HealthcareSeptember 25, 20267 min read

How to Become a Veterinarian in 2026: DVM to NAVLE to Licence

The full route to working as a veterinarian, in order: program, NAVLE exam, state licence and renewal, with timings and what each step costs you.

  • $130,100Median pay
  • +9%Job growth
  • 4 years of veterinary school (after pre-veterinary undergraduate coursework)Training
  • NAVLEExam
  • $825Exam fee
How to become a veterinarian: step-by-step route 2026

Table of Contents

NAVLE switches to 12 shorter blocks from October 2026Starting with the October 12-November 14, 2026 window, the 360-question NAVLE is delivered in twelve 30-question blocks of 33 minutes each, with 50 minutes of total break time, and the testing windows move to Oct-Nov, March and July-Aug. A new lifetime cap of five attempts (reset for everyone in March 2026) also applies, and ICVA is running a 2026 practice analysis that may change the blueprint later.

The route, start to finish

Becoming a veterinarian is a fixed sequence: an approved program, the NAVLE exam, then whatever your state requires on top. Here is every stop in order, with realistic timings.

  1. 1

    Complete pre-vet coursework

    Typically 3-4 years

    Finish the undergraduate science prerequisites and animal/veterinary experience that DVM programs require for admission; most applicants earn a bachelor's degree first.

  2. 2

    Earn a DVM at an AVMA COE-accredited school

    4 years

    Veterinary school combines classroom, lab and clinical rotations across species. Graduating from an accredited program is what makes you NAVLE-eligible without extra equivalency steps.

  3. 3

    Apply for the NAVLE in your final year

    Application periods run about 6 weeks

    Apply in the ICVA application period (June 1-July 15 for the Oct-Nov 2026 window; Dec 1-Jan 7 for March 2027; April 1-May 7 for July-Aug 2027) through your board, the NEB, or the ICVA no-board option.

  4. 4

    Pass the NAVLE

    One testing day, about 7.5 hours

    Sit the 360-question exam at Prometric; you need a scaled score of 425. Scores post about 4-5 weeks after the window closes.

  5. 5

    Get licensed by a state or province

    Varies by board

    Send your score via AAVSB and meet the board's other requirements, which vary by jurisdiction; some states add a state jurisprudence or law exam.

  6. 6

    Foreign graduates: complete ECFVG or PAVE

    Varies

    Graduates of non-accredited schools must pass the BCSE (ECFVG) or QSE (PAVE) before NAVLE approval, then finish the program's remaining steps before licensure.

  7. 7

    Maintain your license

    Ongoing

    Renew with your state board and complete the continuing education it requires; optional specialty board certification comes after internship/residency.

Step one: the right program

The program is the one step you cannot shortcut. The exam body checks where you trained before it lets you sit, so an unaccredited course can cost you the whole route.

Program: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD)
Accreditation: AVMA Council on Education (AVMA COE)
Typical length: 4 years of veterinary school (after pre-veterinary undergraduate coursework)

Who is eligible to sit the exam

RouteWhat you need
AVMA COE-accredited schoolGraduated from, or enrolled in, a veterinary college accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (accredited at the time you graduate). Students must have an expected graduation date within 10 months of the last day of the testing window, in Canada and most U.S. states.
Foreign graduate - ECFVGGraduate of a non-accredited school enrolled in or certified by the AVMA's Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates; must have passed the BCSE before being approved for the NAVLE.
Foreign graduate - PAVEGraduate of a non-accredited school enrolled in or certified by the AAVSB's Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence; must have passed the QSE before being approved for the NAVLE.
Jurisdiction approvalCandidates apply through their licensing board where that board works with ICVA, through the Canadian National Examining Board (NEB) for Canada, or choose the 'ICVA' no-board option and transfer scores later via AAVSB.

The exam itself

This is the checkpoint the whole route builds towards. The essentials:

Exam: North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)
Questions: 360
Time: 396 minutes
Where you test: Computer-based at Prometric test centers in the U.S., Canada and internationally, during fixed testing windows (no remote option published).
Passing standard: Criterion-referenced, not curved. Scores are reported as a three-digit scaled score on a 200-800 scale; the minimum passing score corresponds to a scaled score of 425 (standard last set in 2022). Score report gives pass/fail, scaled score and content-area diagnostics.
Fee: $825

We broke the exam down domain by domain, with the weight of each and what its questions ask, in the NAVLE content outline.

Licensure: what your state adds

The NAVLE is not a certification you hold; it is the national exam every U.S. and Canadian licensing jurisdiction requires before it issues a veterinary license. You still apply to each state or province separately, and boards set their own extra requirements, so passing the NAVLE alone does not let you practice.

Pay and job outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics files veterinarians under “Veterinarians”. Median means half earn more and half less; pay moves a long way with state, setting and experience, so read this as a benchmark, not an offer.

$130,100Median pay (May 2025)
+9%Job growth 2025-35
81.6%Exam pass rate (2024-2025 testing cycle)

Keeping the credential

Cycle: Set by each state/provincial licensing board; a passing NAVLE score does not expire as a renewal item
Requirement: License renewal and continuing education per the jurisdiction's veterinary practice act

The exam is the step most people underprepare for

ExamCert AI has 800 NAVLE practice questions with explanations, built around the same outline this page walks through. Work them by domain, find the weak area, and fix it before test day.

Practise NAVLE on ExamCert AINAVLE Content Outline 2026

FAQ

How long does it take to become a veterinarian?

Usually about 8 years after high school: an undergraduate pre-vet program (typically 3-4 years) and a 4-year DVM at an AVMA COE-accredited school. Then you pass the NAVLE and get a state license, which can overlap with your final year.

Can I take the NAVLE before I graduate?

Yes. Students at AVMA COE-accredited schools can take it up to two times before graduation, provided their expected graduation date falls within 10 months of the end of the testing window.

How do foreign veterinary graduates get licensed in the U.S.?

Graduates of non-accredited schools go through either the AVMA's ECFVG program (passing the BCSE before NAVLE approval) or the AAVSB's PAVE program (passing the QSE first). They then pass the NAVLE and finish their program's remaining steps before applying to a state board.

How much do veterinarians earn?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $130,100 for veterinarians in May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average.

Sources

Figures on this page come from ICVA and the other primary sources below:

Checked September 25, 2026. Fees, outlines and eligibility rules change — confirm with ICVA before you book.