North carolina veterinary practice act multiple choice

PLEASE NOTE: The State Exam is required for 'ALL' veterinarians seeking licensure in North Carolina as we do not accept reciprocity. You do NOT have to be a resident of NC to become licensed.

ELIGIBILITY / REQUIREMENTS:

  1. One must have graduated from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited school/college of veterinary medicine or either completed the ECFVG or PAVE.
  2. One must have a passing score on the NAVLE or NBE.
  3. One is NOT eligible to take the NC State Exam until their application is complete, which includes receiving all required documents. NEW GRADS:You are NOT eligible to take the exam before graduation.
  4. LICENSING INFORMATION FOR ACTIVE MILITARY (and their spouses):
    NCVMB recognizes SCRA. Application exam refund available if eligible. Please send proof of Active Duty Status to Janice@ncvmb.org after your Exam application has been submitted.

If the Board denies your application for licensure based in whole or in part because of a criminal conviction you may appeal the decision pursuant to Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.

Original Date of Licensure Exam Required
1969 - Nov. 19, 2000 NBE
Nov. 20, 2000 - Ongoing NAVLE

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

Documents DO NOT have to be received before submitting exam application.

  1. A 'degree conferred' transcript (Diplomas, Academic Statements or Letters of Intent will NOT be accepted). Document to be mailed or e-mailed FROM THE SCHOOL to the Board office. Email to Janice@ncvmb.org or mail to: NCVMB, 1611 Jones Franklin Rd., Suite 106, Raleigh, NC 27606
  2. National exam score - available via the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Document to be e-mailed FROM AAVSB to the Board office. Email to Janice@ncvmb.org
    NOTE:    New graduates who applied for the NAVLE thru NC will have a copy of their score sent to the Board office automatically.
  3. License verification(s) from any state in which you held a veterinary license, whether it is currently Active or NOT Active. All verifications must be no older than six (6) months of your application date. Document(s) to be mailed or e-mailed FROM THE STATE BOARD / AGENCY to the Board office. Email to Janice@ncvmb.org or mail to: NCVMB, 1611 Jones Franklin Rd., Suite 106, Raleigh, NC 27606
    NOTE: We are aware of Colorado's, Illinois', Oregon's and Maine's policy re: license verifications. Once your application is submitted, a Board team member will obtain one on your behalf.
  4. A copy of your Social Security Card -you upload upon application; website is secure
  5. If you have a maiden/former name in which documents will be received under, a copy of a legal document will be required (e.g. marriage certificate, divorce papers, etc.).
  6. If a graduate from a non-accredited foreign school/college, an individual must first complete one of the following programs to be eligible to sit for the NC State Exam:
    1.) The American Veterinary Medical Association's Education Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates program (ECFVG)
    2.) The American Association of Veterinary State Board's Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence program (PAVE)


AAVSB has a Credentialing Service (Premium VAULT) and for a fee, will request all documentation on your behalf; the exception may be some school transcripts.

NC VETERINARY STATE EXAM PROCESS

The NC State exam, which is administered on-line by a third party vendor, consists of 50 questions and is based on the PRACTICE ACT (General statutes and Administrative Rules) governing the practice of veterinary medicine in North Carolina in addition to information found on the Board's FAQ web site page under PROFESSIONALS (no need to open links). There are 30 True/False and 20 Multiple Choice questions; passing score is 75. You are given 30 minutes to take the exam with no option to pause. The NCVMB fee is $250 and is non-refundable or applicable toward a future exam.

There is no need to commit to memory the FEES established by the Board (Administrative Code .0108).

BE AWARE THAT ONCE YOU BECOME LICENSED, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO RENEW AT THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR; we do not pro-rate CE if licensed towards the latter part of the year. CE Requirement

EXAM RESULTS are reported weekly, typically by Tuesday the following week of taking the exam; if it falls on a holiday, it will be reported the following day(s).

Is becoming licensed a TIME SENSITIVE matter for you?
Once eligible to take exam AND you have been contacted by AAVSB/CMS (TESTWise), be sure to take exam by Sunday so your results can be reported the following week.


STEP-1:
NC Exam Application Process FEE: $250
(1.) To apply for the State Exam, one must first create an account via the Licensure Gateway. Once registered, you will log back in and select the 'Veterinary State Exam' application to submit. Once application has been submitted, you have six (6) months to complete the exam or else you will be required to re-apply.
(2.) Once the application has been submitted to the Board, the applicant will be able to log back into the Licensure Gateway 24/7 to check on their application status (e.g. which documents have been received or are pending).
(3.) When your exam file with the Board is complete and all required documents have been received and all obligations have been met, a Board team member will notify you via e-mail of your application status AND contact AAVSB to inform them of your eligibility for the on-line exam on Tuesday of each week.
(4.) Exam fees are non-refundable.

