NAVLE Scoring: What 425 Means and How to Read Your Score
The NAVLE is scored on a 200–800 scale, and 425 is the minimum passing score set by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA). It's a scaled score, not a percent. Your correct answers on the scored questions become a raw score. NBME then converts that raw score to the 200–800 scale through equating, a statistical step that adjusts for small difficulty differences between test forms. The pass line was set by panels of veterinarians, not by a curve. If every candidate meets it, every candidate passes. (ICVA FAQ; ICVA, NAVLE 101)
Decode your NAVLE score
Find your situation in the left column.
| What you have | What it means | What it doesn't mean |
|---|---|---|
| A score of 425 or higher | You met ICVA's passing standard. | Nothing more is needed from the score. Licensure still runs through your board. |
| A score of 424 or lower | You didn't meet ICVA's passing standard. | That you were "one question short." Scaled points aren't questions. |
| A score of exactly 425 | A pass. 425 is the minimum passing score, not the first failing one. | 42.5%, or any other percent correct. |
| A score with an SE band that crosses 425 (for example, 410 ± 28 = 382–438) | On a different set of items, your score could reasonably have landed on the other side of 425. | That you can ask for a rescore. Your reported result stands. |
| A Self-Assessment projected range entirely at or above 425 | ICVA's projection puts you at or above the pass line. | A guarantee. ICVA says the projection is predictive, not certain. |
| A Self-Assessment projected range that straddles 425 (for example, 400–450) | Your projection includes both passing and failing scores. | That it's 50/50. A range isn't a probability. |
| A Self-Assessment percent correct | Your performance on those 200 retired items. | Your NAVLE score. Use the projected range, not the percent. |
Last verified October 19, 2026, against ICVA's 2026–2027 NAVLE Candidate Handbook, FAQs, and score report guide. The ± 28 example uses the standard error printed on ICVA's 2019 sample score report. Use the SE on your own report.
How many questions do you need right to pass the NAVLE?
There's no fixed number, and ICVA doesn't publish one.
NBME, which scores the NAVLE for ICVA, says the answer "is not as simple as one may think." Your raw score goes through a non-linear conversion that uses information about the items you answered, including their difficulty. Test forms differ a little. So the same number of correct answers can map to slightly different scaled scores on different forms. That's what equating is for: it keeps the passing standard at the same level of proficiency no matter which form you got. (NBME scoring explanation)
That's why you'll see "55%," "65%," and "75%" floating around forums and prep sites. They're guesses. None of them comes from ICVA.
The same trap shows up with practice tests. ICVA Self-Assessment reports give you percentage scores for the assessment and a separate projected NAVLE score range. The percentage is not on the NAVLE's 200–800 scale. Use the projected range for NAVLE score interpretation. (ICVA Self-Assessment FAQ; ICVA Self-Assessments)
How the NAVLE is scored, step by step
- You answer 360 multiple-choice questions. ICVA's 2024–2025 annual report describes the NAVLE as 300 scored questions plus 60 unscored pretest questions. ICVA's 2026 structure update says the content and total number of questions did not change when the exam moved to 12 shorter blocks. (ICVA 2024–2025 Annual Report; ICVA 2026 structure update)
- Each scored question earns 1 point or 0. No partial credit. A "next best" answer that's clinically reasonable but not the keyed answer earns nothing. So does a blank. (ICVA FAQ, partial credit)
- NBME converts your raw score into a proficiency estimate. (NAVLE 101)
- Equating places that estimate on the 200–800 scale.
- 425 or higher is a pass under ICVA's standard.
- Quality checks run before release. Scoring uses NBME software. Candidates are identified by ID number, not name, and no person hand-scores the test. (Handbook, p. 35; NAVLE 101)
Why some questions don't count
Every NAVLE question appears first as an unscored pretest item. That lets ICVA see how it performs before it ever counts toward anyone's score. Pretest items look exactly like scored ones, and you can't tell which is which. Treat every question as if it counts. (NAVLE 101)
Do dog and cat questions count more?
