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PA School Interviews 2026-27: Formats, Dates, Questions

How PA school interviews work this cycle, program by program, with the CASPA dates for 2027 entry.

There is no single PA school interview format. Some programs run an MMI of short stations (GW, Emory, Iowa, UNMC), others pair one-on-one interviews with a group exercise (Duke, CU Anschutz, Northwestern), and a few add a timed writing task. Deadlines at programs such as Quinnipiac and Florida State have passed, but interviews go on: Baylor's virtual sessions are November 4 to 6, 2026, and Augusta interviews through March 2027. CASPA takes new applications until April 1, 2027 and hasn't posted when the 2027-28 cycle opens.

Start your free weekHow PA school practice works

Dates for 2027 entry

  1. April 30, 2026

    The 2026-27 CASPA application opened. PAEA says CASPA represents 95 percent of accredited PA programs.

  2. August 1 to October 1, 2026

    Common program deadlines, which came long before CASPA closes and have now passed. University of the Pacific's window closed August 1 (for a January 2027 start), Quinnipiac's deadline was September 1 and Florida State's was October 1. CASPA lets you submit until 11:59 PM ET on a program's deadline date.

  3. June to December 2026

    The main interview season. University of the Pacific interviewed from June to September, Emory in July and August and CU Anschutz from August to October. Iowa's five sessions run from July to December, GW and Northwestern interview from September to December, and MUSC from September to November.

  4. November 4 to 6, 2026

    Baylor College of Medicine's virtual interview sessions. Baylor offers admission to its top 40 applicants within two weeks of interviews.

  5. December 2026

    UNMC sends admissions decisions after interviews that usually run in October and November. Rolling programs such as GW, Duke, Iowa and Northwestern make offers as they go.

  6. Late August 2026 to March 2027

    Augusta University interviews between the end of August 2026 and March 2027, with virtual interviews offered this cycle. It asks applicants to keep 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. free on their day.

  7. April 1, 2027

    Last day to create a CASPA account, submit, request evaluations or order Professional Transcript Entry, at 11:59 PM ET.

  8. April 9, 2027

    The CASPA cycle closes at 5 PM ET. It is the last day you can be verified, and all application processing ends.

  9. 2027-28 cycle (2028 entry)

    Not posted yet. CASPA's cycle dates page lists only the 2026-27 cycle, so check it before you plan for 2028 entry.

School-by-school guides

Each guide covers the school's interview format, how it picks who to interview, how the interview counts toward offers, and practice questions, with links to the school's own pages.

United States

Interview topics

Acceptance rates, applicant counts and PANCE pass rates by program: PA school acceptance rates by program.

MMI, one-on-one or group: formats by program

Each PA program sets its own interview. Read every invitation for the format, and expect a group exercise at some programs.

Multiple mini interviews (MMI)

An MMI is a circuit of short stations, each with its own prompt.

  • GW: 5 mini-interview stations, all virtual.
  • Emory: A half-day virtual MMI on Zoom, plus a timed question you answer and submit in writing.
  • Iowa: An in-person day with an orientation, student and alumni panels, a tour, an MMI session and a debrief.
  • UNMC: A multiple mini-interview format.

One-on-one and panel interviews

Many programs still use individual interviews with faculty, alumni or clinicians.

  • Duke: Two individual interviews with a faculty member, a PA alum or another Duke health professional, plus a group exercise.
  • Baylor: Individual interviews with three faculty members on the second day of a two-day virtual session.
  • Northwestern: Several one-on-one interviews with faculty, alumni or clinical partners, plus a group activity. Northwestern says it does not use the MMI.
  • University of the Pacific: A day-long event with social activities, a panel interview and group interviews.

Group exercises and written tasks

Several PA programs add a group exercise, so expect to work with applicants you have just met.

  • CU Anschutz: A 15-minute individual interview, a 25-minute group interview and a 25-minute group exercise, each run by a different team of a faculty member and a graduate, preceptor or outreach staff member.
  • Northwestern: A group activity built around an interactive problem-based learning patient case.
  • Wake Forest: A mock IBL session alongside faculty interviews and talks with staff and students.
  • Pace Pleasantville: An individual interview, a group exercise and an essay.

In a group exercise, help the group reach an answer. Invite quieter people in, build on others' ideas and do not talk over anyone. Taking over and staying silent both read badly.

Interview day, online or in person

Many PA programs now interview online, but some still want you on campus.

