Statutory Membership Exam

If your qualification is not recognised by the RCVS, you’ll need to sit the Statutory Membership Exam.

This page has information on how to register and prepare for this exam.

On this page:

• About the Statutory Membership Exam
• The pathway to RCVS registration
• Seeing practice
• Applying to sit the exam
• Exam fees
• The written exam
• The Objective Structural Clinical Exam (OSCE)
• Exam resits
• Registration
• Further information and revision support
• Contact the team

About the Statutory Membership Exam

The RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership (or Statutory Membership Exam) is for overseas vets who want to join the RCVS Register, but don’t have a recognised qualification.

Check if your veterinary qualification is accepted

To be eligible to take the exam you must:

• be a qualified veterinary surgeon of 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 United Kingdom. It’s not for those who wish to get an additional qualification. Veterinary surgeons who are already on the RCVS register are not eligible to take the exam.

The pathway to RCVS registration

1. Declare your intention to sit
2. Apply to sit the exam
3. Take the written exam
4. Take the Objective Structural Clinical Exam (OSCE)
5. Registration

Declaring your intention to sit

The first step in the examination process is to tell us that you intend to sit the exam. To do this, please send us:

• a completed intention to sit form, and
• the required supporting evidence.

This should be sent by email to [email protected] by 31 December, if you want to enter into the exam the following year. Otherwise applications can be accepted all year round.

Download an intention to sit form

Supporting evidence

Alongside your form, you should also send us the following:

• Proof of your primary veterinary degree or diploma
• If available, university-issued transcripts of your studies
• Your registration certificate or veterinary licence, if you have one
• A copy of your passport photo page
• A completed self-assessment skills list form
• If needed, an exemption from the IELTS/OET

About English language test exemption

To practise in the UK, you must demonstrate that you can communicate in English at an appropriate level.
This can be demonstrated by taking either:

• the International Language Testing System (IELTS), or
• the veterinary version of the Occupational English Test (OET).

You are exempt from taking the IELTS or OET to demonstrate your level of English if your veterinary degree was taught and assessed in English. Proof of this should be submitted no later than 1 December of the year before the exam.

More about English language testing

About reasonable adjustments

To make sure that candidates with disabilities or health conditions are not put at a disadvantage during the exam process, we can offer reasonable adjustments. Please send us your form as early as possible, with your exam application form, in the exam application process so we can make arrangements for you in time for the exam.

Renewing your intention to sit

We understand that you might want to spend a year or more preparing for the statutory exam. If you’d like to stay on our intention to sit list but delay your sitting of the exam, you can do so by renewing your intention by 31 September each year.

If you would like to renew your intention to sit, please complete the renewal of intention to sit form and email it to [email protected] between 14 August and 30 September.

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.

Find out more about seeing practice

Applying to sit the exam

Once we’ve received and accepted your intention to sit form, we’ll invite you to apply to sit the exam.

You’ll have from 1 October until 5pm on 14 January to apply.

The same applies to candidates who have renewed their intention to sit.

As part of the exam application process, you must provide evidence of your good professional standing.

Exam fees

The examination fees for each component of the 2025 exam must be paid for in full within the deadlines set out in section 4.6 of the SME guidance:

Exam Component and information	Fee
Initial entry fee Includes one attempt at the full written exams, held in March 2025	Examination fee of £1,100 plus a £300 administration charge (total £1,400)
Re-sit written examinations (clinical domains)  Only available for candidates if they have taken and failed any clinical domain written exam paper held in March 2025	Examination fee of £450 plus a £50 administration charge (total £500) per clinical exam domain re-sit
Re-sit written examination (Code of Professional Conduct exam) Only available for candidates if they have taken and failed the Code of Professional Conduct Exam held in March 2025	One free re-sit attempt
OSCE Exam Only available for candidates to book once they have passed all components of the written exams.	Examination fee of £1,100
Entry to sit individual OSCE exam domains in 2026 for candidates who failed the OSCE in 2025 Available for candidates if they have taken and failed any component of the OSCE during the September 2025 diet	Examination fee of £450 plus a £50 administration charge (Total £500) per OSCE exam domain required. If taking entire OSCE, examination fee of £1100 plus a £300 admin charge (£1400)

Fees can be paid via our My Account portal. We’ll send you instructions once we’ve received your application.

If you withdraw from the exam

If you withdraw from the exam, you may be able to get a refund. How much you can claim back depends on when you withdraw.

• If you withdraw before the application closing date of 14 January: The exam fee will be refunded but not the administration costs.
• If you withdraw more than 28 days before the exam: Half the exam fee will be refunded but not the administration costs.
• If you withdraw 28 days or fewer before the first exam date: No refund

If you withdraw on medical or compassionate grounds

If you can’t sit the exam for medical or compassionate reasons, you may be able to get a full or partial refund on your fee.
Please email [email protected] with:

• a written request explaining the situation, and
• evidence to support the medical or compassionate grounds mentioned.

You should submit your request no later than six days after the part of the exam that you missed.

If you need financial support

If you can demonstrate that you have been granted humanitarian protection by the British Home Office, you may be entitled to financial support. This includes support with exam fees.

Please contact the examinations manager at [email protected] if you would like to apply for financial assistance.

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 written exam is held across a period of one to two weeks during the Spring (March 2025 and May 2025). It’s delivered remotely, using live in-person invigilation. This means that you may attempt it using your own computer, from a suitable location of your choosing.

The Objective Structural Clinical Exam (OSCE)

The OSCE is a practical exam, which usually takes place in the Autumn. In this exam, your skills will be assessed as you complete a multi-station circuit of clinical scenarios.

In 2025, the OSCE will be held at the Harper Adams University in September (dates to be confirmed)

Exam resits

If you fail the Code of Professional Conduct paper, you will be able to resit it within the same exam period free of charge.

Re-sits of the clinical written paper can be completed in May, they must be taken within the same exam period.

Re-sits are charged per domain. It is the candidate’s decision if they decide to enter into a re-sit opportunity.

Registration

Once you’ve passed the statutory membership exam, you’ll be able to join our Register. Our registration team will be in touch to guide you through registration.

Visa requirements

To enter the UK to see practice or take part in the practical exam, 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. The RCVS is unable to offer advice on your visa status or work permit status. For advice and support, please contact the Home Office. As this can be a lengthy process, please allow enough time.

Further information and revision support

Guidance document

Our Statutory Membership Examination Guidance document contains detailed information on all aspects of the exam. It includes a detailed reading list covered the main subject areas, as well as recommended websites and publications.

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

If you have a question about the Statutory Examination for Membership, please email [email protected] stating where and when you qualified (university name, country and year).

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