12 Dec 2024
RCVS officials say the reforms will improve access to the exam following feedback from former candidates and other stakeholders.
Allister Webb
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New rules are to be implemented for the exam that enables overseas vets with non-accredited degrees to register with the RCVS, following a record total of passes this year.
College officials say the reforms to its Statutory Examination for Membership (Stat Exam) have been shaped by feedback from candidates and will make the process more accessible.
The measures will be implemented from 1 January, meaning they will apply to 2025 exam candidates, following approval from the Privy Council.
Under the new rules, candidates will be able to re-sit written papers in each of the exam’s three clinical subjects in the same year, rather than waiting until the following year.
Participants who pass the written papers but then fail one or more clinical domains will also be allowed to proceed directly to that stage the following year, rather than re-sitting all papers as currently required.
The measures also allow candidates to pay for written and clinical exams separately rather than in one lump sum, while the college said the exam’s costs will increase in line with inflation.
College director of education Linda Prescott-Clements said: “We have been listening to the concerns of various stakeholders, including those who have undertaken the Stat Exam previously and veterinary employers.
“We’re grateful to colleagues at Defra who have worked with us to take the proposed changes forward and delighted that the time was found to get these changes through and for the approval by both ministers and the Privy Council.”
UK deputy CVO Ele Brown added: “The work of vets is vital, and these changes will support those joining the profession in the UK.
“Defra worked closely with the RCVS to deliver these changes, given that vets play a crucial role in safeguarding the health and welfare of animals, maintaining UK biosecurity, and supporting international trade.”
A record total of 37 candidates from 19 nations, including two with refugee status, passed this year’s Stat Exam and formally joined the RCVS register during a ceremony in Manchester last month.