  • Online: GW, Emory, Northwestern, Wake Forest and Texas Tech interview virtually this cycle, Augusta offers some virtual interviews, and Baylor's 2026 interviews are virtual.
  • In person: Iowa, CU Anschutz, MUSC and Pace Pleasantville interview on campus. MUSC offers no alternate interview dates.
  • Both: OHSU holds fall interviews both virtually and in person.
  • A full day: CU Anschutz checks in at 8:00 am and ends around 3:00 pm. Augusta asks you to be free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Before a virtual interview, do a dry run with the same device, room and connection, check your lighting and keep your CASPA application open in another window.

How PA programs pick who to interview

Programs screen your CASPA application before they invite you. Hours, grades and tests set the floor, and many programs then score files with points or rubrics.

Patient care hours

CASPA separates Patient Care Experience (you are directly responsible for a patient's care), Healthcare Experience (health work where you are not directly responsible for care but may interact with patients) and shadowing. CASPA says it has no preferred category because each program's definitions differ.

  • 2,000 hours: Emory, Quinnipiac and OHSU. Emory says its average accepted applicant has over 5,000.
  • 1,000 hours: Duke (done by May 1 of the application year), Wake Forest (by its October 1, 2026 deadline, now passed) and Rush (paid direct patient contact, at the time of application).
  • 500 hours or fewer: Florida State 500 (done by the end of spring 2027), Touro Manhattan 200 and Augusta 160. Texas Tech requires no clinical experience.
  • Shadowing is separate. Duke, Emory, Florida State, Wake Forest and Yale do not count it as patient care. Augusta asks for 40 hours of shadowing.

Tests and the rest of CASPA

  • GRE: Required at Duke, Wake Forest, Florida State and Texas Tech. Quinnipiac does not require it, and Rush and Midwestern no longer do. Augusta scores the GRE or the PA-CAT.
  • Casper: Quinnipiac wants it done before its September 1 deadline, and Midwestern will not invite you to interview until it has your result. Florida State no longer requires it.
  • Letters and essay: CASPA needs at least 2 and up to 5 evaluations, and one essay of up to 5,000 characters on why you want to be a PA.

Points, formulas and rubrics

  • MUSC: One point for each preference category, such as veteran status, a master's degree, more than 1,000 patient care hours, South Carolina ties and GPA tiers, and minus one for a Do Not Recommend letter.
  • Augusta: A formula of GPA tiers, GRE or PA-CAT tiers, 160 hours of direct patient care and 40 hours of shadowing.
  • OHSU: Eight equally weighted areas, with mission preferences.
  • UAB: Program-specific rubrics for the application and for the faculty interview.

Hours you list are the hours they count. Duke will not accept updated hours after you submit CASPA, so log everything before you apply.

What PA school interviewers score

Programs publish their interview criteria, and the same few qualities come up. Knowing what a PA does is scored on its own at some programs.

  • OHSU: Communication, self-awareness and reflection, empathy and teamwork, cultural sensitivity, ethical reasoning and professional readiness.
  • USC (2025-26 page): Knowledge of the PA profession, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism, leadership potential, personal attributes and program fit.
  • Touro Manhattan: Understanding of the PA role, motivation, maturity, intellectual qualities, insight and interpersonal skills.
  • Pace Pleasantville: Rubrics covering professional awareness, commitment to the profession, leadership, service and community orientation, communication, professionalism, and coping and social support.
  • Augusta: Emotional intelligence, resiliency, accountability, integrity, determination, trainability, professionalism and maturity.
  • Mission fit: Duke says it is committed to increasing access to primary care in rural and underserved communities, and lists preferences such as North Carolina ties, multilingual applicants and military service.

Know the PA role. Be ready to explain how a PA works with a supervising or collaborating physician, and how the role differs from a physician and a nurse practitioner, in your own words.

How to prepare for a PA school interview

Start with your own CASPA application, then practice the format each program uses, out loud and timed.

  • Know why PA. Have a specific answer to why PA and not MD, DO or NP, tied to something you saw in patient care. Avoid making PA sound like a backup plan.
  • Turn hours into stories. For each job on your CASPA, have one short story about a patient, a mistake or a hard day, and what it taught you.
  • Practice scope scenarios. Work through a supervising physician who is unavailable, a patient who asks for the real doctor, and a colleague who cuts corners.
  • Practice the group and written parts. If a program has a group exercise or a timed essay, rehearse those too. They are scored like the interview.
  • Read each program's mission. Know who the program serves, where its students train and why that fits you.

Example question: Why do you want to be a PA and not a physician or a nurse practitioner?

Example question: Tell us about a time you disagreed with someone who supervised you.

