How Do I Prepare for the Veterinary Technicians Exam?

In order to be a qualified Veterinary Technician, it is a MUST for the candidates to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). This examination is administered and conducted by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). It is an official examination held to evaluate the competency level of newly graduated veterinary technicians before the licenses are awarded to them. If the candidates do not pass VTNE, they can’t be recognized by their employers as qualified veterinary technicians.

This particular examination is held twice a year, in January and June every year. The content of exam is constantly updated, reviewed and re-evaluated from time to time in order to make sure that new knowledge, latest technology and innovation are included. VTNE always remains as a valid and useful tool to evaluate the capability of the candidates before licenses are awarded to them
When you have considered and decided to become a veterinary technician, the following are some suggested steps for you during the preparation of the exam:

First of all, you need to decide whether to enroll yourself in the veterinary technician program through online or offline study in any of the veterinary school recognized by AAVSB. It is a must to obtain the academic qualification before you are accepted to sit for VTNE.

Secondly, after graduated from the veterinary school, you have to prepare yourself for VTNE. Before sitting for the exam, you must submit your application for the examination to AAVSB and the online application fee is USD 200.

At the same time, your veterinary school is required to send in the proof of graduation (final transcript) or a Letter of Good Standing to AAVSB. The Letter of Good Standing must indicate that your graduation will take place not later than 6 months after the test date. It is compulsory for the veterinary school to send the letter and supporting documents to AAVSM directly. Candidates are not allowed to do so. Their submission will not be entertained.

Thirdly, you have to wait for the reply from AAVSB. In normal circumstances, AAVSB sends you an email to confirm the receipt of your education documents and AAVSB records your submission. You will then be informed the date and venue of examination.
Next, let’s take a closer look at the examination.

The exam consists of 3 main components, i.e. oral test, written test and practical test. You don’t need to worry about the format of the exam as there are sample questions available online. You can purchase VTNE practice test online at the rate of USD 45 anytime. At the same time, you can also print out a complete VTNE Candidate Handbook from the website of AAVSB, i.e. www.aavsb.org in order to have a better understanding on the flow of exam.

Last but not the least, what if you fail in your first attempt? According to the policy, AAVSB permits the candidates to sit for VTNE for 5 times if they have continuous failure. After the fifth time, candidates must apply to the AAVSB Board of Directors to obtain approval for additional attempts. In fact, to pass VTNE is not a difficult task if you put in a lot of effort on your study and practical training.