Practice Analysis Keeps NAVLE® Content Relevant

In the second part of our North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) educational series, we take a look at the role of periodic practice analyses.

Because of the importance of licensing examinations like the NAVLE – to prospective veterinarians, to veterinary medicine in general, to both animal and human health, as well as to the public – it is critical, for both legal and scientific reasons, that the exams reflect current trends around the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed by entry-level veterinarians.

The best method to evaluate licensure exam relevancy is through practice analyses. A practice analysis describes the tasks that practitioners perform in practice, and the minimal knowledge required for competent performance of those tasks, gathered primarily from veterinary medicine subject matter experts.

To ensure the NAVLE reflects veterinary trends, the ICVA conducts periodic practice analyses, with the most recent – and most comprehensive – completed in 2017. This practice analysis study updated the previous 2003 and 2010 studies by asking a larger, more representative sample of North American veterinarians about the species they see in their practices and the diagnoses they are required to manage.

In addition, the updated practice analysis expanded on past studies in two important ways: (1) by incorporating elements of competency modeling, and (2) by systematically identifying the basic science knowledge foundational to all of veterinary medicine. For the practice analysis study, ICVA worked closely with both the American and Canadian Veterinary Medical Associations to administer a web-based survey to nearly 20,000 veterinarians from both countries and across a variety of different practices and disciplines.

Thousands of veterinarians, including licensed practicing veterinarians, academia, and faculty, completed the survey resulting in a 35 percent response rate. This high response rate from an expanded cross-section of veterinary professionals ensured the practice analysis study captured current trends around four key characteristics of veterinary practice: (1) work context, (2) animal species and diagnoses managed, (3) clinical and professional competencies required for success, and (4) foundational and basic veterinary sciences knowledge required to effectively perform the responsibilities of effective practice.

The survey results were compiled, and several additional in-person (as well as online) activities were conducted with subject matter experts spanning the spectrum of veterinary medicine. Based on the results of all of these activities, the Collaboration for Veterinary Assessments developed a blueprint to update and refine the NAVLE for future administrations.

Conducting a thorough practice analysis across a broad cross-section of the entire veterinary medicine profession takes significant development time and requires hundreds of volunteer hours from veterinarians across the U.S. and Canada. This important and essential work ensures that the NAVLE continues to remain highly job-related and reflects the current knowledge, skills, and competencies needed by entry-level veterinarians.

Read the first part of the NAVLE educational series, A History Lesson: Creation of the NAVLE®. To learn more about the findings, read the 2017 NAVLE Practice Analysis Report.