They appear more often. That's different from counting more. The current blueprint targets about 25.6% canine and 24.3% feline items, so those species show up most. (Handbook, p. 25) Each scored item still earns 0 or 1 raw point. ICVA doesn't publish any per-question weight for the scaled conversion, so don't plan around one.
Is the NAVLE curved?
No. The NAVLE uses a criterion-referenced passing score. That means you're measured against a fixed standard, not against the people who tested with you. NBME puts it plainly: equating "does NOT mean that the NAVLE is graded on any sort of a curve." (ICVA FAQ; NBME scoring explanation)
Where the 425 passing score comes from
ICVA sets the standard through a process called standard setting. Panels of practicing veterinarians from different species areas review exam items and judge how a minimally competent new veterinarian should perform. Their judgments become the pass/fail point.
The most recent standard setting ran from July to September 2022: three separate virtual exercises with 25 panelists in total. ICVA says it uses several exercises to widen participation and avoid groupthink. (2024–2025 Technical Report, p. 8; ICVA standard-setting overview)
Equating then holds that same standard on every form. On the reported scale, that standard sits at 425.
How to read your NAVLE score report
Your report has three parts: a pass/fail result, your three-digit score, and a diagnostic breakdown by content area. (ICVA, Receive Your Results)
| Part of the report | What it tells you | What it doesn't tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Pass or Fail | Your result against ICVA's 425 standard | — |
| Three-digit score | Where you landed on the 200–800 scale | A percent correct or a percentile |
| Your score ± SE | The range your score would fall in about two-thirds of the time if you could retest on different items | Grounds for a rescore (there are none) |
| Comparison chart | Where your score sits among a recent group of first-time seniors from AVMA COE-accredited schools. Blue bars show that group; an orange marker shows you; a black dashed line shows the passing score | Your rank in your own class |
| Relative strengths and weaknesses | Whether you did higher, similar, or lower than that comparison group in each species and competency area, plus the share of items in each area | A second score. These indicators don't add up to your total, and ICVA says no decisions are based on this section |
Sources: ICVA score report guide; ICVA sample score report
What the standard error means
The standard error (SE) is ICVA's estimate of how much your score would wobble if you retested repeatedly on different questions covering the same content, without learning or forgetting anything. About 68% of the time your score would fall within one SE of your reported score. About 95% of the time it would fall within two SEs. (ICVA score report guide)
On ICVA's 2019 sample report, a candidate scored 529 with an SE of 28 points, so the report showed a band of 501–557. Your report prints your own SE. Use that one.
Here's the practical meaning. If your band crosses 425, your result was close enough that a different set of items could have landed on the other side of the threshold. That's useful for planning a retake. It doesn't change the result you got.
Where to find your report, and for how long
Scores go out through the secure NBME portal. You'll get an email with instructions. (ICVA, Receive Your Results)
Your report stays online for about one year. Download a copy. After that, ICVA can email a duplicate for $25, usually within two business days. Duplicates are for your own records only; boards won't accept them. ICVA has no report PDFs from before the November–December 2014 window. (ICVA FAQ; ICVA score report order form)
What's a typical NAVLE score?
These are the average scaled scores ICVA published for its most recent full technical-report testing cycle and the one before it.
| Testing period | Group | Average score | Standard deviation | Examinees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov–Dec 2024 | First-time seniors, accredited schools, standard conditions | 487 | 67 | 4,658 |
| April 2025 | First-time seniors, accredited schools, standard conditions | 459 | 68 | 319 |
| 2024–25, both windows | First-time seniors, accredited schools, standard conditions | 485 | 67 | 4,977 |
| 2024–25, both windows | Repeat or accommodated seniors, and graduates of accredited schools | 429 | 56 | 2,551 |
| 2024–25, both windows | Candidates from non-accredited schools | 401 | 71 | 1,773 |
| 2023–24, both windows | First-time seniors, accredited schools, standard conditions | 480 | 69 | 4,813 |
Source: 2024–2025 Technical Report, Tables 1.1–1.3; 2023–2024 Technical Report, Table 1.3. These are group averages. They don't tell you your odds.
