Buy a Windows 11 laptop that isn’t in S mode, or an M-series MacBook Air, with 16 GB of RAM. All six physician assistant (PA) programs we checked need a Windows or Mac computer, and five run exams in ExamSoft’s Examplify, so Chromebooks, iPads on their own and S-mode budget laptops are out. Our top pick is the MacBook Air 13 (M5) at $1,299; on a tight budget, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15 (on sale for under $600 at Best Buy on October 22, 2026) passes once you confirm it isn’t in S mode.
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What your laptop has to pass
Two sets of rules apply: ExamSoft’s, and your program’s. Where they disagree, the stricter one wins.
| Rule | ExamSoft (checked October 2026) | What PA programs add |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows 11 (certified 24H2, 25H2, 26H2), or macOS Sequoia, Tahoe or Golden Gate | 2 of 6 pages still list Windows 10 |
| S mode | “S mode is not compatible with Examplify.” | OHSU, Idaho State and Touro Illinois repeat it |
| Chromebooks | “Examplify will not run on Chromebooks, Android, or Linux operating systems.” | 5 of 6 rule them out or warn against them |
| Processor | x86, or ARM: “ARM Processors are only supported on Windows 11 24H2 and higher using Examplify version 3.10.0 or higher.” Mac: Intel, A18 or M series | Butler and Touro Illinois say non-ARM |
| RAM | 4 GB; 8 GB recommended with ExamID or ExamMonitor | 3 of 6 name a minimum, all 8 GB |
| Touchscreen | “Examplify does not support touchscreen input on Mac or Windows laptops.” | None relax it |
| Tablets | None supported except Surface Pro | MCPHS bans tablets and iPads for exams |
| Webcam | Only for ExamID or ExamMonitor: built-in or external USB, no virtual cameras | 4 of 6 require one; Touro Illinois bans external cameras |
| Other | Secure Boot, an administrator account, a working USB port | 2 of 6 require a privacy screen |
ExamSoft rules from its minimum system requirements page, checked October 18, 2026; re-check it before you buy, because it changes each term. Program rules from the six pages in the survey table below, read the same day.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick for | Laptop | Why it’s here | Key specs | Examplify fit | Price (source, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5) | Light, long battery claim, M-series chip | M5, 16 GB, 512 GB, 2.7 lb | Runs | $1,299, apple.com, Oct 18, 2026 |
| Cheapest that passes | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15 (15ARP10) | 16 GB and a non-ARM chip for under $600 | Ryzen 7 170, 16 GB, 512 GB, 15.3 in | Runs with limits (check S mode) | $599.99, Best Buy, Oct 22, 2026 (sale) |
| Best Windows | Dell 14S (DS14260) | Ports and webcam the strictest pages ask for | Core Ultra 5 322, 16 GB, 512 GB, 14 in | Runs | $1,399.99, dell.com, Oct 21, 2026 |
| Handwritten notes | Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14 Gen 11 | Pen-ready and Intel, unlike the Surface Pro | Core Ultra 5 322, 16 GB, 14 in OLED touch | Runs with limits (no pen or touch in exams) | $849.99, Best Buy, Oct 21, 2026 |
| ThinkPad, Windows 11 Pro | Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 (Intel) | BitLocker and upgradeable RAM | Core Ultra 7 355, 16 GB, 512 GB, 14 in | Runs | $1,909, lenovo.com, Oct 21, 2026 |
| Encrypted backup | Samsung T7 Shield 1TB | For OHSU’s encrypted-drive advice | 1 TB, AES 256-bit, USB-C | Not a laptop | Check price (samsung.com showed it out of stock on Oct 21, 2026) |
Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5)
If we were starting PA school in January with $1,300, this is what we’d buy. It meets every Mac line in our survey except one outdated page, weighs 2.7 lb for rotations, and Apple claims up to 18 hours of video streaming. Mac memory is fixed at purchase, so 16 GB now is 16 GB at graduation.
The drawback: Notebookcheck found the fanless M5 slows after a few minutes of heavy multi-core work, and it listed the 60 Hz display among its drawbacks. A USB-A drive needs an adapter. Touro Illinois names only Intel, M1 and M2 Macs, so ask them first. Education price: $1,199.
Cheapest that passes: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15 (15ARP10)
It’s the cheapest laptop on our list with 16 GB. Its AMD Ryzen 7 170 is x86, so it clears the non-ARM lines at Butler and Touro Illinois, and it has two USB-A ports, HDMI, an SD reader and a headphone jack. Best Buy’s price was a sale, so it may move.
