This content has been migrated to the CVMA website, and you can access the new site here: National Examining Board. Content will no longer be updated on this site, so please refer to the CVMA website for the most up-to-date information.
Guidelines for Accommodation Requests for NEB Examining Process
The following guidelines are designed to ensure equitable and fair treatment for candidates with documented need for reasonable accommodations in taking the NEB exams.
Reasonable accommodations are made to afford candidates with disabilities an opportunity, equal to that of non-disabled candidates, to demonstrate the required knowledge and skills tested by the BCSE, NAVLE, PSA or CPE. Of primary concern in determining reasonable accommodations is the extent to which the documentation objectively demonstrates the precise functional limitations imposed by the disability. Any proposed reasonable accommodations should minimize or overcome these limitations without compromising the integrity of the examination or providing the disabled candidate with an unfair advantage over nondisabled candidates.
A disability is defined in the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) as any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformity or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and any mental impairment or learning disability or dysfunction. Individuals meeting the above definition may be considered disabled and eligible to receive reasonable accommodations on the BCSE, NAVLE, PSA or CPE.
Candidates requesting accommodations must provide (at their own expense) written documentation of their disability and how their impairment prevents their equal access to the BCSE, NAVLE, PSA or CPE. Candidates must provide a report from a physician or other licensed professional health service provider who has diagnosed the disability (either initially or for a re-evaluation). A brief listing of the evaluator’s qualifications (including degree, licensure, and areas of specialization) should be included either in the evaluation or in a separate written document. The report must state a specific diagnosis (generally providing, if applicable, a DSM-5, DSM-IV, or ICD coding as well); must be current (within the past five years); must describe the specific diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic tests used, including date(s) of evaluation, test results and a detailed interpretation of the test results; must recommend reasonable testing accommodations; and must provide explanations of how and why the recommended accommodations are justified and necessitated by the functional impairments flowing from the candidate’s diagnosed disability. If no prior accommodations have been provided, the report should include an explanation as to why no accommodations were given in the past and why accommodations are needed now. Reports older than five years should not be submitted.
What accommodations are appropriate?
The decision to grant accommodation and the type of accommodation granted are at the NEB’s sole discretion. The accommodation must be appropriate to enhance a person’s access to the exam and must consider the particular setting involved.
Exam accommodations serve a different purpose between educational settings and certification exams. In educational settings, exam accommodations are provided to support academic success. For certification exams, such as NEB’s exams, exam accommodations are provided to give equal and fair access to examinations, allowing candidates with documented functional limitation(s) to demonstrate their competence without giving any advantage over other candidates. Therefore, you should not expect NEB to automatically offer the same exam accommodations you received during your academic studies.
...