Language Proficiency Requirement

August 8, 2023: Effective immediately, NEB has implemented the following procedures regarding language proficiency requirement. All applicants are expected to follow these updated procedures when undergoing their registration with NEB. Please note that these procedures are iterative and will be even further strengthened over time.

The NEB exams are offered in both English and French. Candidates are required to specify upon signing up with NEB which language they wish to take the exams. There are three ways candidates can provide proof of language proficiency. Every NEB candidate is required to fulfill ONE of the following for the language proficiency requirement:

1. Professional Degree in Veterinary Medicine Taught in English or French

Submit proof of graduation from an educational institution granting the veterinary professional degree, confirming that the entire program is taught in English or French.

Key details regarding documentation to satisfy this requirement are as follows:

• The documentation provided must clearly indicate that the full program of study was taught entirely in English or French.
• Documentation must be a letter on official university letterhead, and should include the following details:
  1. Include the name of the NEB candidate and, if applicable, their NEB ID number.
  2. State that the professional degree in veterinary medicine is taught entirely in English or French.
  3. That the candidate was enrolled in the veterinary medicine program for the entirety of their professional degree and clearly state the years of enrollment, i.e., the candidate’s program start date to the date of graduation/completion.
     1. Final year students: This letter should indicate your anticipated graduation date instead of the date of graduation/completion.
  4. Include the name, signature, and contact information of the university official
• If the university does not have their own template for language proficiency or wishes to utilize the NEB template for this requirement, they may do so. This template is provided as a courtesy and universities may choose to send their own documentation.
  Optional Letter Template Provided Here

This information regarding language proficiency based off the professional degree in veterinary medicine may be included in the transcript or degree certificate, if applicable. For more information about the educational documents required for NEB registration, please see here: Graduates Document Checklist

• If the educational documents do not include such information, NEB will require additional documentation.

Candidates must be enrolled in a program that is taught in English or French for the entirety of their professional degree in veterinary medicine (i.e., the degree used for your NEB registration). Other professional degrees or other levels of education will not be considered.

Documentation must be sent directly from a university official of the educational institution (i.e., University Registrar, University Administrator, Dean of the Veterinary College, etc.) to the NEB.

• Documentation must be provided directly either by email OR physical mail. If by email, it must come from the educational institution through an official university email domain. If sent by physical mail/courier, it must come in a sealed envelope directly from the educational institution to NEB.
• By email: neb-bne@cvma-acmv.org
• By physical mail/courier: 339 Booth Street, Ottawa ON K1R7K1 Canada

Letters provided to the candidate first, then sent to NEB will not be accepted. It must come directly from the institution granting the professional degree in veterinary medicine.

2. ECFVG Certificate of Completion

Applicants who have been granted a certificate by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are exempted from having to provide evidence of language proficiency in English. The NEB requires written confirmation from the ECFVG.

3. Language Proficiency Examinations

For candidates whose professional degree in veterinary medicine was not taught entirely in English or French, such candidates are required to submit an official score report from one of the following language proficiency examinations unless prohibited by law:

1. Internet-based TOEFL (iB-TOEFL), with a minimum of 23 in Reading, 25 in Listening, 22 in Speaking, 22 in Writing and no minimum overall score is required. Candidates MUST achieve at least the minimum passing scores for each of the four sections of the internet-based TOEFL. TOEFL scores can be sent to the NEB using our institution code number B665.
2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Academic version with an overall score of no less than 6.5, with at least 6.5 in the Listening band, 6.0 in the Writing band and 7.0 in the Speaking band. Candidates MUST achieve the minimum passing scores for each of the three sections.
3. Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL & CAEL-CE) Assessment with an overall score of no less than 60, with a least 60 in the Listening band, 50 in the Writing band and 60 in the Speaking band.
4. Exam of French of the Office de la langue française (OLF) of the Government of Quebec. The examination comprises four parts: oral comprehension, writing, writing comprehension and oral communication. The score for each part is 60%.
   1. Candidates who are prohibited by law from taking the OLF of the Government of Quebec should contact neb-bne@cvma-acmv.org for next steps.

For NEB to process your language proficiency examination scores during review of your registration materials, candidates must provide an official copy of their score report for one of the foregoing language proficiency examinations. The candidate (not the language examination center) must send this to NEB. Simply sending it via the language examination's verification system is NOT sufficient. You (the candidate) must send this either by physical mail to the NEB office when sending registration materials, or by emailing an official PDF version of the score report generated from the issuing language exam authority. PDF score reports can be emailed directly to neb-bne@cvma-acmv.org

The NEB will not process language examination scores until the candidate has provided the official score report. Online language examination verification systems are NOT sufficient.

Applicants MUST achieve the minimum scores for all required sections of an exam on the same administration or attempt. The score report provided from the language proficiency examination must be from an examination that is no more than two years old.

NOTICE: Until the completion of the CVO language benchmarking project, the NEB will accept language tests mandated by province when indicated by the provincial regulatory bodies.