The catch is S mode. Lenovo’s spec sheet lists Windows 11 Home for this model but an “in S mode” option for the family, so check the listing says Windows 11 Home without “in S mode”. If it arrives in S mode, Microsoft lets you switch out free in Settings > System > Activation; it’s one-way. The 16 GB sits in one slot and is the maximum, the screen is a 300-nit panel and the webcam is 720p (Lenovo PSREF). The touchscreen is off-limits during exams.
Best Windows laptop: Dell 14S
The Dell 14S matches the strictest Windows lines we found: an Intel x86 chip, 16 GB, a built-in 1080p webcam, two USB-A and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI and a headset jack. Touro Illinois requires both a USB port and a headphone jack. The screen is non-touch and the battery is 70 Wh.
Drawbacks: soldered RAM, no webcam shutter, and Notebookcheck found it heavier than many 14-inch rivals (Dell lists 3.28 lb). Dell’s page showed a sold-out banner on October 18, 2026.
Best for handwritten notes: Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14 Gen 11
If your program doesn’t hand you an iPad, this is the pen laptop we’d pick. It’s Intel x86, so it passes the two PA pages that ban ARM, which every consumer Surface Pro fails. It has a 14-inch OLED touch screen, a 5MP webcam with a shutter, USB-A and a headphone jack.
Drawbacks: the pen costs extra, and pen and touch can’t be used in Examplify. The RAM is soldered. Best Buy showed it at $849.99, marked “Top Deal”, on October 21, 2026, against a $1,299.99 comparable value, and the only review we found was a short one from Chip.de.
ThinkPad pick: Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 (Intel)
This is for buyers who want Windows 11 Pro with BitLocker and RAM they can upgrade: a removable memory module with a second slot, a spare M.2 slot, two USB-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet and a headphone jack, from 2.95 lb.
The drawback is price. The pre-built 21Y6001HUS was $1,909 on lenovo.com on October 21, 2026; the series page’s $1,419 isn’t tied to a configuration. Notebookcheck’s review of the AMD version praised the keyboard and battery life but measured the panel at about 45% NTSC color. You don’t need Pro for OHSU’s encryption advice: Microsoft says Windows Home’s device encryption works when the hardware qualifies.
Encrypted backup: Samsung T7 Shield 1TB
OHSU recommends an encrypted external drive, and Butler lists 500 GB of backup storage. The T7 Shield has AES 256-bit hardware encryption, USB-C and USB-A cables and a 3-year warranty. The drawback: Samsung’s page doesn’t spell out which operating systems its password software supports.
What 6 PA programs actually require
All six want a Windows or Mac computer, most want a webcam, and none gives you a laptop. We read each program’s own page on October 18, 2026: three public and three private, from Oregon to Massachusetts.
| Program | OS on the page | RAM | Webcam | Tablets and iPads | Also asks for | Page date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHSU (public, OR) | Windows 11, no S mode; macOS Sonoma+ | Not stated | Not stated | Issues an iPad; laptop still required | Encryption, encrypted drive (both recommended) | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Idaho State (public, ID) | Windows 11 (ARM only on 24H2+); macOS 15.4+ | Not stated | Internal webcam | None for tests except Surface Pro | Microsoft Office | No date |
| Stony Brook (public, NY) | Windows 10+; Mac OS X 10.10+ | 8 GB | Webcam, headphones | iPads “may not be suitable” | No Chromebook as main computer | Apr 7, 2021 |
| Butler (private, IN) | Windows 11, non-ARM; macOS Sonoma to Tahoe, Intel or M-series | 8 GB | Integrated webcam | No iPad as main device | 500 GB backup storage | Mar 27, 2026 (page data) |
| Touro Illinois (private, IL) | Windows 10 or 11 up to 23H2, non-ARM; macOS Big Sur to Sonoma, Intel, M1 or M2 | 8 GB | Built-in only; no external cameras | Not stated | Privacy screen, 9-hour battery, 16 in max, headphone jack | No date |
| MCPHS (private, MA) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | None for exams | Privacy screen | No date |
Program pages lag the software. Two still list Windows 10, which Microsoft stopped supporting on October 14, 2025 and ExamSoft no longer certifies. Touro Illinois names Mac chips only up to the M2, and Butler lists macOS up to Tahoe while ExamSoft also certifies Golden Gate. When your page and ExamSoft’s disagree, follow the stricter rule and email the program.
