First, before you start studying, make sure you have planned when you’re going to take the exam. The answer for when you should start your studies depends on your test date. 

Information about how to verify your eligibility, how to submit your online application and check your application status, how to schedule your exam and more information about the VTNE^® can be found on the AAVSB VTNE^® Overview. On this site, you can also see that the  The VTNE^® is offered three times per year.

The testing windows are: 

• July 15th - August 15th 
• November 15th - December 15th 
• March 15th - April 15th 

We recommend starting to study for the exam 3 months in advance. That means for the different testing windows, the recommended times to study are the following: 

• Start studying between April 15th - May 15th for the July/August testing window 
• Start studying between August 15th - September 15th for the November/December testing window 
• Start studying between December 15th - January 15th for the March/April testing window 

So now you know when to start studying - but what will you study? Between class notes, textbooks, Mosby’s review books, AAVSB VTNE^® practice tests and online apps and study programs, there’s a lot of information to get through. Every individual learns, studies and reviews differently so it’s important to choose which resources you think will be most beneficial to you. 

If you’ve narrowed down which resources you will use, the next question is, how will you organize your study schedule?

Psychologist Dr. Lori Kogan offers the following advice:

 "Work backwards from test day to schedule your study time. Assess what needs to get accomplished, decide how you will divide your time between different types of study resources, determine the tasks and estimate the time you need for each task, sketch out a rough calendar of time remaining before the test, make a note of the amount of time you actually have to do the work and fit your study time into the available time slots.” ~ Dr. Lori Kogan

For more study information on impactful study strategies, check out:  The Top 15 Tips and Tricks for Studying for the VTNE^®

Best of luck studying for the VTNE^®! 

References: 

• “How to Pass the VTNE: Top Vet Tech Tips for Passing the National Exam.”  VetTechPrep. 
• Verify your eligibility. AAVSB.