All Eyes on the Veterinary Licensure Examination
In the world of professional board exams, the spotlight is often on the bar, the CPALE, or the physician boards.
But in an unexpected twist, the Veterinary Licensure Exam (VLE) has quietly taken the crown as the most difficult licensure exam in the Philippines—based on actual passing rates.
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A Shocking Statistic: 9.36% Passing Rate
In October 2023, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) reported that only 92 out of 985 examinees passed the VLE. That’s a 9.36% passing rate—one of the lowest ever recorded among all professional board exams in recent years.
To put that into perspective:
- Bar Exam 2024: 37.84% passing rate
- CPALE 2024: 30.17% passing rate
- Civil Engineering 2025: 29.21% passing rate
- Physician Licensure Exam 2025: 49.67% passing rate
- Electrical Engineering 2025: 61.37% passing rate
These numbers show that even the famously rigorous Bar and CPA exams had passing rates nearly 5 to 6 times higher than the VLE.
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Why Is the Vet Board So Brutal?
Several reasons contribute to the VLE’s staggering difficulty:
- Broad Scope of Knowledge: Veterinary medicine covers multiple species—canine, feline, avian, farm animals, exotics—requiring mastery of anatomy, surgery, pathology, pharmacology, and public health across all of them.
- Lack of Review Centers and Support: Compared to more mainstream professions, there are fewer specialized review centers and resources for veterinary board takers.
- Tight Integration of Theory and Practice: The VLE is known for not only testing book knowledge but also the examinee’s ability to apply clinical reasoning under pressure.
- Small Population, High Expectations: With a relatively small number of vet schools and graduates, each cohort carries the burden of upholding the profession’s standards.
The Hidden Champion of Rigor
Despite being under the radar in terms of media coverage and public discussion, the veterinary licensure exam has earned its reputation as a silent giant of academic and professional difficulty.
While lawyers, doctors, and accountants receive the limelight for their hard-earned titles, perhaps it’s time to give due credit to the veterinarians who face an even steeper uphill battle—often with less recognition.
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Conclusion: Respect the White Coat
If you’re thinking of becoming a veterinarian in the Philippines, be prepared. You’re not just choosing a noble profession—you’re signing up for arguably the toughest licensure challenge in the country.
9.36%. That number should give everyone a deeper respect for the letters DVM.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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