Privacy screens are the easiest rule to miss: two programs require one for exams. Buy a filter sized to your screen; Touro Illinois notes it isn’t the same as a screen protector.
Will your school give you a laptop?
Probably not, though one program here gives you a tablet. OHSU issues an iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro with AppleCare for the first two years, and you keep it after graduation. Its spec sheet still says “A laptop computer is also required.”
None of the six issues a laptop; Butler points students to Apple, Dell and HP discounts instead. Budget for a laptop wherever you go, and hold off on an iPad until you know whether your program hands one out.
Will FAFSA pay for my laptop?
Not directly, but federal student aid can cover a laptop if your school counts it in your budget. The FAFSA is only the application. Your school’s financial aid office decides how much aid you get, based on your Student Aid Index, year in school, enrollment status and the school’s cost of attendance (studentaid.gov).
That cost of attendance can include a computer. Studentaid.gov’s definition says it includes “miscellaneous and personal expenses, including an allowance for the rental or purchase of a personal computer” (Cost of Attendance entry, last published August 25, 2026). The Education Department’s 2026-27 handbook for schools says the allowance must be “reasonable” and for a computer “the student will use for study”. A laptop bought before the term starts can count. Each school sets its own amounts, and the cost of attendance caps how much you can get in Direct Loans and some other federal aid.
In practice, ask your aid office whether a computer allowance is already in your budget and how to request an increase. OHSU’s PA program allows up to $2,000 for one computer through its 2026-27 Computer Cost Adjustment Request Form, with itemized receipts; cases, extended warranties and supplies don’t count. A bigger budget raises the ceiling on what you can be offered. It doesn’t add money by itself, and federal annual loan limits still apply.
Clinical year: PAEA exams use a different app
Your laptop may have to run a second exam app later on. MCPHS uses ExamSoft in year one and PAEA’s Assessment Hub (Surpass) in year two, which it says runs only on Mac and Windows. UNC-Chapel Hill’s PA program tells students to finish computer updates, disable firewalls and check compatibility before its end-of-curriculum PAEA exam, or risk losing exam time (UNC policy, revised January 5, 2026).
Surface Pro, ThinkPad or MacBook for PA school?
A MacBook or a ThinkPad, depending on your program’s list. A current M-series MacBook Air passes ExamSoft and five of the six pages we read. A ThinkPad is x86 Windows, so it clears every processor rule we found, including the non-ARM lines.
The Surface Pro is ExamSoft’s only supported tablet, but every consumer Surface Pro sold in the US as of October 2026 uses a Snapdragon (ARM) chip, which Butler and Touro Illinois rule out. The keyboard costs extra, touch is off during exams, and at OHSU it would duplicate the iPad you’re given. Our Examplify compatibility checks cover ARM, Macs and the MacBook Neo in more depth.
Laptops to stay away from for PA school
- Anything sold “in S mode”, unless you switch out before your first exam.
- Chromebooks. Examplify won’t run on them.
- Snapdragon laptops if your program says non-ARM, including every consumer Surface as of October 2026.
- An iPad as your only computer. Butler and MCPHS rule it out for exams.
- 8 GB Windows laptops if your exams use ExamMonitor: they meet ExamSoft’s recommendation with nothing to spare.
- Laptops over 16 inches at Touro Illinois, which caps screens at 16.
How we chose
We started with rules: ExamSoft’s current requirements, then six PA programs’ own pages. A laptop made the list only if it passes ExamSoft and the hardware lines on most of those pages, with any exception stated next to it. Then we compared maker specs and prices (checked October 18 to 22, 2026) and read independent reviews, mainly Notebookcheck. We haven’t tested these laptops ourselves; how we work explains the method.
Who we wouldn’t shortlist (yet)
- Apple MacBook Neo ($699, $599 education). ExamSoft added Neo support in Examplify 3.11.2 and lists A18 chips as of October 2026. But Butler asks for an Intel or M-series Mac, Touro lists Intel, M1 or M2, and the Neo’s A18 Pro is neither. Its 8 GB can’t be upgraded, and UTHSC told students in March 2026 not to use it until certified.
- Surface Pro 12th Edition and Surface Laptop 8th Edition. Fine under ExamSoft’s ARM rule, ruled out at two of six programs.
- Dell XPS 13. It passes ExamSoft, but it has no headphone jack, which Touro Illinois requires, and no USB-A port for older drives.
- Dell 15 base ($699.99). It passes with 8 GB, but 16 GB costs $200 more, well above the IdeaPad.
FAQ
What should I buy for PA school?
