The most recent NAVLE Practice Analysis was completed in 2017.
To ensure that licensure examinations required for the practice of veterinary medicine remain highly job-related, the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) has periodically conducted practice analyses, with the most recent completed in 2003, 2010, and 2017.
The Collaboration for Veterinary Assessments, consisting of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), has completed the final report from a two-year NAVLE Practice Analysis process. The resulting blueprint will be used to update the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE®) for future administrations.
All licensing examinations are based on a practice analysis, which describes the tasks that practitioners perform in practice and the knowledge required for competent performance of those tasks.
The NAVLE Practice Analysis Executive Summary, ICVA NAVLE Practice Analysis Press Release, and a link to the 2017 NAVLE Practice Analysis Report (all posted above) were e-mailed to ICVA constituent organizations, accredited veterinary schools, and other interested parties on October 11, 2017. The blueprint, prepared for the ICVA by the National Board of Medical Examiners, was approved by the ICVA Board of Directors in June 2017.
The current analysis obtained information about the following characteristics of veterinary practice: (a) work context, (b) animal species and diagnoses managed, (c) clinical and professional competencies required for success, and (d) foundational and basic veterinary sciences knowledge required to appropriately perform the responsibilities of effective practice. Each of these characteristics provides important considerations when designing and developing an examination's blueprint and overall context. For additional details visit the NAVLE Practice Analysis or Executive Summary.
This section covers the clinical and professional competencies required of veterinarians as they perform their daily responsibilities, such as Communication, Leadership, Lifelong Learning, Practice Management, Professionalism, Health Management, One Health Concepts, and Epidemiology.
Clinical activities were grouped by species and organ system within species, for most species. Similar species were grouped together for the purpose of analyses.