What will they ask me on the NAVLE?

Posted on August 1, 2009

The National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (NBVME) publishes a percentage based breakdown of what areas are covered on the NAVLE.  All of the numerical information in this article can be found at the NBVME website, www.nbvme.org.  Most of the rest of the information in this article is either paraphrased or adapted from the NBVME guidelines and if you are interested in the original text, we encourage you to view the NAVLE candidate bulletin from NBVME at http://www.nbvme.org/image/cache/bulletin.pdf

The NAVLE is a 360 question examination and the information can be broken down by the species asked about in each question or by the nature of the activity being discussed in the question.

The breakdown by species is as follows:

• Small Animal (canine/feline): 48% (24% canine, 24% feline)
• Equine: 17%
• Bovine: 17%
• Other Food Animals: 12% (4% porcine, 3% ovine/caprine/cervidae, 3% food security and public health, 2% poultry)
• Other Small Animals: 5% (3% pet birds, remaining 2% presumably includes, reptiles and other small mammals)
• Non Species Specific: 1%

Analyzing this information tells you that 82% of the exam comes from the 4 big ones (canine, feline, equine, and bovine) with only a small number of questions coming from each other species.  However, it is common to hear students complain that it seemed like there were a ton of pig questions or bird questions.  This is probably because most students learn less about those areas in school and it is natural to primarily remember the questions that you thought were the most challenging.  This is the same reason that over 90% of students walk out the exam convinced that they did not study enough and probably failed while the vast majority actually did just fine.

The other way questions are broken down is by the type of activity the question is asking about and the division is as follows:

• Data gathering and interpretation: 47%
  • History, physical exam, environment assessment- (19%)
  • Problem list and differential diagnosis- (14%)
  • Make a final/working diagnosis or conclusion- (14%)
• Health Maintenance and Problem Management- 47%
  • Evaluate prevention, treatment and management- (19%)
  • Make a plan of action- (14%)
  • Assess outcomes- (14%)
• Professional Behavior, Communication, and Practice Management- 6%

Further examples of what is meant by these activities are provided by the NBVME:

1. History, physical exam, environment assessment- 19%
   History questions will be about getting appropriate information from a client, trainer, or herdsman to identify problems.  Then expect to be given information about physical exam findings and/or environmental observations to assess a patient.
2. Problem list and differential diagnosis- 14%
   In these questions, you will be given certain clinical signs or abnormalities and be expected to identify those signs as being associated with certain organ systems or disease processes.  You will use them to generate a problem list or differential diagnosis list and determine what additional information or diagnostic procedures need to be ordered.
3. Make a final/working diagnosis or conclusion- 14%
   These types of questions will be the classic situation where you are presented with a clinical scenario and asked what the most likely diagnosis or conclusion is.
4. Evaluate prevention, treatment and management- 19%
   These questions will likely involve a scenario where you must assess a patient or herd condition and consider recommendations in light of the expected outcome, feasibility, urgency, client expectations and economic considerations, humane or ethical/legal considerations, public health issues, and resources available.  You may be asked about treatment or prevention options as well as prognosis with those interventions.
5. Make a plan of action- 14%
   These questions will involve selecting appropriate tests or treatments to protect animal or human health based on the needs of the client and patient.  They may also involve advising clients about relevant issues including nutrition, behavior, genetics, husbandry, and environment.
6. Assess outcomes- 14%
   These questions will involve reviewing data and collecting information to validate a diagnosis or modify a treatment or prevention plan based on evaluation of successful or unsuccessful interventions.
7. Professional behavior, communication, and practice management- 6%
   These will be questions related to any of the following:
   1. Ethical, legal, and professional conduct
   2. Assessing economic viability of certain aspects of the profession
   3. Ties to the veterinary professional community
   4. Advancing the knowledge base and stature of the profession
   5. Questions about working and communicating effectively with colleagues and support staff
   6. Maximizing available resources and enhancing practice productivity
   7. Time management and triage principles
   8. Education of client and staff about animal care/health
   9. Working with clients in an empathetic and understandable manner including assistance with grief management
   10. Preserving the human animal bond
   11. Enhancing economic viability of livestock operations