VeterinaryThe ECFVG Clinical Proficiency Examination
Veterinarians who graduated from a school not accredited by the AVMA need ECFVG or PAVE certification and the NAVLE to be licensed in the United States. This guide follows the AVMA's ECFVG documents and the CPE manual of administration.
Free to startThe four steps
The ECFVG has four steps, in order: registration and proof of graduation, English (TOEFL iBT, IELTS or CAEL), the Basic and Clinical Sciences Examination of about four hours and 225 questions, and the hands-on Clinical Proficiency Examination.
Seven sections
The CPE runs over several days with 7 sections: anesthesia, equine practice, food animal practice, necropsy, radiographic positioning, small animal medicine and surgery. You need 60 points or a Pass in each one, and anesthesia and surgery are pass or fail.
Fatal flaws and time
Any action with a high likelihood of seriously injuring the patient, yourself or the staff can end the exam on the spot, and the surgery must be finished within 2.5 hours. Practice every station free with Blocky.
Official sources
The four steps
The steps of the ECFVG program and the policies and procedures overview: registration and proof of graduation, English, the BCSE and the CPE, in that order.
The CPE, section by section
The CPE Manual of Administration sets out every section, station, time limit and score; the CPE Candidate Bulletin gives the sites, dates and fees.
The licensing exam
The NAVLE is required for licensure in every jurisdiction of the United States and Canada and is given in three testing windows a year.
A state board
The California Veterinary Medical Board instructions ask graduates of non-AVMA-accredited schools for an ECFVG or PAVE certificate and proof of passing the NAVLE.
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the AVMA, the ECFVG, the AAVSB, the ICVA, the Canadian National Examining Board or any state board. ECFVG, CPE, BCSE, PAVE and NAVLE are trademarks of their respective owners and are named only to describe the exams.