PrePA Path vs FirstPassPA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PrePA Path
Organize your pre-PA journey, track clinical hours, and prepare for interviews. This app helps you manage milestones, calculate progress towards program requirements, and format hours for seamless application uploads.
- Advanced hours logger
- CASPA export
- PA program database
- MMI interview simulator
- Peer-to-peer community
- Stage-based checklists
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Crush the CASPA application cycle and get accepted to your dream PA program. PrePA Path is the ultimate all-in-one organizer built for future Physician Assistants. From your first clinical hour to your final admissions interview, we take the anxiety out of the pre-PA journey. Stop tracking your future on messy spreadsheets. PrePA Path automatically organizes your milestones, calculates your progress toward specific program requirements, and instantly formats your hours for a seamless CASPA upload. ADVANCED HOURS LOGGER & CASPA EXPORT Quickly log your milestones across crucial categories: Patient Care Experience (PCE), Shadowing, Volunteering, Research, Leadership, and Work. One-Click CASPA Export: No more manual data entry nightmare! When application season arrives, instantly export your beautifully categorized hours into a structured, CASPA-ready format to copy-paste directly into your application. Cumulative Progress: Monitor your total hours dynamically against targeted schools and general benchmarks directly from your main dashboard. DYNAMIC PA PROGRAM DATABASE Search and explore ARC-PA accredited programs. View program lengths, required minimum overall and science GPAs, GRE requirements, and deadlines. Smart Risk Flags: Our database highlights verified requirements vs. estimated data with a clear "Est." tag, letting you know exactly when to double-check a prerequisite so you never waste an application fee. Progress Matching: Compare your cumulative PCE and GPA directly against each targeted school’s dynamic admission requirements. TIMED MMI INTERVIEW SIMULATOR Don’t get blindsided on interview day. Practice with a massive library of high-yield prompts broken down by type: Ethical Dilemmas, Role-Play, Teamwork, and Personal Reflection. Use the built-in tracking status to monitor how many prompts you've mastered. ANONYMOUS PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNITY Don't navigate the stressful road to PA school alone. Connect with a localized network of pre-PA students to exchange insight without the pressure. Filter by Intent: Easily sort through the feed using dedicated tags for Advice, Questions, Wins, and official Updates. Contextual Networking: See posts from peers matching your academic year or location so you can trade specific tips on local clinics, volunteer opportunities, and regional programs. STAGE-BASED CHECKLISTS Tailor the app to your exact status. Select your academic year (from Freshman to Post-Bacc) and your current journey status ("Just exploring," "Building hours," "Preparing to apply," or "Applying now") to unlock a custom checklist that outlines your next steps. By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PrePA Path at none against FirstPassPA's 2. FirstPassPA's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. PrePA Path asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PrePA Path | FirstPassPA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Steven Schecter | Ryan Busch |
In-app purchases
PrePA Path
No in-app purchases
FirstPassPA
- FirstPassPA Pro$14.991 Month
- FirstPassPA Pro$129.991 Year
Questions
Is PrePA Path free?
Is FirstPassPA free?
Do PrePA Path or FirstPassPA have ads?
Which is updated more often, PrePA Path or FirstPassPA?
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