American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP): How to Become Board-Certified
The American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) certifies veterinary anatomic pathologists and veterinary clinical pathologists, the two specialties AVMA lists under it.
Its path is counted in months of veterinary pathology training: 12 in-person months to sit Phase I, then 36 months on the Standard Route or 48 on the Alternate Route before Phase II.
AVMA counts 3,347 active ACVP Diplomates as of December 31, 2025.
Active diplomates (AVMA)
3,347
AVMA-recognized specialties
2
Recognition
Recognized
Diplomate count: AVMA, “Veterinary specialists in the U.S.,” active board-certified diplomates as of December 31, 2025. Some veterinarians belong to more than one specialty.
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ACVP at a glance
American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) is on AVMA’s list of AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations.
Diplomate title: Diplomate of the ACVP, in veterinary anatomic or clinical pathology
Specialties AVMA lists under ACVP
- Anatomic pathology
- Clinical pathology
Active diplomates by specialty (AVMA, as of December 31, 2025)
- Anatomic pathology2,642
- Clinical pathology705
The ACVP credentialing path, from the college’s own documents
Before training
Candidates must hold a veterinary degree from a North American AVMA-accredited college or an international AVMA-listed veterinary college.
The college’s wording
“ACVP must examine only veterinarians who have a degree necessary for the practice of Veterinary Medicine from a North American, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited or international AVMA-listed veterinary college.”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsTraining program
Candidates need at least 12 months of in-person veterinary pathology training before the Phase I exam.
The college’s wording
“A candidate must have completed 12 months of in-person veterinary pathology training as described above, prior to the Phase I Examination date”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsTraining program
To sit Phase II, candidates need 36 months of training on the Standard Route, or 48 months on the Alternate Route.
The college’s wording
“A candidate must have completed 36 months in a Standard Route program or 48 months in an Alternate Route program of veterinary pathology training prior to the Phase II Examination date”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsOther routes
Dual certification in another pathology discipline requires a minimum of 12 full-time months (40 hours/week) mentored by a Diplomate certified in that discipline.
The college’s wording
“A minimum of 12 full-time months, at the equivalent of 40 hours per week, of training under the mentorship of an ACVP Diplomate who is certified in the discipline sought.”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsCertifying exam
Phase I is a 2-hour exam of 100 multiple-choice questions.
The college’s wording
“The 2-hour Phase I Examination is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions, which may include image-based identification questions.”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsCertifying exam
Phase II is a one-day, 7.5-hour exam (plus 45 minutes of breaks) of 300 multiple-choice questions, given in 3 sections of 100 questions each.
The college’s wording
“The Phase II Certifying Examinations are one-day, 7.5-hour (plus two breaks totaling 45 minutes) examinations in either veterinary anatomic pathology or veterinary clinical pathology. The Phase II Examinations are composed of 300 multiple-choice questions, administered in 3 sections of 100 questions each”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsKeeping the credential
Diplomates certified in 2016 or later must meet Maintenance of Certification (MOC) standards over a 10-year period.
The college’s wording
“All ACVP-boarded Diplomates certified in 2016 or thereafter are required to meet minimum Maintenance of Certification (MOC) standards over 10-year period”
ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, For the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying ExaminationsEach point is summarised from ACVP’s own published pages and candidate documents, as retrieved on the dates listed under Sources. Open “the college’s wording” for the exact text and its source.
Anatomic and clinical pathology, examined separately
ACVP certifies veterinarians in veterinary anatomic pathology and veterinary clinical pathology, the two specialties AVMA lists under the college, and the certifying process is a two-phase examination whose credential is Diplomate of the ACVP, in veterinary anatomic or clinical pathology.
Phase II is taken in a single discipline: a candidate trains and tests in veterinary anatomic pathology or in veterinary clinical pathology.
AVMA counts 3,347 active ACVP Diplomates as of December 31, 2025, listing 2,642 under anatomic pathology and 705 under clinical pathology.
Those two figures add up exactly to the college total, so AVMA's table is a complete split of the field, with anatomic pathology the larger side by AVMA's own count.
The veterinary degree, then months of counted training
ACVP's stated prerequisite is the veterinary degree itself: candidates must hold a veterinary degree from a North American AVMA-accredited college or an international AVMA-listed veterinary college.
