ICVA NAVLE APPLICATION

Examination Dates

The North American Veterinary Licensing Examination® (NAVLE®) will be administered during the following testing windows:

2025-2026 NAVLE TESTING CYCLES:

1. October 15 - November 15, 2025
2. March 1 - March 26, 2026
3. July 13 - August 8, 2026

APPLICATION PERIODS*:

• June 2 - July 15 (for the October - November 2025 testing cycle)
• December 1 - January 7 (for the March 2026 testing cycle)
• April 1 - May 7 (for the July - August 2026 testing cycle)

*All application, eligibility, and accommodations materials must be received by the application deadline, no exceptions.

Do you know where you want a license to practice veterinary medicine?

• IF YOU INTEND TO APPLY FOR LICENSURE IN CANADA, please submit your application to the Canadian National Examining Board.
• IF YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT A LICENSE TO PRACTICE VETERINARY MEDICINE, select the state on your application, and your NAVLE scores will automatically be sent to the corresponding board.
• IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHERE YOU WILL BE PRACTICING OR PLAN TO PRACTICE IN MULTIPLE STATES, you can designate the ICVA as your agency for application and opt for the “no board” option. In this case, your NAVLE scores will not be automatically sent to any licensing board. Instead, you will need to contact the AAVSB after you graduate and pass the NAVLE to have your scores sent to the licensing board(s) of your choice.

For more information, view the listing of State and Provincial Licensing Boards, and please note:

If you select the ICVA as your agency or a state that appointed the ICVA as the approved NAVLE processor, complete the following by the end of the applicable testing window:

1. Complete the entire NAVLE application.
2. Satisfy the application fee(s).
3. Have proof of graduation submitted to the ICVA (e.g., diploma, letter from dean, or transcript from an AVMA COE-accredited school, or verification documentation from the ECFVG or PAVE programs).

If you are applying through a licensing board that is not utilizing the ICVA for their NAVLE approval process, complete the following by the end of the applicable testing window:

1. Complete the entire NAVLE application.
2. Satisfy the application fee(s) through the selected licensing board.
3. Have proof of graduation submitted to your state licensing board (e.g., diploma, letter from dean, or transcript from an AVMA COE-accredited school, or verification documentation from the ECFVG or PAVE programs).

Please note that state licensing board application deadlines may be earlier than the ICVA’s deadline dates, but will not extend after the ICVA’s deadline dates. Application fees and required documentation can vary by board, so it’s important to contact your licensing board early for specific details.

Fees:

• STANDARD NAVLE FEE (NAVLE candidates testing in the U.S., U.S. territories, and Canada)
  • $800 (USD)
• INTERNATIONAL NAVLE FEE (NAVLE candidates testing outside the U.S., U.S. territories, and Canada)
  • $1,180 (USD) (standard NAVLE fee + international fee of $380)
• State NAVLE fee(s) vary, visit State and Provincial Licensing Boards

The NAVLE fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable. If you do not take the examination during the testing window for which you were approved, you must submit a new application and pay the full fee to take the NAVLE during a subsequent window.

Under ICVA requirements, those eligible to apply for the NAVLE include:

ACCREDITED COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

1. Candidates who graduated from or are enrolled in a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE).

Important notes:

• In Canada and most U.S. states, if you have not graduated from veterinary school at the time of application, you must have an expected graduation date no later than ten (10) months from the last date of the applicable testing window.
• Candidates may take the NAVLE up to two (2) times prior to their graduation.
• If your eligibility status changes after you are approved to take the examination, you must notify the organization that approved you for the NAVLE and the ICVA. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of your NAVLE score results.

NON-ACCREDITED PROGRAMS OR FOREIGN GRADUATE

2. Candidates enrolled in, or hold certificates issued by:

• the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), or
• the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE).

Important note: Candidates enrolled in ECFVG or PAVE must have completed the Step 3 examination requirement of the respective program before they can be approved to take the NAVLE.

State licensing agencies have varying eligibility requirements for the NAVLE. To be eligible to take the NAVLE, you must meet the specific requirements of these agencies.

For further information on approval documentation, please refer to this link.