International Council for Veterinary Assessment

What International Council for Veterinary Assessment does

International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that develops and administers standardized assessments for veterinary professionals across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2000, ICVA administers the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), the sole licensure examination accepted by all U.S. state and Canadian provincial veterinary licensing boards. The organization is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and serves three principal constituencies: veterinary licensing boards, the approximately 30 AVMA-accredited veterinary schools in North America, and individual candidates seeking licensure.

ICVA's product portfolio centers on four assessment programs. The NAVLE is a 360-question computer-based examination delivered internationally through Prometric's testing center network. The Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA) is a 240-item web-based educational assessment priced at $75 per candidate, offered through accredited schools. Species Specific Examinations are jurisdiction-specific tests for veterinary technician licensure, with pricing at $400 per form. NAVLE Self-Assessments are practice examinations aligned to the NAVLE blueprint. Items are sourced from a pool contributed by 75 volunteer writers across 29 schools, with development conducted in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and practice analyses conducted with Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to maintain content validity.

ICVA generates revenue through per-candidate examination fees structured around NAVLE application and testing fees (with a $380 base NAVLE application fee), VEA per-candidate charges, Species Specific per-form pricing, and Self-Assessment purchases. Distribution occurs through licensing boards (with NAVLE score reporting automated through AAVSB's VIVA system and the National Examining Board for Canadian applicants), the Prometric test center network, and direct institutional relationships with AVMA-accredited schools. The organization is led by CEO Heather Case and marked its 25th anniversary in 2025, coinciding with the launch of a third annual NAVLE testing window.

Name

International Council for Veterinary Assessment

Legal name

International Council for Veterinary Assessment

Website

https://icva.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) is a non-profit that administers the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) and related standardized assessments, serving all U.S. and Canadian veterinary licensing boards, AVMA-accredited schools, and individual candidates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Licensing Assessment Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG), Professional Licensure & Certification Exam Prep (Bar/CPA/NCLEX/PMP, etc.) (EDAGADAD)

Keywords

• Veterinary licensing examinations
• Veterinary competency assessment
• NAVLE administration
• Standardized testing services
• Veterinary educational assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. VEA Per-Candidate Fees: Schools pay $75 per candidate for VEA administrations starting September 2022. Schools may pass this fee on to students.
2. Species Specific Examinations: State and territorial licensing boards pay $400 per form for Species Specific Examinations.
3. NAVLE Application and Testing Fees: Candidates pay application fees and testing fees for the NAVLE licensing examination. Fees vary by licensing board jurisdiction. Score transfer requests are processed through AAVSB for additional fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICVA develops, administers, and scores standardized high-stakes veterinary competency assessments used for licensure and educational evaluation across North America. Its flagship NAVLE (360-question computer-based exam delivered at Prometric testing centers) is the sole licensure exam accepted by every US and Canadian veterinary licensing jurisdiction. The portfolio also includes the VEA for veterinary schools, NAVLE Self-Assessments, Species Specific Examinations for licensing boards, and the Wisconsin State Laws and Rules Exam.

Product overview

The International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) operates as a platform offering multiple veterinary licensing and educational assessments. The core product is the NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Examination), a high-stakes licensure exam administered since 2000. Supporting the NAVLE are NAVLE Self-Assessments for candidate preparation and a NAVLE Candidate Dashboard for real-time application tracking. The portfolio also includes the Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA), a foundational science assessment for veterinary schools, and Species Specific Examinations for companion animal and equine medicine competency evaluation. The organization collaborates with Prometric for test delivery, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) for examination development and scoring, and Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) for practice analysis services. Score transfers are managed through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NAVLE: North American Veterinary Licensing Examination - A requirement for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in all licensing jurisdictions in the United States and Canada.
• VEA
• Species Specific Examinations