For pass rates by school and nationally, see our NAVLE pass rates by veterinary school data.
What your NAVLE Self-Assessment score means
ICVA's paid Self-Assessments use 200 retired NAVLE questions in four blocks of 50. Your report gives percentage scores by area and a projected NAVLE score range. (ICVA FAQ, Self-Assessment; ICVA Self-Assessments)
ICVA says the projected range is most predictive when you take the Self-Assessment in standard-paced mode, in one sitting, within a few days of the NAVLE. It also says a good Self-Assessment score doesn't guarantee a pass. (ICVA FAQ)
Read it this way:
- Whole range at or above 425: the projection puts you at or above the pass line.
- Range straddles 425: the projection includes both below- and above-threshold outcomes.
- Whole range below 425: the projection puts you below the pass line under those conditions.
The percentage score isn't on the NAVLE scale. Ignore it for pass/fail purposes and use the projected range instead.
When NAVLE results come out
ICVA releases scores about 4 to 5 weeks after the testing window closes, to you and, if it applies, to your licensing board. (Handbook, p. 35)
| Testing window | Testing dates | Estimated score release |
|---|---|---|
| October–November 2026 | October 12 – November 14, 2026 | December 14 – 25, 2026 |
| March 2027 | March 1 – 20, 2027 | April 19 – May 3, 2027 |
| July–August 2027 | July 12 – August 7, 2027 | September 6 – 20, 2027 |
Source: 2026–2027 Candidate Handbook, p. 16. These are ICVA's estimates, not guaranteed dates.
Scores aren't given at the test center. Your Candidate Dashboard shows when your report is available. If you applied in Canada through the National Examining Board, your score is also posted on the NEB Candidate Portal. (CVMA NEB)
Can you get a NAVLE rescore or appeal?
No. ICVA doesn't allow test review, rescores, or appeals of NAVLE results. (ICVA, Receive Your Results)
There is one separate route, and it's not a score appeal. If something about the testing conditions hurt your performance, such as a power outage or a fire alarm, you can file a grievance. File it with ICVA through its grievance form and report it to Prometric within 10 business days of your test date. Late or incomplete grievances aren't reviewed, and an investigation can take up to 60 days. (Handbook, p. 33; ICVA grievance FAQ)
ICVA can also cancel, invalidate, or withhold a score if it has a reasonable basis to question the score's validity. (Handbook, p. 36)
If you passed
- Download your score report while it's online.
- Finish your board's other requirements. Passing the NAVLE doesn't by itself grant a license.
- Send your score to other boards through AAVSB. Your approving board gets your score automatically. Every later request goes through AAVSB's VAULT Transfer Services or by phone at 1.877.698.8482. ICVA doesn't process transfers. ICVA says to allow 7–14 business days. (ICVA, Receive Your Results; ICVA FAQ)
Does a higher passing score matter? For ICVA's NAVLE pass/fail classification, 425 or higher is a pass. ICVA's scoring materials do not assign a different NAVLE pass status to a 600 than to a 430. Your licensing authority still controls the rest of the licensure decision.
If you didn't pass
Start with the report you have.
- Note how far you are from 425, and whether your SE band crosses it.
- Review every content area, but prioritize. ICVA says the NAVLE is "highly integrative" and that studying only your weak areas is unlikely to be the best fix. Weigh two things together: how much of the exam an area represents and how you did there relative to the comparison group. A "Lower" in a heavily represented area should generally get more attention than a "Lower" in a small area. (ICVA score report guide)
- Check the current retake policy and the next application window before you register again. ICVA's current policy gives candidates five fresh attempts beginning with the March 2026 window; attempts before December 1, 2025, do not count toward that new limit. (ICVA retake FAQ)
Canadian Certificate of Qualification applicants: graduates of an accredited college must pass within five attempts, and all previous NAVLE attempts still count toward that limit. Other NEB candidates follow the reset described by the NEB. Check the NEB’s current NAVLE policy before relying on ICVA’s reset.
