United Kingdom Statutory Instruments

"Act" means the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966;

"candidate" means a person required by the Council under section 6(2) of the Act to sit the statutory examination;

"Council" means the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons;

"Education Committee" means the Education Committee of the Council;

"Examination Appeals Committee" means the Examination Appeals Committee of the Council;

"examiners" means the examiners appointed by the Education Committee;

"registrar" means the registrar of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons;

"statutory examination" means the examination to be held by the Council for the purpose of section 6(2) of the Act.

    (2) References in these Regulations to a numbered Regulation mean the Regulation bearing that number in these Regulations, and references in these Regulations to "the Schedule" mean the Schedule to these Regulations.

     3. Every person desirous of sitting for the statutory examination shall satisfy the registrar that he would be eligible to sit the examination in accordance with the provisions of section 6 of the Act. A candidate for the statutory examination shall normally before sitting the examination provide the evidence of good character required by section 6(1)(a) of the Act, and of their Commonwealth or foreign qualification in veterinary surgery as required by section 6(1)(b). However, in exceptional cases the registrar may permit the candidate to sit the examination without having provided such evidence, provided that in the event of the candidate passing the whole of the statutory examination the evidence is produced before he is registered. A candidate shall also furnish such other information as the Council shall require and, in particular, information as to the courses of study which he has taken and the examinations which he has undergone, his competence in understanding, speaking and writing in the English language, the date on which his Commonwealth or foreign qualification was, or is likely to be, granted and the extent to which he has been permitted to practise, and has practised or has been prevented from practising, since that date.

     4. —(1) The statutory examination shall normally be held once in every year, and shall be designed to test the candidate's general veterinary knowledge and skills across such subjects and species as the Council may from time to time determine. The examination shall cover the underpinning knowledge and understanding, and practical competences required to practise as a veterinary surgeon in the United Kingdom including coverage of veterinary public health, and medicine, surgery and the husbandry associated with companion animals, production animals and horses.

    (2) The statutory examination, or any part thereof, may be held by the Council or other examining body. The Education Committee may make rules for the conduct of the statutory examination dealing with such matters as are not expressly governed by the Act or these Regulations and may publish Guidance Notes stating the rules which have been made and giving such other information as it may think appropriate.

    (3) The examination shall be divided into subjects, each of which shall be examined in two parts by means of:—

(i) a written examination; and

(ii) clinical, oral and practical examinations.

    (4) A candidate must first satisfy the examiners in each of the written examinations, before proceeding to take the clinical, oral and practical examinations.

    (5) In order to pass the statutory examination overall, the candidate must pass the written examinations and the clinical, oral and practical examinations in any particular subject at the same sitting within a given 12 month period.

     5. Unless otherwise determined by the Education Committee a candidate must normally enter for the whole of the statutory examination at one time but if he does not satisfy the examiners in any one or more subjects in the examination he may, at the discretion of the Education Committee, sit the written and the clinical, oral and practical examinations for such subject or subjects at the next or next but one examination, and each of such attempts shall count as a full attempt at the examination; if he shall then satisfy the examiners in the written and the clinical, oral and practical examinations for such subject or subjects he shall be regarded as having satisfied the examiners in the whole of the statutory examination.

     6. A candidate who has failed to pass any or all of the subjects referred to in Regulation 4(1) may appeal to the Examination Appeals Committee, in accordance with the Examination Appeals Rules made by the Council.

     7. Subject to Regulation 6, where any candidate fails to pass the clinical, oral and practical examinations of the statutory examination the examiners shall make a report to the Education Committee, which may, if it thinks fit, withdraw the right to sit the examination from a candidate who has failed three times to pass any part of the clinical, oral and practical examinations.

     8. The standard of knowledge and skill required to be shown by candidates in order to satisfy the examiners in the statutory examination shall be not less than the standard required to qualify as a veterinary surgeon under section 3(1) of the Act.

     9. The fees for sitting the whole of the statutory examination and for sitting any subject or subjects of the examination taken separately in terms of Regulation 5 shall be of such amounts as are specified in the Schedule. No candidate shall be permitted to take the examination or any part thereof until he has paid the appropriate fee.

     10. —(1) Any candidate who gives notice in writing of the withdrawal of his application for entry to the statutory examination, or any subject thereof, shall be refunded the full amount of the appropriate fee minus the administration charge, if the notice of withdrawal is received at the College on or before the last day for submission of such applications. A candidate whose notice of withdrawal is received at the College after that date but not less than 28 days before the date on which the examination is due to be held shall be refunded one-half of the appropriate fee, minus the administration charge.

    (2) A candidate whose notice of withdrawal is received at the College less than 28 days before the examination is due to be held, or who fails to appear at the examination, shall not be entitled to the refund of any portion of the fee or charge.

    (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of the two preceding paragraphs of this Regulation, in any case where a refund of the full amount of any fee or charge is not payable the Education Committee may, in its discretion, on the application of any candidate showing medical or other compassionate reasons for his withdrawal or failure to appear, grant such sum by way of refund as may to the Education Committee appear just.

     11. The Veterinary Surgeons (Examination of Commonwealth and Foreign Candidates) Regulations 2001 are hereby revoked.

John Parker
President

Dr. J. V. Davies

Professor S. M. Crispin
Members of Council