Verify Your Eligibility

1 Task: Verify your VTNE eligibility

Select your state or province for the VTNE eligibility requirements.

2 Task: Get approval to take VTNE more than 3 times, if necessary

• These jurisdictions all have more stringent retake requirements and require prior approval to retake the exam for attempts beyond 3 or 4 attempts:
  • All Canadian provinces, Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee.
  • Contact your state or provincial agency for verification.
  • • The state or provincial agency needs to email an eligibility letter to [email protected] by the application deadline.

3 Task: Understand graduation or an alternate pathway, if necessary

Graduation from AVMA-CVTEA or CVMA Accredited Program

Most jurisdictions require that VTNE candidates be graduates of a veterinary technology program accredited by the American or Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA-CVTEA or CVMA). The AAVSB does not endorse or recommend any veterinary technology program or school.

AVMA-CVTEA accredited veterinary technology programs in the U.S.

CVMA accredited veterinary technology programs in Canada

• Submit your official, final transcript to the AAVSB

  • We do NOT email candidates an acknowledgement of transcripts if there is no application on file.

  • Transcripts are reviewed when your VTNE online application is processed.

  • Click to see Transcript Requirements

• Initial application processing takes 2-3 weeks. An automated email from [email protected] will be sent to activate your MyAAVSB account.

• Forfeiting your application fee:

  • Failure to submit your final transcript with graduation date and degree conferred by the posted application and documents deadline will result in forfeiture of your application fee.

  • Applications will not be transferred to other exam windows.

Alternate Pathway (including On-the-Job Training or alternate degrees)

Three states allow On-the-Job Training (OJT) or alternate degrees for VTNE eligibility. Confirm you meet the stringent alternate pathway requirements for any of these three states: Alaska, California, or Wisconsin. Contact information can be found by using the Board and Agency Directory.

You also need to confirm that the state where you plan to work will credential veterinary technicians without a degree from an accredited veterinary technology program. There are select times when a governmental regulatory board will make a special exception for the approval of a candidate for eligibility. The AAVSB will defer to their decision.