer 10 questions a day free, no account needed. Create a free account and get 7 days of full access — no credit card required. FIRSTPASSPA PRO Pro unlocks the full question bank, flashcards, EOR mode, Clinical Sim, the AI tutor and every analytic. • Monthly — $14.99 per month • Annual — $129.99 per year, which works out to $10.83 per month Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple Account settings after purchase. FirstPassPA was built by a practicing PA-C who wanted board prep that respects your time. — Not affiliated with NCCPA or PAEA. FirstPassPA LLC is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) or the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). PANCE® and PANRE® are registered trademarks of NCCPA; End of Rotation™ is a program of PAEA. Use of this platform does not guarantee examination passage. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.firstpasspa.com/privacy
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AAPALearning at none against FirstPassPA's 2. AAPALearning also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 days) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. FirstPassPA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. AAPALearning asks for nothing beyond the download.
AAPALearning ships an update daily, FirstPassPA every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AAPALearning | FirstPassPA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 178 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Melimu LLC | Ryan Busch |
In-app purchases
AAPALearning
No in-app purchases
FirstPassPA
- FirstPassPA Pro$14.991 Month
- FirstPassPA Pro$129.991 Year
Questions
Is AAPALearning free?
Is FirstPassPA free?
Do AAPALearning or FirstPassPA have ads?
Which is updated more often, AAPALearning or FirstPassPA?
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