NAVLE Pass Rates 2026: First-Time, Repeat and International Graduates

In the 2024–2025 testing cycle, 81.6% of first-time candidates from AVMA-accredited schools passed the NAVLE, according to ICVA's report to licensing boards; the "ultimate" pass rate for that group, once repeat attempts are counted, was 89%. Graduates of non-accredited schools passed at 37.5% on the same exam. The passing score is 425 on a 200–800 scale, and it is fixed, not curved. This article breaks down every published figure by candidate group and testing window, explains what the numbers mean for you, and sets out what to do if you are in the group with the lower odds.

NAVLE Pass Rates by Candidate Group (2024–2025 Cycle)

ICVA reports NAVLE performance in three groups. The definitions matter, because most quoted "NAVLE pass rates" refer only to the first one.

• Criterion group: senior students at AVMA-accredited schools taking the NAVLE for the first time under standard testing conditions. This is the headline "first-time pass rate".
• Non-criterion group: candidates from accredited schools who had taken the NAVLE before, took it with test accommodations, or were already graduates.
• Non-accredited group: graduates or senior students of veterinary schools not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education, which in practice means international graduates in the ECFVG or PAVE programs.

The following figures are taken from the 2025 ICVA Report to Licensing Boards and cover both administrations of the 2024–2025 cycle combined (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025).