Frequently Asked Questions

We are in partnership with the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS) to ensure the highest academic standards. ISVPS is an awarding body who accredits and awards veterinary qualifications. They provide assessments in the form of assignments and examinations for all programmes.

Improve Veterinary Education was established in 1998 by a group of veterinary surgeons from across the UK, including a number of recognised experts. We provide the highest quality CPD in a format that allows you to develop your skills and knowledge in a logical and progressive fashion, under the supervision of dedicated Course Directors, each of whom has the highest qualifications in his or her field.

Our courses are run in venues across the world, including countries like Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, USA, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Cyprus, UAE and Italy.

At the beginning of the programme, you will be granted access to the delegate area, which serves as a comprehensive resource hub. Here, you will discover pertinent details regarding your account, programme schedule, and financial information.

Additionally, upon enrolment in your examination, you will gain access to the ISVPS Candidate Area. This specialised section is tailored to provide you with essential information pertaining to your exams and assessments, ensuring you have the necessary support throughout the examination process.

If you need to pause your studies, we have a dedicated team that will support and discuss the options that best suit you.

You’ll retain access to our online learning platform for a year after your veterinary postgraduate certificate course ends (which includes the first exam opportunity). This means you can re-watch videos or check things in your notes easily when faced with new cases in practice. We also recommend downloading your course notes or making your own while on the programme to help you look up techniques in future.

The certificate must be achieved within 7 years of starting your course, or 4 years of the course completion (whichever is sooner). We recommend completing the modules and taking the examination at the earliest opportunity to ensure that your learning is still fresh and current.

GPCert programmes vary in length depending on the discipline, but most certificates take 8-24 months to study. Start and end dates can be found in the table on the right of the course details page, and more information about the planned timings for each session in the veterinary certificate programme can be found in the ‘modules’ tab. Module dates will be confirmed in your MyImprove area once you’ve started the course.

In order to enrol onto any Improve Veterinary Education Veterinary Certificate Programme, delegates must be qualified veterinary surgeons. In order to enrol onto any Improve Veterinary Education Veterinary Certificate Programme, delegates must be qualified veterinary surgeons. If you intend to take the assessments to achieve the ISVPS GPCert, please contact english@isvps.org for further information and guidance on the certification process.

Registration is made directly to ISVPS (for the GPCert) – you will be provided with contact details allowing you to complete their registration forms

To access an online course, you’ll need a stable internet connection. Some courses may have downloadable PDFs to read through offline, but interactive components require being online.

You’ll also need an up-to-date web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). The online learning platform is optimised to work on all major browsers; however, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. Make sure you update your browser regularly.

For video content, audio devices (speakers or headphones) are recommended.

The platform and content are designed to be viewed on most smartphones and tablets.

You will need an active internet connection to load interactive lessons, quizzes, and videos. Some PDFs or notes may be downloadable for offline reference.

Most modules feature an overall progress bar and tick boxes per lesson and Week. Refer to your “My Courses” page or the module main pages to see what has been completed and what remains for your courses and modules respectively.

In most lessons and quizzes, your progress is saved automatically. If your connection drops, simply re-open the module once you’re back online and navigate back to where you left off. If you continue to experience disruptions, contact support.

Yes! We believe in peer learning and support, so we’ve built a forum into our online programmes. Each module typically has a dedicated forum where you can post questions or reply to discussions. Your module tutor also has access so they can help guide discussions and provide help and advice. Look for “Add discussion topic” to begin a new discussion in a forum or “Reply” to add a reply within an existing discussion.

The General Practitioner Advanced Certificate (GPAdvCert) is a high-level ISVPS qualification designed for vets who have experience and skills in their chosen field, and want to extend these further. This is an internationally peer-recognised certificate that showcases a vet has advanced skills in an area.

The Advanced Certificates are usually taken in a narrower field than the GPCerts, and look in greater depth at more advanced procedures within this area. For example, while the GPCert in Diagnostic Imaging contains ultrasound modules, the GPAdvCert in Ultrasonography focuses entirely on this imaging modality, progressing a clinician’s skills beyond what they would learn in the GPCert.

