North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE®)
The North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) is offered by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA; formerly the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners) during two testing windows anually, and is a requirement for North Dakota state licensure.
The NAVLE Candidate Bulletin is available for download on the ICVA website.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If you want to be approved by North Dakota to take the NAVLE, you must submit two applications through the ICVA website at www.icva.net.
- Application 1 - ICVA NAVLE application
You must submit an application directly to the ICVA and pay the corresponding fee. The deadline for receipt of your application in the ICVA office is August 1 for the November-December NAVLE, and February 1 for the April NAVLE. Late applications are not accepted. Please see the NAVLE section of the ICVA website for additional information.
- Application 2 - North Dakota NAVLE application
You must submit the North Dakota NAVLE application and pay the state application fee.
WHO IS ELEGIBLE?
Those eligible to apply for the NAVLE through North Dakota include:
- Graduates of schools accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
- Senior students at AVMA-accredited schools who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window.
- Graduates of schools not accredited by the AVMA who are 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). Candidates who are enrolled in ECFVG or PAVE must have completed the Step 3 examination requirement of the respective certification program before they may be approved to take the NAVLE.
- Senior students at schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in the ECFVG or PAVE, and have completed their program's Step 3 examination.
NAVLE SCHEDULING AND ADMISSION PERMITS
Candidates who meet the NAVLE application and eligibility requirements, and who are approved by the ICVA on behalf of the North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to take the examination for a specified NAVLE testing window, will be issued a NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permit by the ICVA approximately 45 days prior to the opening of the testing window. The ICVA will send approved NAVLE candidates an e-mail message with instructions on how to access their individual permit online. Candidates must have the information on their permit in order to schedule their testing appointment.
NAVLE SCORE REPORTS AND SCORE TRANSFERS
Your initial NAVLE score will be reported by the ICVA to the North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, at no additional cost to you. Scores for the November-December testing window are reported in mid January, and scores for the April testing window are reported in mid-May.
If you need to transfer your NAVLE score to additional licensing boards, those requests are processed by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Veterinary Information Verifying Agency (VIVA). Score transfer requests can be processed online through the VIVA link on the AAVSB website. The VIVA office can also be contacted by telephone toll free at 877-698-VIVA; or by e-mail at viva@aavsb.org.
Updated 04/09/2022
