Tuskegee Vet Student Jordy Oriantal Breaks Down the NAVLE Controversy: What the ICVA’s Independent Audit Really Means

In His Own Words: Tuskegee Vet Student Explains Why the NAVLE Controversy Matters

SAVMA president and vet student, Jordy Oriantal, just finished the exam that stands between him and his veterinary career. Now he's joining thousands of voices calling for change.

The fourth-year veterinary student took the NAVLE in November, and like thousands of other recent test-takers, he's in that anxiety-inducing limbo between finishing the exam and getting his results.

But unlike previous years, this waiting period has been accompanied by something else: a groundswell of conversation about whether the test he just took is actually fair.

"I've been following the LatinxVMA letter and the petition, and honestly, it's validating," Jordy says. "A lot of us have been talking about these issues quietly. Now it's finally out in the open."

What's Actually Happening

The controversy centers around the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, which is the final hurdle between veterinary students and their licenses to practice. In recent weeks, the Latinx Veterinary Medical Association issued an open letter to the AVMA Board of Directors, urging them to support an independent, third-party audit of the exam.

The letter wasn't an attack. It was a call for transparency.

"LatinxVMA pointed to concerns that a lot of us have experienced firsthand," Jordy explains. "Things like question clarity, exams that do not fit with the ICVA blueprint or other testing bias, and whether the exam actually reflects modern veterinary medicine. These aren't just complaints, they're legitimate questions about whether the pathway to licensure is genuinely fair for everyone."

The concerns resonated. A Vet Candy Change.org petition echoed similar frustrations: confusing questions that don't reflect current practice, blurry diagnostic images, content that doesn't match the published blueprint, and zero meaningful feedback when candidates fail, just a retest fee. Other concerns include the inability to appeal, lack of third party test evaluation for fairness, and transparency.

Why an Independent Audit?

The International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), which develops and administers the NAVLE, recently announced they will conduct an independent audit of the exam. For Jordy and many of his peers, this feels like progress.

"An audit isn't saying the ICVA is corrupt or trying to fail people," Jordy clarifies. "It's about making sure that a test this consequential is being evaluated by outside experts. Medicine and law do this routinely. Why shouldn't we?"

The goal is to commission an external, unbiased psychometric evaluation and release findings to the general public, something that would assess whether questions actually measure clinical competency, whether scoring models are statistically sound, and whether certain questions disadvantage specific student groups.

The Bigger Picture

This isn't just about one exam administration or one group of students. It's about whether the veterinary profession is willing to examine its systems through a modern, equitable lens.

Dr. Mitsie Varga, President and Co-Founder of Latinx VMA, stated that a third-party audit affirms that every candidate's pathway to licensure is grounded in fairness and free from bias.

The NAVLE pass rate hovers around 90%, which some argue proves the exam is fair. But Jordy sees it differently.

"A high pass rate doesn't automatically mean there's no bias," he points out. "And for the 10% who don't pass—especially if they're disproportionately from underrepresented groups, that matters. We owe it to them to make sure the exam is measuring what it should be measuring."

What Happens Next

As Jordy waits for his results, he's hopeful that the audit will lead to real change. Not to make the NAVLE easier—no one's asking for that—but to make it clearer, more clinically relevant, and genuinely fair.

"We're not asking to eliminate high standards," he says. "We're asking for high standards that are transparent, scientifically valid, and aligned with the actual practice of veterinary medicine in 2025."

The veterinary profession is in the midst of important conversations about equity, inclusion, and representation. The NAVLE controversy has become part of that dialogue—a reminder that even long-standing systems deserve scrutiny.

For now, Jordy continues to wait. Like thousands of other candidates, he's invested years of his life and significant financial resources into this career. He just wants to know that the final test standing in his way is measuring his readiness to be a veterinarian—nothing more, nothing less.

"That's not too much to ask," he says.