Skip to main content
Graduates of Canadian Colleges
An applicant who is a graduate of a Canadian college of veterinary medicine is eligible to register for the Examination by following the procedures outlined in the subsection Registration Process. Such an applicant may be admitted to the NAVLE.
Please see here for more information: Canadian Veterinary College Candidates.
Graduates of non-Canadian Colleges and Final Year Students (future graduates)
An applicant who is a graduate of a non-Canadian veterinary school who wishes to obtain a CQ may apply for eligibility to register for the Examination by submitting the following to the Registrar of the NEB:
- Document Checklist: Future Graduates - International-Accredited / International Non-Accredited
- Document Checklist: Graduates - International-Accredited / International Non-Accredited
- Language Proficiency Requirement
Final Year Students
Candidates who are enrolled in the final year of a veterinary degree program may take the BCSE provided they are expected to graduate within 12 months. Examination results from earlier sessions will be considered invalid for the purpose of the Certificate of Qualification (CQ). A final year student in a non-Canadian veterinary school may apply for eligibility to register for the BCSE by submitting the documents required from graduates of non-Canadian colleges, except that proof of status as a final year student must be submitted instead of receipt of a degree.
A final year student in a Canadian college of veterinary medicine is eligible to register for the NAVLE by following the procedures outlined in the subsection Registration Process.
Any student wishing to sit the NAVLE in November-December of the final year or the following April is urged to check with the licensing body of the province where they wish to practice to ensure the scores obtained in that sitting of the NAVLE are acceptable for licensing by that body. Final year students should note that the NEB must receive proof of graduation before a CQ will be issued.
General Information
Applicants who may have completed the program of the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalency (PAVE) of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) are advised that the certificate each grants is not recognized by the NEB and is not accepted as entitling the recipient to the Certificate of Qualification, or as a substitute for the CPE, or as documentation for admission to the Examination.
Applicants who may have completed graduate degrees, diplomas or certificates, other than the professional degree program in veterinary medicine, may submit evidence of such achievement as additional information for the NEB. However, such applicants are advised that decisions on academic eligibility for the Examination are made solely on the basis of the applicant's professional degree in veterinary medicine. Those who hold a specialty certificate from a veterinary board in Canada or the United States may be eligible to apply for a licence to practise their specialty in certain provinces. Anyone intending to apply for such a limited license must correspond directly with the registrar of a provincial veterinary licensing body to enquire about the relevant requirements.
Applicants from a non-Canadian college of veterinary medicine whose credentials are considered to meet the NEB’s requirements are eligible to register to take the Examination by following the procedures outlined under Registration Process. Such an applicant may be admitted to the Examination in the appropriate sequence: First the BCSE, followed by the NAVLE and the PSA + CPE or vice versa.
Application forms and additional information, if required, may be obtained here:
National Examining Board – CVMA
339 Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7K1
Email: neb-bne@cvma-acmv.org
Telephone: (613) 236-1162
Fax: (613) 236-9681