ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination — Information & Free Practice
US · Examination information
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ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination
- Provider
- American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP); delivered with Meazure Learning
- Format
- Multiple-choice examination at a Meazure Learning Testing Center or by Live Remote Proctoring
- Exam questions
- 300 multiple-choice questions in 3 sections of 100 questions
- Time limit
- 7.5 hours plus two breaks totaling 45 minutes
- Passing score
- A score equal to or greater than the established passing point (cut score)
Examination outline
Task 1: Identify, characterize, and interpret microscopic conditions in domestic and non-domestic animals. (published approximate allocation: ~40%) (40%)
- Knowledge: Histopathologic features of conditions (e.g. osteoid in osteosarcoma, perpendicular kinetoplast in leishmaniasis, radiating acicular clefts in uric acid tophi)
- Knowledge: Microscopic descriptive terminology (e.g. Splendore-Hoeppli, flame figures, physaliferous cells, pluristratification)
- Knowledge: Morphologic diagnoses (e.g. acute versus chronic, ulcerative versus erosive, hyperplasia versus dysplasia versus neoplasia)
- Knowledge: Pathogenesis and expected progression of microscopic conditions
- Knowledge: Differential diagnoses and etiology of microscopic conditions (i.e. potential causes)
- Skill: Interpreting histologic features that define specific disease conditions to develop morphologic diagnoses, differential diagnoses, and potential causes
- Skill: Selecting and interpreting appropriate ancillary testing (e.g. IHC, PCR, clonality, special histochemical stains, electron microscopy) to differentiate microscopic conditions
- Skill: Identifying expected clinicopathologic (e.g. CBC, chemistry, urinalysis) and macroscopic abnormalities associated with microscopic conditions
Task 2: Identify, characterize, and interpret macroscopic conditions in domestic and non-domestic animals. (published approximate allocation: ~23%) (23%)
- Knowledge: Macroscopic features of conditions (e.g. patterns of pneumonias, hepatic necrosis, chronicity of disease, vascular or ischemic injuries)
- Knowledge: Macroscopic descriptive terminology (e.g. suppurative, umbilicated, malacia, miliary)
- Knowledge: Morphologic diagnoses (e.g. acute versus chronic, inflammation versus neoplasia, multifocal versus diffuse, tissue identification and distribution)
- Knowledge: Pathogenesis of macroscopic conditions
- Knowledge: Differential diagnoses and etiology of macroscopic conditions (i.e. potential causes and processes)
- Skill: Interpreting macroscopic features that define specific disease conditions to develop morphologic diagnoses, differential diagnoses, and potential causes
- Skill: Selecting and interpreting appropriate ancillary testing (e.g. microbiology, toxicology, molecular assays) to differentiate macroscopic conditions
- Skill: Identifying expected histopathologic findings, clinicopathologic correlates (e.g. cytology, CBC, chemistry, urinalysis), and other gross lesions (e.g. uremic pneumonitis in chronic renal disease) associated with macroscopic conditions.
Task 3: Interpret clinicopathologic data from domestic and non-domestic animals. (published approximate allocation: ~12%) (12%)
- Knowledge: Well-recognized clinicopathologic abnormalities using common laboratory assays (e.g. complete blood count, chemistry, urinalysis)
- Knowledge: Well-recognized cytologic features of conditions (e.g. negative staining bacilli in macrophages of mycobacteriosis; identifying viral inclusion bodies; classification of neoplasms as either epithelial, mesenchymal, or round cell)
- Skill: Recognizing the possible causes of laboratory abnormalities (e.g. monoclonal gammopathy in plasma cell neoplasia, lymphangiectasia causing hypoproteinemia, hypocholesterolemia, lymphopenia, and hypocalcemia)
- Skill: Interpreting clinicopathologic data to confirm a diagnosis, formulate differentials, and/or select ancillary diagnostic tests to confirm or exclude differential diagnoses
Task 4: Apply knowledge of pathology in domestic and non-domestic animals. (published approximate allocation: ~25%) (25%)
- Knowledge: Current veterinary anatomic pathology literature and textbooks
- Knowledge: Presentation, pathogenesis, progression, and diagnosis of well- recognized diseases (e.g. gross pathology, histology, clinical pathology, etiology)
- Knowledge: Newly described disease manifestations (e.g. gross pathology, histology, clinical pathology, etiology)
- Knowledge: well-recognized animal models of human disease (e.g. gross pathology, histology, clinical pathology, etiology, pathogenesis)
Examination sources
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Page 1, introductory applicability sentence
- ACVP Job Task Analysis
Job Task Analysis, 2024-25 JTA adoption paragraph
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 16, Preparation, Validation and Scoring, EAAG paragraph
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Pages 5-6, Phase II Anatomic Pathology, complete core concepts paragraph
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Complete task table, Task 1 row and subordinate Knowledge/Skill rows
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Complete task table, Task 2 row and subordinate Knowledge/Skill rows
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Complete task table, Task 3 row and subordinate Knowledge/Skill rows
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Complete task table, Task 4 row and subordinate Knowledge/Skill rows
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Final pages, Distribution by species, complete matrix; Domestic row
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Final pages, Distribution by organ system, complete matrix; Hematopoietic row
- ACVP Phase II Anatomic Pathology Examination Blueprint
Final page, Distribution by topic, complete matrix; Laboratory Technology row
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 4, Certifying Examination, first paragraph
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 5, Phase II Examination, duration and item distribution
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 16, Preparation, Validation and Scoring of the ACVP Examinations, automated grading sentence
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 17, passing point paragraph, first sentence
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 5, Administration, first paragraph
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 14, Application Deadlines, opening sentence
- ACVP Certifying Examinations Candidate Handbook
Page 17, Reporting Examination Results, first paragraph