NEW GRADS: You may submit an exam application before graduation but keep in mind, you have 6-months to complete the licensing process once you submit an application. You are NOT eligible to take the exam before graduation; all required documents, which included a degree conferred transcript, need to be received.

Study the PRACTICE ACT (General statutes & Administrative Rules) in addition to the information found on the Board's FAQ web site page under PROFESSIONALS (no need to open links). There is no need to commit to memory the Fees established by the Board (Administrative Code .0108).

STEP-2:
CMS (TESTWise) On-line Exam Application Process FEE: $50
CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express

(4.) AAVSB will contact you via e-mail within 1 to 2 days of receiving your name to provide a link that will allow you to sign in and purchase the NC state exam. Once payment has been received, the exam link will be available on your payment receipt. This link will redirect you to CMS (TESTWise) and require you to create a login. It is MANDATORY for you to use the name and e-mail address you registered with the NCVMB. Once you are logged in, the exam will be available to take.
(5.) Exams are taken on-line from your personal computer (open book) and can be taken only once per purchase. You are given 30 minutes to take the exam with no option to pause. At the end of the exam, you will know your results.
(6.) IMPORTANT: Add AAVSB's address (spa@aavsb.org) to your contacts so you won’t miss timely e-mails; there's less likelihood of your notification going into your Junk/Spam folder.
(7.) AAVSB provides official score reports to the NCVMB weekly, typically by Tuesday or Wednesday the following week of taking the exam. The NCVMB will notify you of your Veterinary license number via e-mail within 1 - 3 business days of receiving your results.


EXAM RETAKE PROCEDURE: AAVSB will notify you within 7 - 8 days to inquire if you are interested in retaking the State Exam.

important


(1.) Veterinarians renew annually; the renewal window opens the first of November. You are exempt from CE requirements for your FIRST renewal cycle if you graduate the same year you become licensed in North Carolina.
(2.) The NC Veterinary Health Program (NCPHP Link) is available for you or someone you work with who needs help with chemical dependency or substance abuse. The call can remain anonymous.

If ADA accommodations are needed to take the exam:

The AAVSB application and instructions are available on the AAVSB website’s Jurisprudence Assistance section https://aavsb.org/licensure-assistance/jurisprudence-assistance/apply-for-your-jurisdictions-assessment/. Once AAVSB reviews your ADA application, they will respond via e-mail within 2 - 4 business days.

For any specific question(s), please email the AAVSB at spa@aavsb.org.

Temporary Permit for those taking the State Exam

FEE: $150
An Exam Temporary Permit can be issued to a qualified applicant who has applied to sit for the State Exam. This permit allows an individual to obtain a certificate to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a NC licensed veterinarian while awaiting their scheduled test date. Please keep in mind that the temporary permit cannot be processed until all required documents have been received for the State Exam. However, with the new on-line exam process, Exam Temporary Permits are seldom needed.


Exam Temporary Permit Application
To apply for an Exam Temporary Permit, you must first apply for the State Exam (See instructions above). If you've already done so, log in to the Licensure Gateway and select the Temporary Permit application for those taking the exam.

Once your permit has been processed, both you and the PRIMARY supervising veterinarian will receive a confirmation e-mail stating so.

NATIONAL EXAM INFORMATION

The national exam (NAVLE: since 11/20/2000 or the NBE: 1969 - 11/19/2000) is a requirement for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in all licensing jurisdiction in North America. The NAVLE is a 360 item, computer based, multiple choice exam offered at computer testing centers and at certain overseas sites operated by Prometric.

North Carolina has ICVA process our NAVLE approvals. Candidates are able to complete the State application on-line simultaneously as they complete the ICVA NAVLE application. They pay both the State application fee and the NAVLE testing fee at the same time by credit card.
(NC is a GREEN state on ICVA's map.)

NAVLE FAQs
Questions should be directed to the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), formerly NBVME - National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Candidate Retake Policy
A candidate may not sit for the NAVLE more than five (5) times and may not sit for the NAVLE at a date that is later than five (5) years from the candidate’s initial attempt. Any previous attempts by a candidate to the NAVLE prior to the fall 2007 administration will not count toward the five (5) attempt limit.

Beginning with the November/December 2023 NAVLE, candidates are no longer required to have each of their final two attempts be at least one year from their previous attempts.

NOTE: North Carolina will accept scores from outside the ICVA retake policy.

EXAM WINDOWS

If you did not pass the NAVLE, a video with an important message is available here.