Top 3 Reasons Licensing Boards Should Consider the Species Specific Exam
Is your office inundated with licensing requests from veterinarians already practicing in other jurisdictions? Has a complaint been brought against a vet and your board must determine whether to suspend or revoke his/her license?
ICVA’s Species Specific exam was developed at the request of state licensing boards to assist in assessing a veterinarian’s competency in disciplinary cases and/or verifying the competency of a veterinarian licensed in another jurisdiction. Here are a few reasons why it might be a useful tool for your board:
1. Designed to Evaluate Practicing Veterinarians
There are different expectations for a practicing veterinarian’s knowledge and skillset compared to that of a recent graduate. The Species Specific exam is designed with the experienced veterinarian in mind. The test consists of 100 multiple choice questions evaluating a veterinarian’s knowledge in companion animal and equine medicine.
2. Easily Available
The Species Specific Examination is available year-round (as compared to the NAVLE, which has two specific timeframes each year). Using the Species Specific exam can be accomplished quickly and with no undue delays. The licensing board can request the exam in as little as two weeks prior to the scheduled date. The completed exam is graded within 24 hours of receipt by ICVA and the score emailed to the licensing board. Faster access to the exam will become available in 2019 when it moves from a paper-and-pencil format to a web-based format.
3. An Unbiased Tool
The Species Specific exam is a standardized test that passes the required criteria of validity and reliability for an objective measure of a currently-licensed veterinarian’s knowledge. Furthermore, the test is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes happening in the field. For example, removing questions about drugs that are no longer in use. Along with other decision-making criteria, licensing boards can use the results of the exam as an objective measure of a veterinarian’s competency and future licensure.
For more information on the Species Specific exam, contact the ICVA office.