Products and services

• NAVLE (North American Veterinary Licensing Examination) A secure, proctored licensing examination consisting of 360 clinically relevant multiple-choice questions, administered by ICVA since 2000 at Prometric testing centers throughout North America and certain international sites. It is a requirement for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in all licensing jurisdictions in the United States and Canada.
• NAVLE Self-Assessments Web-based practice exams designed to help NAVLE candidates identify their strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for the NAVLE. The assessments familiarize candidates with the exam's content and format, are available in English and French, and provide score reports immediately after completion.
• Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA) A 240-item web-based multiple-choice examination covering basic veterinary medical sciences including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, and pathology. Offered to AVMA-accredited veterinary schools at $75 per candidate, it provides a comprehensive, standardized, independent assessment of student knowledge and is a strong predictor of NAVLE performance.
• Species Specific Examinations Web-based examinations developed for use by licensing agencies in evaluating a veterinarian's knowledge in Companion Animal Medicine or Equine Medicine. Each examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, can be proctored in-person or remotely via Teams or Zoom, and is available to state and territorial licensing boards at $400 per form. Used for disciplinary cases and competency determinations.
• NAVLE Candidate Dashboard A real-time online portal that empowers NAVLE candidates to stay informed about their application status and testing process. Accessible via date of birth, ICVAID, and access code.
• Wisconsin State Laws and Rules Exam An examination for evaluating knowledge of Wisconsin state laws and rules relevant to veterinary practice, available as part of ICVA's assessment offerings for veterinary licensure in Wisconsin.

Quantifiable outcome

• VEA is the strongest predictor of NAVLE performance, allowing schools to identify students who may need additional support before taking the licensing exam

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBME is responsible for developing, administering, and scoring the NAVLE in cooperation with ICVA. The same organizations are responsible for the VEA. NBME developed the 2017 NAVLE blueprint for ICVA and continues to review and validate new test questions.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric is the authorized test delivery provider administering the NAVLE at their international testing centers via computer-based testing (CBT). They provide standard testing environments with enhanced security through audio and video monitoring and data encryption.
• American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAVSB processes score transfer requests for NAVLE, NBE, and CCT examinations. They maintain the database of scores reported by ICVA and provide Vault Basic Transfer Services for score reporting to licensing jurisdictions.
• Canadian National Examining Board (NEB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe NEB processes NAVLE applications for candidates seeking licensure in Canada. Candidates must apply and pay fees directly to the NEB (not ICVA) for Canadian licensure.
• Data Recognition Corporation (DRC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICVA is collaborating with DRC on the practice analysis for the NAVLE. DRC specializes in development and administration of high-stakes, psychometrically sound assessments, providing dedicated team with collective experience of over 100 years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Data Recognition Corporation (DRC): DRC is a major assessment services provider collaborating with ICVA on NAVLE practice analysis and psychometric work. It is comparable as an enabler in the same large-scale, high-stakes assessment ecosystem and a potential alternative development partner.

Broad incumbents

• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): NBCC owns and administers the National Counselor Examination for state licensure. Comparable to ICVA as a profession-specific assessment authority delivering high-stakes exams through third-party delivery networks and partner organizations.
• Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): FSMB supports state medical boards in licensure, disciplinary actions, and physician data—analogous to ICVA's role in veterinary licensure but for human medicine. It is comparable as a board-services organization operating in the same licensure workflow category.

Direct peers

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): NBME develops and administers the USMLE and is ICVA's co-development and scoring partner for the NAVLE and VEA. It is the closest functional peer in high-stakes health-professions assessment, sharing psychometrics infrastructure and item banking methodology.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): ARRT is a credentialing body that develops and administers certification exams for radiologic technologists. It is directly comparable to ICVA as a profession-specific high-stakes assessment organization with a universal acceptance mandate within its profession.
• National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE): NCBE develops the bar examination used across US jurisdictions. It is structurally analogous to ICVA as a profession-specific assessment authority with universal jurisdictional acceptance and similar psychometric and delivery partnerships.
• American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB): AAVSB is the umbrella body that processes NAVLE score transfers and maintains the score database. It operates in the same veterinary licensure ecosystem and serves overlapping licensing-board customers, making it a directly comparable peer in veterinary professional regulation.
• National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME): NBOME develops and administers the COMLEX-USA for osteopathic physicians. It mirrors ICVA's role as a profession-specific, high-stakes examination body with a near-monopoly mandate within its licensure domain.

Emerging players

• Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG / AVMA): ECFVG is the AVMA-administered certification pathway for graduates of non-accredited veterinary programs, including NAVLE eligibility. It is comparable as a stakeholder in the same veterinary licensure workflow and a source of NAVLE-eligible candidates.
• Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE): PAVE is the AAVSB-administered credentialing pathway for foreign veterinary graduates seeking NAVLE eligibility. It operates in the same upstream-of-NAVLE workflow and serves overlapping foreign-trained veterinarian candidates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-council-for-veterinary-assessment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Council for Veterinary Assessment