Seeing practice
Gain invaluable UK practice experience through ‘seeing practice’ placements. Seeing practice is great preparation for your statutory exam. It helps adjust your knowledge to UK practice and learn more about life as a vet in the UK.
Statutory Membership Exam
If you’re an overseas veterinary surgeon whose qualification isn’t recognised by the RCVS, the Statutory Membership Examination is your pathway to practising in the UK. This page guides you through the process, from application to registration.
On this page
About the Statutory Membership Exam
The statutory exam tests your knowledge and practical skills across all areas of UK veterinary practice. To be eligible, you must:
- Be a qualified vet in good professional standing, and
- Be eligible to practise in the country where you qualified.
The Statutory Membership Exam is for overseas vets who want to practise in the UK. It’s not for those who wish to get an additional qualification. Vets who are already on the RCVS register are not eligible to take the exam.
The pathway to RCVS registration
- Declare your intention to sit - Submit your intention to sit the statutory exam.
- Apply for the exam - Complete your formal application and provide a letter of good standing.
- Take the written exam - Demonstrate your theoretical knowledge.
- Complete the Objective Structural Clinical Exam (OSCE) - Demonstrate your practical skills in clinical scenarios.
- Apply for registration – Once you’ve passed both parts of the exam, our Registration Team will be in touch to guide you through the process.
Timeline overview
The entire process typically takes around 15 months, from declaring your intention to sit to joining our Register. The typical cycle runs as follows:
- December: Intention to sit deadline
- January: Exam application deadline
- March: Written exam
- Autumn: OSCE
- Later that year: Registration
Seeing practice
Once your intention to sit has been approved, you will be able to ‘see practice’ in the UK. This means getting practical clinical experience, which is invaluable preparation for the exam.
Learn more about seeing practice.
Applying to sit the exam
The application process involves two stages: declaring your intention to sit and submitting your formal application.
Declaring intention
You must declare your intention to sit the exam by 31 December each year for the following year's exam cycle.
Please email your intention to sit form to [email protected]
Alongside your form, you need to send us:
- Your original degree certificate or certified copy
- University-issued transcripts of your studies, if available
- Your registration certificate or veterinary licence
- A copy of your passport photo page
- A completed self-assessment skills list form
- If needed, proof that you’re exempt from English language testing.
Renewing your intention to sit
If you need extra preparation time, you can choose to delay your exam but stay on our intention to sit list. You can do this by completing the renewal of intention to sit form and sending it to [email protected] between 14 August and 30 September.
Applying to sit the exam
Once you've declared your intention to sit, we’ll invite you to apply to sit the exam. Please submit your application between 1 October and 14 January.
Alongside your application, you must send us a letter of good standing.
English language requirements
You need IELTS Academic (minimum 7.0 overall, 7.0 in each component) or OET (minimum Grade B in each component). You're exempt if your degree was taught and examined entirely in English.
Exam fees
You can pay your exam fees through MyRCVS. Payment schedules align with exam stages - you don't pay everything upfront.
| Component | Fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Initial exam entry | £1,400 | £1,100 exam + £300 admin |
| Clinical domain resit | £500 each | £450 exam + £50 admin |
| Professional Conduct resit | Free | First resit attempt only |
| OSCE | £1,100 | After passing written exam |
| OSCE domain resit | £500 each | Or £1,400 for full retake |
Withdrawal and refunds
We understand circumstances can change. If you need to withdraw from the exam, refund amounts depend on when you withdraw and the reasons.
- Before the application closing date of 14 January: The exam fee will be refunded but not the administration costs.
- More than 28 days before the exam: Half the exam fee will be refunded but not the administration costs.
- Less than 28 days before the first exam date: Unfortunately, we won’t be able to give you a refund.
If you have withdrawn on medical or compassionate grounds, you may qualify for more generous refund arrangements. Please email [email protected] explaining your situation, with evidence to support the medical or compassionate grounds mentioned.
Financial support
If you have humanitarian protection status in the UK, you may qualify for reduced fees. Contact us early in your application process to discuss available support options.
The written exam
The written part of the exam consists of:
- Best-of-five multiple-choice questions assessing your clinical knowledge
- An open-book paper assessing your familiarity with the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct
The exam tests your theoretical knowledge across three clinical areas: companion animal, production animal (including veterinary public health) and equine. You must achieve a pass in each of these areas to progress to the OSCE.
If you don't pass in all areas on your first attempt, you can resit the papers you’ve failed. This avoids you having to retake the entire exam.
The written exam takes place in March, with a resit opportunity in May if needed. The exam is delivered remotely, using live in-person invigilation.
The Objective Structural Clinical Exam (OSCE)
The OSCE is your practical assessment, usually held in the Autumn. This hands-on exam tests your clinical skills, communication abilities, and practical application of veterinary knowledge.
In this exam, your skills will be assessed as you complete a multi-station circuit of clinical scenarios. These might include:
- Clinical examinations
- Diagnostic procedures
- Client communication scenarios
- Practical skills demonstrations
Like the written exam, you’ll be assessed in three clinical areas: companion animal, production animal (including veterinary public health) and equine. You must pass in each area to pass the exam overall, but you can resit individual areas if needed.
Exam resits
If you don't pass all components of the exam on your first attempt, resit opportunities are available. For the written exam, you can resit individual papers rather than retake the whole exam. The Code of Professional Conduct component resit is free if you’re taking it within the same exam period.
Registration
Once you've passed your statutory membership exam, you can apply for RCVS registration. Our Registration Team will be in touch to guide you through the process.
Visa requirements
To enter the UK to take part in the practical exam or see practice, you may need to get entry clearance from the British Embassy or High Commission in the country where you are living or are a national.
Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer advice on your visa status or work permit status. For advice and support, please contact the UK Home Office. As this can be a lengthy process, please allow enough time.
Further information and revision support
We have a range of resources to help you prepare for your exam.
MyRCVS
You can use MyRCVS to pay fees, submit documents, and track your application.
RCVS Knowledge
Once you’ve declared your intention to sit, you can apply for an RCVS Knowledge library membership. The membership fee is £25 for six months, allowing you to borrow two books for four weeks.
Formative quiz
In the run up to the final exam, we’ll give you access to a formative quiz. This quiz contains 110 questions in the same format and of the same standard you will be faced in the written exam.
RCVS Academy
Our Academy course on working in the UK includes information on how to apply and prepare for the statutory exam.
Contact the team
Our dedicated team is here to support you through the statutory exam process. If you need clarification or support, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].