A Windows 11 laptop that isn’t in S mode, or an M-series MacBook Air, with 16 GB of RAM, a built-in webcam and a USB port, plus a privacy filter if your program requires one. More picks that pass are in our best laptop for ExamSoft guide.
Is 8 GB of RAM enough for PA school?
It meets every minimum we found: three of six programs ask for 8 GB, and ExamSoft recommends 8 GB with ExamMonitor or ExamID. We’d still buy 16 GB, because you’ll run exam software, a browser and lecture files together for the whole program, and a Mac can’t take more memory later.
Do I need an iPad for PA school?
No program we surveyed requires you to buy one. OHSU gives you an iPad Air and Pencil; the rest leave tablets optional, and Butler and MCPHS won’t let an iPad replace your laptop for exams.
Can I use a Mac for PA school?
Yes. ExamSoft supports macOS Sequoia, Tahoe and Golden Gate on Intel, A18 and M-series chips, and all six programs accept Macs. Check your page’s version list, because Touro Illinois’s stops at Sonoma and the M2.
What to do next
- Open your program’s technology page and note five lines: operating system, processor (watch for “non-ARM”), RAM, webcam and privacy screen, plus the page’s date.
- Compare it with ExamSoft’s requirements and run your shortlist through our Will it run? checker. If the rules disagree, follow the stricter one and email the program.
- Before you pay, ask financial aid how to add a computer to your cost of attendance, and keep the itemized receipt.
- On day one, confirm Windows isn’t in S mode (Settings > System > Activation) and turn on FileVault, device encryption or BitLocker.
- Don’t upgrade your operating system until your program approves it, as OHSU asks, and take the first mock exam as soon as it opens.
Sources
- ExamSoft, Minimum System Requirements, checked October 18, 2026.
- ExamSoft, Legacy Upcoming Features Releases (Examplify 3.11.2 adds MacBook Neo support; page updated October 13, 2026), via our ExamSoft fact sheet, checked October 18, 2026.
- OHSU PA program, Tech Specifications for the Class of 2028 (dated February 4, 2026), read October 18, 2026.
- OHSU PA program, Tech Specifications Class of 2027 (dated January 6, 2025; earlier version), read October 18, 2026.
- Idaho State University, PA Computer Requirements, read October 18, 2026.
- Stony Brook PA Program, Computer/Software/Data Requirements (last update April 7, 2021), read October 18, 2026.
- Butler University, PA Technology Requirements (2026-27), read October 18, 2026.
- Touro University Illinois, PA Technology Device Requirements, read October 18, 2026.
- MCPHS, MPAS Accelerated Technology Requirements, read October 18, 2026.
- UNC-Chapel Hill PA Program, End of Curriculum Assessment Written Examination procedure (revised January 5, 2026), read October 18, 2026.
- Federal Student Aid, Cost of Attendance (COA) (last published August 25, 2026), read October 18, 2026.
- Federal Student Aid, If I meet the basic eligibility criteria for federal student aid, who decides how much money I’ll get?, read October 18, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, 2026-2027 FSA Handbook, Volume 3, Chapter 2: Cost of Attendance (Budget), read October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, End of support for Windows 10, read October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, Windows 10 and Windows 11 in S mode FAQ, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, Device encryption in Windows, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 18, 2026.
- UTHSC, Examplify and MacBook Neo: important notice (March 23, 2026).
- Apple, MacBook Air specs and store; MacBook Neo store, prices checked October 18, 2026.
- Notebookcheck, MacBook Air 13 M5 review (March 7, 2026).
- Lenovo, IdeaPad Slim 3 15ARP10 PSREF, model 83K700TUUS and platform spec sheet; Best Buy, IdeaPad Slim 3 listing, SKU 6674708, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 22, 2026.
- Dell, Dell 14S product page, checked October 18, 2026; Notebookcheck, Dell 14S review (August 17, 2026).
- Lenovo, Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IPH11 PSREF spec sheet; Best Buy, Yoga 7i 2-in-1 listing, checked October 18, 2026; Notebookcheck, Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IPH11 spec page.
- Lenovo, ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 21Y6001HUS and PSREF spec sheet, checked October 18, 2026; Notebookcheck, ThinkPad E14 G8 (AMD) review (August 4, 2026).
- Samsung, Portable SSD T7 Shield 1TB, checked October 18 and 21, 2026.
- Microsoft, Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 18, 2026.
- Dell, XPS 13 and Dell 15, checked October 18, 2026; Reviewed, Dell XPS 13 review (updated September 1, 2026).