Certificate of Qualification (CQ)

The National Examining Board (NEB) administers examinations to assess candidate veterinarians’ knowledge, skills & competence for entry into the Canadian veterinary medical profession.  Upon a candidate’s successful completion of the assessment process, the NEB will issue a Certificate of Qualification (CQ).  A CQ is required for either full Private Practice registration or Temporary (Private Practice) registration, which entitles the bearer to engage in the unrestricted scope of practice of veterinary medicine in BC  

The examination pathway to obtain a CQ depends upon whether the candidate is graduate of either: 

• An AVMA/CVMA-COE ACCREDITED veterinary school, or 

• A non-accredited veterinary school named on the ECFVG List of Recognized Schools 

For more information about the pathways to a CQ, please visit the NEB website .  All questions about NEB candidate registration and the examinations must be directed to the NEB. 

Is there an option for registration if I don’t have a CQ yet?

Veterinarians who either:

• received their training from a non-AVMA/CVMA-COE Accredited veterinary school, are registered candidates of the NEB, and who have successfully completed the required written exams (the BCSE and the NAVLE) but who have not yet completed the practical exams (Presurgical Assessment and CPE)

OR

• received their training from an AVMA/CVMA-COE Accredited veterinary school, are registered candidates of the NEB, but who required more than 3 attempts to successfully pass the NAVLE and who must therefore also complete the practical examinations (Presurgical Assessment and CPE) to receive their CQ

may be eligible to receive Provisional Supervised Active (PSA) registration in the Private Practice class.  

Assessing Maintenance of Occupation Competency after the CQ: 

If a Private Practice or TEMP (Private Practice) applicant’s CQ was issued more than 5 years prior to application for registration, the review of their application will include consideration of the applicant’s opportunity for maintaining their knowledge, skills & competence in the intervening years.  

• If the applicant has practised in Canada for a minimum of 12 months full-time equivalent during the 5 years immediately prior to application, then the applicant is considered to have had sufficient opportunity to maintain their knowledge, skills & competence; 

• If the applicant has NOT practised in Canada for a minimum of 12 month full-time equivalent during the 5 years immediately prior to application, then their application must be referred to the Registration Committee for an assessment of their knowledge, skills and competence 

For more information, please see the Registration Committee’s policy:  

• Assessment of Knowledge, Skills and Competence