PA-CAT case studies
PA-CAT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admission Test) is an admissions examination that, according to widely circulated information, is used by some physician assistant programs as one factor alongside GPA, prerequisite coursework, patient care experience, and essays. This page is intended as a study and orientation hub for candidates preparing for it. However, an important transparency note applies: when our editors retrieved the PA Education Association page that was supposed to describe the exam (https://paeaonline.org/pa-cat) on 2026-10-31, the site returned a 404 'Page Not Found' error, and the PAEA home page captured in the same session contained no PA-CAT content, links, or references of any kind. As a result, no verified specifications could be confirmed: item count, testing time, section structure, scoring scale, fees, retake rules, score validity period, and the percentage weighting of each content area are all recorded as null and flagged for review rather than estimated. The PA-CAT case studies are 5 cases and about 2,165 words.
1COPD Exacerbation With Chronic CO2 Retention: Acid-Base and Oxygen Decisions
R is a 62-year-old man with COPD (FEV1 45% predicted) and chronic bronchitis. He presents with 3 days of increased dyspnea and purulent sputum.
425 words, about 2 min2Competitive Inhibition in a Drug Development Lab
In a pharmacology teaching lab, students measure the initial velocity of a dehydrogenase at several substrate concentrations. Without inhibitor, Vmax is 120 nmol/min and Km is 4.0 mM.
411 words, about 2 min3Residual Carrier Risk When Penetrance Is Incomplete
A 40-year-old man is referred for genetic counseling. His father carries a pathogenic variant in a gene causing an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome with 80% penetrance by age 40.
509 words, about 3 min4ESBL Pyelonephritis With Sepsis and Penicillin Anaphylaxis
A 72-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and a history of recurrent urinary tract infections presents with 2 days of fever, flank pain, and confusion. Temperature 38.9°C, blood pressure 95/60 mmHg, pulse 112/min.
472 words, about 2 min5Depression, Diabetes Distress, and a 20-Minute Visit
A 48-year-old man with type 2 diabetes has an HbA1c of 10.4%. He has missed four of his last five clinic appointments and has not started the insulin recommended 6 months ago.
348 words, about 2 min