AAVSB · VTNE
Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) practice exams
The AAVSB Veterinary Technician National Exam — practice against the official 2023 content outline, with every answer explained.
Or read 15 sample questions with answers.
About the VTNE exam
The VTNE is the national exam most U.S. states and Canadian provinces use to credential veterinary technicians. It covers pharmacology, surgical nursing, dentistry, lab work, animal care, imaging, anesthesia, emergency care, pain management and communication.
These practice exams follow AAVSB's 2023 outline: pharmacy 13%, surgical nursing 13%, dentistry 7%, laboratory 9%, animal care and nursing 20%, imaging 6%, anesthesia 13%, emergency and critical care 7%, pain management 7%, and communication and support services 5%.
The real exam
Public information published by AAVSB. A ExamWize practice exam matches this format — it is not a copy of the exam's contents.
- Format
- 170 multiple-choice questions (150 scored, 20 unscored pilot items) in 3 hours.
- Cost
- AAVSB lists the current VTNE fee — check before you apply.
- Scoring
- AAVSB reports a scaled score. Practice scores here use a 70% pass line as our own estimate.
- Validity
- Your state or provincial board uses your VTNE score for credentialing.
Practice by exam topic
ExamWize practice exams draw questions in these same proportions, from a bank of 600 VTNE questions. Open a topic for what it covers and free questions with answers.
- Pharmacy and Pharmacology· 77 questions13%
- Surgical Nursing· 78 questions13%
- Dentistry· 43 questions7%
- Laboratory Procedures· 55 questions9%
- Animal Care and Nursing· 120 questions20%
- Diagnostic Imaging· 35 questions6%
- Anesthesia· 78 questions13%
- Emergency Medicine/Critical Care· 42 questions7%
- Pain Management/Analgesia· 42 questions7%
- Communication and Veterinary Professional Support Services· 30 questions5%
Who it's for
- Graduates of AVMA-accredited veterinary technology programs
- Students preparing for state credentialing as RVT, LVT or CVT
- Veterinary technicians reviewing core clinical knowledge
How to prepare
- Animal care and nursing is 20% of the exam — know normal vital signs, restraint, vaccines and nutrition.
- Practice dosage math: mg/kg doses, mL to draw up, and fluid and CRI rates.
- Know anesthesia monitoring, breathing circuits and reversal agents.
- Review instruments, sterilization, dental charting and radiation safety.
See the free VTNE cheat sheet for a one-page domain summary, and the content policy for how these questions are written.
Free VTNE practice resources
- 15 free VTNE practice questionsSpread across the exam's topics, each with the answer and an explanation for every option.
- Free 10-question diagnosticA quick, scored check of where you stand, with no account needed.
- VTNE cheat sheetThe topics and the facts that come up most, on one page.
- VTNE study guideHow to plan your preparation.
VTNE exam FAQ
- What is the format of the VTNE exam?
- 170 multiple-choice questions (150 scored, 20 unscored pilot items) in 3 hours.
- How much does the VTNE exam cost?
- AAVSB lists the current VTNE fee — check before you apply.
- How is the VTNE exam scored?
- AAVSB reports a scaled score. Practice scores here use a 70% pass line as our own estimate.
- How long is the credential valid?
- Your state or provincial board uses your VTNE score for credentialing.
- How many VTNE practice questions does ExamWize have?
- 600 original practice questions, drawn into full practice exams in the same format and domain proportions as the real VTNE. Every option has its own explanation.
- Are these real VTNE exam questions?
- No. Every question is original, written from AAVSB's public content outline — never copied from the real exam or from exam dumps. They match the real exam's format, not its contents.
- Can I try ExamWize for free?
- Yes. The free diagnostic has 10 VTNE practice questions with a full explanation for every answer, and no account is needed.