Frequently Asked Questions

The ISVPS GPCert is a middle-tier qualification awarded to veterinary surgeons who successfully pass our assessments following the completion of a dedicated modular training programme accredited by us. This ensures that you are provided with the highest quality of appropriate practical and clinically relevant training to prepare you for undertaking the GPCert assessments. The General Practitioner Certificate is awarded in recognition of the additional time dedicated to furthering your knowledge and passion and indicates that you have achieved a deeper and more thorough understanding in your area of interest which can then be applied to general practice. The GPCert is NOT a specialist qualification but will provide you with the tools and knowledge to deal with cases in your specific area of interest in general practice with the highest level of confidence and skill.

The general practitioner certificate assessments encompass the whole syllabus for your chosen course so it is imperative that your self-directed study covers this (the course may not cover all of the syllabus).  The modular course and provided texts will provide the structure required to study but you will need to supplement this with additional study in your own time.  Typically, over a one-year modular course, total study time for the GPCert will be approximately 400 hours (this includes the course lecture times) and for a two year modular course total study time will be approximately 600 hours. This equates to approximately 10-15 hours of additional study time (outside of the taught course) per month to work on private study, enhancement of reflective learning and case report completion.

On registration for the examination you will have access to your dedicated candidate area. This is where you will find your candidate handbook and all information relevant to the assessment and examination process including assessment deadlines and the examination date and venue. This is also where your case report will be uploaded in due course. Turnitin® anti-plagiarism software is used for all ISVPS assessment submissions. This allows us to ensure that all work submitted for assessment is the candidates own original work and also allows detailed feedback to be provided. All of our examiners use a marking rubric to ensure that the marking scheme is fair, comparable and robust across all countries. Ensuring the highest level of quality and originality of the submitted work is crucial to ensuring the high standards of our certificates.

All of our examination materials are processed and managed by ExamSoft®, a sophisticated and innovative software system that ensures all of the ISVPS examination questions are encrypted to maintain the integrity of all examination materials. The MCQs are also blue-printed to the learning objectives for your course. This ensures that we are fair and thorough in assessing your knowledge and problem-solving skills during the examination process. ExamSoft® also provides detailed feedback after your examination regarding your exam performance, areas of strength and any areas of weakness that we may advise dedicating further study time to.

All of our examinations (practical spot test and MCQs) are completed using a computerised offline examination software system called Examplify® (ExamSoft®). This system allows the candidate to download their encrypted examination paper prior to the examination date (hence wireless access is not required on the date of the examination). The candidate will then be given a code on the date of the examination to unlock the encryption and start the examination. As soon as the examination is initiated, the candidate’s laptop will be “locked down” to ensure that no other materials (including the internet) can be accessed during the examination period. This is essential to ensure the integrity of our examination process and the robustness and quality of our examination results. This requires all candidates wishing to sit the GPCert examinations to own a suitable laptop to allow them to undertake the examinations.

Details of laptop requirements are provided in the candidate handbook.

You will receive your results (case report and examinations) within 6 weeks of the exam date. If you fail any area of the assessment process, you will only be required to repeat the failed part (at the next available attempt which is typically one year later) and you have a total of 3 attempts at each part of the assessment process. If you pass all  parts of the assessment you will be awarded the General Practitioner Certificate and will receive a printed copy of this certificate which you may display in your clinic. You can also use the relevant postnominals immediately e.g. GPCert(Cardio), General Practitioner Certificate in Cardiology.