  • Why PA and not MD: How to answer "Why PA and not MD?" in a PA school interview or CASPA essay: a 4-part structure, 3 example answers, weak answers to avoid and follow-ups.
  • Best interview prep: PA school interview prep compared: free PAEA and advising resources, PA-C coaches (The PA Platform, The PA Life), AI tools (Confetto, Intervly, Maya) and prices.

Practice questions

The questions PA school interviews ask, by type: PA program interview questions.

Frequently asked questions

What is a PA school interview like?

It depends on the program. GW runs a 5-station virtual MMI, Duke two individual interviews and a group exercise, and CU Anschutz a 15-minute individual interview, a 25-minute group interview and a 25-minute group exercise.

Do PA schools use the MMI?

Some do. GW, Emory, Iowa and UNMC use multiple mini interviews. Northwestern says it does not, and uses one-on-one interviews and a group activity instead.

Are PA school interviews virtual?

Many are. GW, Emory, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Texas Tech and Baylor interview online this cycle, and Augusta offers some virtual interviews. Iowa, CU Anschutz, MUSC and Pace Pleasantville interview in person.

How many patient care hours do I need for PA school?

It ranges from none at Texas Tech to 2,000 at Emory, Quinnipiac and OHSU. Duke, Wake Forest and Rush ask for 1,000. Accepted applicants often have far more: Emory's average is over 5,000.

When is the CASPA deadline for 2027 entry?

CASPA's last submission date is April 1, 2027, but most programs close much earlier. Quinnipiac's deadline was September 1, 2026 and Florida State's was October 1, 2026, and both have passed. You can submit until 11:59 PM ET on a program's deadline date.

Do PA schools have rolling admissions?

Many do, including GW, Duke and Iowa, so applying early helps there. Northwestern also reviews on a rolling basis but says early submission doesn't decide when you are invited. University of the Pacific does not use rolling admission, and Emory makes its decisions after all interviews end in August.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

  1. CASPA Applicant Help Center: CASPA Application Cycle Dates · read October 26, 2026
  2. CASPA Applicant Help Center: Experiences · read October 24, 2026
  3. CASPA Applicant Help Center: Evaluations · read October 24, 2026
  4. CASPA Applicant Help Center: Essay · read October 24, 2026
  5. PAEA: CASPA for PA Programs · read October 24, 2026
  6. George Washington University PA Program: Admissions FAQs · read October 24, 2026
  7. Emory University PA Program: Application · read October 24, 2026
  8. Emory University PA Program: Health Care Experience · read October 24, 2026
  9. University of Iowa Physician Associate Program: Student Selection · read October 24, 2026
  10. University of Nebraska Medical Center PA Program: FAQ · read October 24, 2026
  11. Duke University PA Program: Frequently Asked Questions · read October 24, 2026
  12. Duke University PA Program: Prerequisites · read October 24, 2026
  13. Duke University PA Program: What We Look for in an Applicant · read October 24, 2026
  14. CU Anschutz PA Program: Interview Information · read October 24, 2026
  15. Northwestern University PA Program: Frequently Asked Questions · read October 24, 2026
  16. Baylor College of Medicine PA Program: Application Process · read October 26, 2026
  17. University of the Pacific PA Program: Admission Policies · read October 24, 2026
  18. Pace University PA Program (Pleasantville): Admissions Process · read October 24, 2026
  19. Touro University PA Program (Manhattan): Admission Requirements · read October 24, 2026
  20. OHSU Physician Associate Program: Student Selection · read October 24, 2026
  21. MUSC College of Health Professions: MS in Physician Assistant Studies · read October 24, 2026
  22. USC Keck School of Medicine PA Program: Selection Criteria · read October 24, 2026
  23. Wake Forest University School of Medicine PA Program: How to Apply · read October 24, 2026
  24. Wake Forest University School of Medicine PA Program: Admission Requirements · read October 24, 2026
  25. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center: MPAS Interview · read October 24, 2026
  26. Augusta University PA Program: Requirements · read October 26, 2026
  27. UAB Physician Associate Studies: Admissions · read October 24, 2026
  28. Quinnipiac University MHS Physician Assistant: Admissions · read October 24, 2026
  29. Midwestern University (Downers Grove): Physician Assistant Program Admissions · read October 24, 2026
  30. Florida State University College of Medicine PA Program: Admissions · read October 24, 2026
  31. Rush University PA Program: Admissions and Deadlines · read October 24, 2026
  32. Yale Physician Associate Program: Prerequisites · read October 24, 2026