FAQs

You do not need to be a member of the VHMA to submit a CVPM certification program application, however, there are substantial benefits to becoming a VHMA member including financial discounts on CVPM products and services.

No, your job title does not have to be practice manager to meet the requirements. You must, however, meet the veterinary practice management experience requirement as outlined in the application. The application details thirty (30) duties that are common to most veterinary practices. Candidates must have performed at least twenty-six (26) of the thirty (30) listed functions for at least three (3) years within the proceeding seven (7) years to qualify as having the necessary management experience needed for certification. The application provides more specific details regarding this requirement. Visit the Documents & Resources page to download the PDF application or obtain a link to the online application form. 

The application details thirty (30) duties that are common to most veterinary practices. Candidates must have performed at least twenty-six (26) of the thirty (30) listed functions for at least three (3) years within the proceeding seven (7) years to qualify as having the necessary management experience needed for certification. The application provides more specific details regarding this requirement. Visit the Documents & Resources page to download the PDF application or obtain a link to the online application form. 

The practice management experience does not have to be earned in consecutive years but it must be earned in the preceding seven (7) years). Candidates may apply experience from different practices to meet the requirement. A separate experience form must be completed for each practice. Only the practice owner/supervisor can sign off on the experience relative to experience at their practice. This person must have been witness to your performance of these duties meaning that another employer cannot sign off on duties performed at another practice or not preformed under their watch.

The CVPM Board accepts applicable continuing education (CE) that is sponsored by a state, national, or international veterinary organization (i.e., AAHA, AVMA, VHMA, VetPartners, State Veterinary Medical Association, etc.), as well as CE that is provided by a recognized educational or governmental entity, such as a university, college, community college, or government agency. The CVPM Board accepts applicable CE from non-industry recognized education providers (i.e., SkillPath, Padgett-Thompson, National Seminars, Society for Human Resource Management, American Management Association, and Fred Pryor). The CVPM Board will review non-industry providers on a case-by-case basis. In-house training programs may be accepted by the CVPM Board with prior approval.

All CE must be documented to be accepted. A certificate of attendance, certificate of completion, or transcript are acceptable as proof of continuing education. The CVPM Board will be the final judge of which courses or seminars are acceptable, and the number of hours that can be credited for each course.

For program applicants, your CE must be documented and must have been earned within the preceding three years of your application submission date. For CVPM renewal, your CE must be documented and must have been earned within the renewal time period assigned to your renewal due date.

Visit Documents & Resources page for continuing education guidelines.

Formal education may be applied to the continuing education (CE) requirement if it has not already been utilized to meet the formal education requirement, it has been earned in the time period required identified, and it meets the CVPM CE Guidelines. One (1) semester credit hours of formal education is equivalent to six (6) CE credits. An official transcript is required to document these credit hours.

 Visit Documents & Resources page for continuing education guidelines.

To fulfill the formal education requirement, candidates must have completed at least eighteen (18) college semester hours in management related courses from an accredited college or university. A official transcript is required to document this requirement. There is no time limit for the formal education. Examples of applicable courses include, but is not limited to:

accounting;
economics/finance;
computer science;
marketing; management;
labor relations/human resources;
law/taxation.

RACE approval is not required, but continuing education (CE) must meet the CVPM CE guidelines to be applicable to the program requirements for the application and recertification. Visit Documents & Resources page for CVPM CE guidelines.

The minimum requirements must be accomplished/achieved at the time of your application submission. The application requires documentation that the candidate has met the minimum requirements to qualify to take the examination. Recommendation should be sent separately by the reference for confidentiality and can be received by the office 90 days prior or post the application submission date.

This recommendation must be from a person who is actively involved in the field of veterinary practice management and is in a position to be familiar with your work as a manager (i.e., fellow manager from a local managers group, manager from another practice you work with, a current CVPM, practice consultant, attorney or accountant). This person must be a peer; individuals who are under the direct supervision of the candidate do not qualify as a peer. A copy of the current Recommendation Form can be find on Documents & Resources page.

No, candidates will identify who will submit letters of recommendation on their behalf in their program application. Once the application is submitted, automated emails will be sent to these identified individuals with a link to complete their recommendation form (which is then attached to the candidate's application). Program candidates can monitor the collection of their recommendation letters in the Certification Dashboard. Recommendations must be received within 90 days of the candidate's application submission.

Once approved, the application is active for two (2) years from the date of acceptance. Candidates have two (2) years to earn the CVPM certification before their application expires. Candidates that do not earn certification prior to their application's expiration must reapply to continue to qualify to take the examination.

The examination is delivered through a computer based testing format in a proctored setting at testing centers throughout North America.  The examination may only be taken in an approved test center. Remote testing is not available.

The examination is administered four (4) times a year at testing centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Upcoming examination dates can be found here.

Candidates may only take the examination once per administrative cycle until their application expires. There is a fee each time a candidate takes the examination.

Yes, the fee to retake the exam is $100 less than the application fee.

For candidates who not successfully pass the examination current fees are:
$575 for VHMA Members
$725 for non-VHMA Members

Upcoming examination dates and fees can be found here.

To maintain certification, every CVPM must earn forty-eight (48) continuing education hours and submit documentation along with a recertification fee every two (2) years. Twenty-four (24) hours must be earn from in-person continuing education program. Professional credits for recertification may be accumulated in a wide variety of ways. CVPMs involved in the profession have no difficulty maintaining certification. Visit Documents & Resources page for continuing education guidelines.