If you need to know what veterinary work you may legally do before passing and becoming licensed, ask the licensing board for your jurisdiction. (ICVA FAQ)
Did the 2026 format change NAVLE scoring?
No scoring change has been announced. Starting with the October–November 2026 window, the NAVLE moved from six blocks of 60 questions to 12 blocks of 30, with 33 minutes per block. ICVA says the content and the total number of questions didn't change. The 2026–27 handbook describes the same raw-to-scaled scoring and the same 425 passing score. (ICVA structure update; Handbook, pp. 29, 35)
Three things could change the picture later:
- An independent audit. ICVA has an outside firm, ACS Ventures, auditing the NAVLE's validity, reliability, and fairness. The audit is expected to finish in the first quarter of 2027. (ICVA audit update)
- A new blueprint. ICVA says an updated blueprint takes effect with the 2027–2028 testing cycle. (ICVA, 2026 Practice Analysis)
- Periodic standard setting. ICVA re-evaluates the passing standard from time to time. (2024–2025 Technical Report, p. 8)
We'll update this page when ICVA announces a change.
Does every licensing board use 425?
ICVA's current FAQ states that NAVLE scores run from 200 to 800 and that the minimum passing score is 425. Licensing authorities still control licensure requirements in their own jurisdictions, so follow your board's current rule if it imposes any jurisdiction-specific condition. (ICVA FAQ; ICVA licensing-board directory)
You may also run into older board rules that list a two-digit examination passing score. ICVA's 2023–24 technical report said some boards still used two-digit scores and that ICVA translated three-digit scores for those boards. Those older two-digit values are not percentages. (2023–2024 Technical Report, p. 4)
Quick answers
Is 425 a passing NAVLE score?
Yes. 425 is the minimum passing score.
What's the highest possible NAVLE score?
Reported scores range up to 800.
Can I see which questions I missed?
No. ICVA doesn't allow test review. Your score report provides content-area diagnostic feedback, not item-level feedback.
Is my score the same if I took the French NAVLE?
Yes. French forms are translated from the English forms, and ICVA reports NAVLE scores on the same 200–800 scale with the same 425 passing score. (2024–2025 Technical Report, p. 6)
Sources
- NAVLE Candidate Handbook, 2026–2027 Testing Cycle — ICVA
- ICVA NAVLE FAQs
- Receive Your Results — ICVA
- NAVLE 101: How the Exam Is Created, Administered, and Scored — ICVA
- NBME scoring explanation — linked from ICVA's FAQ
- NAVLE Interactive Score Report FAQ — ICVA
- Sample NAVLE score report — ICVA (2019 sample)
- NAVLE Self-Assessments — ICVA
- ICVA standard-setting overview
- 2024–2025 NAVLE Technical Report — ICVA
- 2023–2024 NAVLE Technical Report — ICVA
- 2024–2025 ICVA Annual Report — ICVA
- NAVLE structure update, October–November 2026 — ICVA
- ICVA audit progress update — June 4, 2026
- ICVA's 2026 NAVLE Practice Analysis
- NAVLE score report order form — ICVA
- AAVSB VAULT Transfer Services
- CVMA National Examining Board: assessment of examination results
Last verified: October 19, 2026. Scoring rules, the score report, result dates, current retake policy, score-transfer rules, 2026 exam structure, and the cited current ICVA FAQ material were checked against the sources above.
By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), Prometric, the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), or any veterinary licensing board. Exam and organization names are used to identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. Your official result comes from ICVA, and licensing decisions belong to your state, territorial, or provincial board.