The training requirements after that are measured in months of veterinary pathology training.
The first gate is 12 months of in-person veterinary pathology training, completed before the Phase I Examination date.
The Phase II gate sits deeper: 36 months of training on the Standard Route, or 48 months on the Alternate Route, completed before the Phase II Examination date.
Both gates run to examination dates, so the count that matters is training completed by the exam itself, and the route a candidate trains under sets the Phase II threshold at 36 or 48 months.
Planning starts with knowing which route the training follows.
The Alternate Route, and a second discipline after certification
ACVP describes two routes beyond the Standard Route's 36-month path to Phase II.
The Alternate Route is the longer one: 48 months of veterinary pathology training against the Standard Route's 36, for the same Phase II eligibility.
Dual certification is the route for a Diplomate certified in one discipline who seeks certification in the other: a minimum of 12 full-time months, at the equivalent of 40 hours per week, under the mentorship of a Diplomate certified in the discipline sought.
The two suit different candidates — the Alternate Route changes the length of the run to the first certification, while dual certification is the second discipline's own requirement, built on mentorship in exactly that discipline.
A 2-hour Phase I and a one-day Phase II
The certifying process runs in two phases, and the numbers are specific.
Phase I is a 2-hour examination of 100 multiple-choice questions, which may include image-based identification questions; the 12-month training gate stands in front of it.
Phase II is a one-day, 7.5-hour examination with two breaks totaling 45 minutes, composed of 300 multiple-choice questions administered in 3 sections of 100 questions each, taken in either veterinary anatomic pathology or veterinary clinical pathology.
After certification, the credential carries a maintenance obligation: all ACVP-boarded Diplomates certified in 2016 or later must meet minimum Maintenance of Certification (MOC) standards over a 10-year period.
Read together, the commitment is training counted in months, a two-examination sequence, and maintenance that continues past the exam.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the training path to ACVP certification?
The college counts it in months of veterinary pathology training.
Phase I eligibility asks for 12 months of in-person pathology training completed before that examination's date.
Phase II eligibility asks for 36 months on the Standard Route or 48 months on the Alternate Route, completed before the Phase II Examination date.
The route a candidate trains under therefore sets the length of the run to Phase II: 36 months or 48.
Can an ACVP Diplomate certify in both anatomic and clinical pathology?
Yes.
Dual certification in the other pathology discipline requires a minimum of 12 full-time months, at the equivalent of 40 hours per week, under the mentorship of a Diplomate certified in the discipline sought.
The 12 months are specific to the discipline sought, so a Diplomate planning for the second credential budgets a distinct block of full-time mentored pathology training for it.
What does the ACVP Phase I examination look like?
Phase I is a 2-hour examination composed of 100 multiple-choice questions, which may include image-based identification questions.
It is the first phase of the certifying process, and the training gate for it is 12 months of in-person veterinary pathology training completed before the examination date.
Both figures are stated in the college's candidate handbook for the 2027 certifying examinations.
What does the ACVP Phase II examination look like?
Phase II is a one-day, 7.5-hour examination with two breaks totaling 45 minutes, administered in either veterinary anatomic pathology or veterinary clinical pathology.
It is composed of 300 multiple-choice questions given in 3 sections of 100 questions each.
The training gate depends on the route: 36 months on the Standard Route or 48 months on the Alternate Route, completed before the Phase II Examination date.
Does ACVP certification have to be maintained?
All ACVP-boarded Diplomates certified in 2016 or thereafter are required to meet minimum Maintenance of Certification (MOC) standards over a 10-year period.
The obligation attaches by certification date, so a pathologist certifying now plans for MOC from the first day of diplomate standing rather than treating the credential as one-and-done.
More Specialty Resources
Sources
- AVMA — Veterinary specialties (AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations) (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- AVMA — Veterinary specialists in the U.S. (diplomates as of December 31, 2025) (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- ACVP — Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook, for the Phase I and Phase II 2027 Certifying Examinations (retrieved 2026-09-16)
Organization list: AVMA ABVS; diplomate counts: AVMA; both retrieved 2026-09-23. Page last updated 2026-09-23.