A. Primary Appeal

All candidates are entitled to appeal an NEB assessment of their Examination scores for the BCSE and the NAVLE, or their performance on the PSA or CPE ("Primary Appeal"). The candidate wishing to appeal must submit a notice of his/her appeal to the Registrar of the NEB in writing within twenty-one (21) days of the date of the results which he/she wishes to appeal. The Notice of Appeal shall clearly outline the grounds for appeal, accompanied by brief and concise statements to support the validity of such grounds. Candidates must use this appeal template. Appeals are to be submitted electronically to the NEB either by email to neb-bne@cvma-acmv.org or through the NEB Candidate Portal. 

Please note that complaints concerning testing conditions during the administration of the BCSE or the NAVLE must be submitted within the time frame stipulated under the heading Complaints in the description of the BCSE, and Grievances in the description of the NAVLE.

The Primary Appeal shall be considered by the full NEB at its next meeting following receipt of the Notice of Appeal. The candidate will be advised in writing of the decision of the NEB on the Primary Appeal immediately following that meeting.

      Without limitation, it should be noted that the following reasons will not be considered as grounds for appeal: 

1. Lack of proficiency in either the English or the French languages as used in veterinary practice in Canada. Candidates whose native language is not English or French are reminded that they are strongly advised not to attempt the Examination until they have achieved adequate proficiency in one of Canada’s two official languages.
2. Regulatory questions based on United States laws. Because the written parts of the Examination are used in both the United States and Canada, some questions on regulatory medicine might pertain specifically to one country or the other. It is recognised that candidates in each country may be unfamiliar with the laws of the other country and, therefore, may have difficulty with an occasional question. However, the Canadian experts in veterinary medicine involved in the preparation of the Examination ensure that there are no questions on the Examination which would be unduly prejudicial to Canadian candidates.
3. Lack of preparation or travel time. Candidates are advised that it is their responsibility to ensure that they have taken sufficient time to prepare adequately for the Examination. Candidates are also advised that they should take into account distances and weather conditions in planning for travel to Examination sites. Candidates are further advised that they should arrive in the region of the Examination site sufficiently early so that they are able to adjust to the effects of travel and any difference in time zones.
4. Late arrival at the Examination site for any portion of the Examination for any reason whatsoever.