These advanced certificate programmes are ideal for vets who already hold a GPCert or a Level 7 qualification (like a PgC, CertAVP or PGCert) in a related field, or have been working within the discipline for at least five years. More information about the subjects covered in each programme can be found by clicking on each module in the ‘modules’ tab of the course information.

Our programmes require a sound knowledge of veterinary anatomy, physiology and nursing prior to entry. Eligibility criteria are below:

NCert – you must have received and passed a Veterinary Nurse qualification. Proof of qualification will be required for eligibility. In the UK, you must be a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) and be able to provide your RCVS number. If you’re in Northern Ireland, you must be able to provide your VCI number.

VPPCert – you must have been working in a veterinary environment for two years and provide evidence that you have been involved within the discipline you are applying for. This will require proof of employment with reference, current CV and self-certification.

For more information about eligibility, contact ISVPS at english@isvps.org, who will be happy to help.

We recommend taking each module in order and taking the assessments on the first attempt. If this is not possible you have 3 years to attend the 75% of the taught modules required to be exam-eligible and a further 4 years to pass the ISVPS assessments. This means that if a module needs to be missed due to unforeseen circumstances, or you need more time to prepare for the assessments, your course can be flexible. If you are worried about missing multiple modules or needing longer to complete your veterinary nursing certificate, we recommend contacting our friendly team for help and advice.

A Nurse Certificate (NCert) is an internationally recognised qualification for veterinary nurses, accredited by ISVPS. It is awarded in a specific subject area or discipline, and is evidence of a veterinary nurse’s dedication to their chosen area of medicine. In studying a veterinary nurse certificate, nurses develop their skills and learn new techniques, enabling them to improve the care of their patients. Veterinary nurses with certificates are highly employable, and the ISVPS Nurse Certificate is highly regarded by peers and employers all over the world.

The Veterinary Paraprofessional Certificate (VPPCert) is a certificate programme for people working as veterinary nurses but who have no formal training. There are strict eligibility criteria. Delegates do not have to be RVNs, but they do need to be working mainly in a nursing role in veterinary practice, for instance, animal care assistants and kennel assistants who have nursing duties.

Delegates who successfully complete the Nurse Certificate (NCert) or Veterinary Paraprofessional Certificate (VPPCert) assessments are awarded the certificate and are allowed to use the postnominals NCert or VPPCert followed by their abbreviated discipline in brackets. For example, nurses taking the Certificate in Anaesthesia will be allowed to use the postnominals NCert(AnaesthNsg).

Taking a veterinary nurse certificate can have significant benefits for the nurse and their practice as a whole. While these can vary depending on a nurse’s position, the practice environment, and the subject area they study, nurses with certificates generally:  

• Acquire new skills, enabling them to manage cases with confidence  

• Gain respect from colleagues and the public, contributing to higher job satisfaction and easier salary conversations with current and future employers  

• Develop valuable study skills that support further post-qualification studies and enhance professional development  

Further qualifications like veterinary nurse certificates don’t just benefit the individual – the practice usually sees a benefit too, which is why many practices provide funding and time off to allow nurses to complete certificates. Practices may see:  

• Improved patient outcomes due to the candidate’s enhanced nursing skills, and the spreading of those skills through the team  

• Increased client satisfaction from improved in-house nursing capabilities, which may be the difference between referral and in-house care  

• Better staff retention and easier recruitment resulting from higher job satisfaction and clearly demonstrated support for professional development  

• In some cases, a veterinary nurse certificate will equip a delegate with the knowledge and skills to run clinics or offer services that were previously unavailable, such as nutrition consultations or physiotherapy services. This can provide a new revenue stream for practices.  

The length of the training programme for the veterinary nurse certificates varies depending on the subject. Start and end dates can be found in the course information for each subject. Planned module dates (subject to change) are visible in the ‘modules’ tab. The assessments are then held after the training programme is complete. Most delegates complete their veterinary nurse certificate programme within a 12–18-month time period (depending on course start and assessment dates).