Preliminary Surgical Assessment (PSA)

Table of Contents

Registration Procedure

An applicant who is required to sit the PSA and who has successfully completed the BCSE (or the old Parts A and B of the NEB Examination), or a graduate of an accredited veterinary school who required more than three attempts to pass the NAVLE, will be able to register for the PSA. Once a candidate is registered for the PSA they will be placed on a waiting list and will be contacted as soon as the next available dates and locations are known. To register candidates must complete their registration and fee payment in the NEB Candidate Portal.

PSA sessions are continuously offered throughout the year.

After registration, you will be put on the waiting list. The wait time to get a seat assigned is currently between 6-9 months. We usually notify you about available seats 6-8 weeks in advance once a site confirms a date. If the proposed date or location does not work for you, you can wait for a later date.

PSA sessions are currently offered at the following locations in Canada:

  • FMV, St Hyacinthe, QC
  • WCVM, Saskatoon, SK

About the PSA

Having observed a significant decline in passing rates for the surgery section of the Clinical Proficiency Examination over the last years, the National Examining Board decided to take action and provide candidates with an opportunity to assess their skills prior to undertaking a live surgery during the CPE.

With the collaboration of subject experts from the CPE sites, the NEB has developed a process to ensure candidates can demonstrate basic surgical techniques as a prerequisite for CPE registration.

A “Preliminary Surgical Assessment for the CPE” (PSA) has been developed and approved by the NEB.

The PSA for the CPE will assess the candidate’s ability to:

  • Prepare a simulator for a sterile abdominal procedure;
  • Prepare her-/himself for a sterile surgical procedure;
  • Perform a ventral midline celiotomy (approximately 10 cm in length) and close the ventral midline celiotomy, subcutaneous tissue and skin on simulator.

Maximum time: 1.5 hours from initiation of cadaver preparation to completion of surgical procedure (placement of final skin suture in the cadaver). Candidates not completing the surgical procedure in this time period will fail the Qualifying Examination.

After the examination the examiners will use 30 minutes to have a short exit interview with the candidate to let them know which skills they have to work on. The results of the examination and a short feedback on the tested skills will be sent to candidates by the NEB office.

The Preliminary Surgical Assessment has been a mandatory step of the NEB process for all candidates taking the CPE since January 1st, 2017.

There is no limit on retakes for the PSA.

PSA Candidate Manuals

2024 version to be used.