- What This Credential Actually Is
- The Four Assessed Parts at a Glance
- Multiple Choice: Blueprint and Format
- Image Recognition Essentials
- Practical Surgery: Cadaver Eye Facts
- Fees, Logistics and Dates
- Eligibility in One Glance
- Reported Outcome Data
- Scheduling Your Prep by Domain
- After You Pass: Maintenance of Certification
- Frequently Asked Questions
- DACVO certification requires passing four assessed parts: Image Recognition, Multiple Choice, extraocular surgery and intraocular surgery.
- The 250-question Multiple Choice exam is 50% Canine, 20% Feline, 20% Equine, 5% Lab Animals and 5% Other Animals.
- 2026 fees were USD 750 per part (USD 3,000 for all four) plus a separate USD 100 application fee.
- Practicals are cadaver-eye exercises: extracapsular lens extraction and corneo-conjunctival transposition, each with a surgical rubric passing point of 70.
What This Credential Actually Is
DACVO stands for Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. It is the board-certified specialty credential in veterinary ophthalmology. The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is the specialty college, while credentialing, the certification examinations and maintenance of certification are administered by the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ABVO). If you want the plain-language background first, see our explainers on what DACVO is and what DACVO stands for.
This cheat sheet condenses the facts that matter most for the certifying examination into one scannable page. Use it as a reference, then go deeper with the DACVO study guide and the full domains guide. When you are ready to test yourself, the DACVO practice tests are built around the exam's species-based blueprint.
The Four Assessed Parts at a Glance
The current Policies and Procedures identify four assessed parts. The October 2025 Nature and Scope overview groups the two surgical sections together under "Practical," but you are still assessed and scored on each separately.
| Part | Format | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Image Recognition (IR) | Images with structured short answers | Orbit and Adnexa, Anterior Segment, Lens and Posterior Segment; randomized across three sections; remote with local proctor |
| Multiple Choice (MC) | 250 single-best-answer questions | Two sections of 125; 3.5 hours per section; one-hour break; remote with local proctor |
| Practical: Extraocular Surgery | Cadaver eyes | Corneo-conjunctival transposition; 50 minutes including setup; passing point of 70 on the rubric |
| Practical: Intraocular Surgery | Cadaver eyes | Extracapsular lens extraction; 50 minutes including setup; passing point of 70 on the rubric |
All four parts must be passed. If you fall short on one or more, only the unsuccessful parts need to be repeated. That policy shapes strategy, and we cover it in the difficulty guide.
Multiple Choice: Blueprint and Format
The MC exam is where the blueprint percentages live. The five domain lines are species categories from the Exam Specification Blueprint (the currently linked file is named "ACVO blueprint 2020" and carries no newer printed revision date). They are examination blueprint headings, not a preparation curriculum, and the percentages apply only to the MC part, not to the whole certification.
| Domain | Share of MC | Questions (of 250) |
|---|---|---|
| Canine | 50% | 125 |
| Feline | 20% | 50 |
| Equine | 20% | 50 |
| Lab Animals | 5% | 12 |
| Other Animals | 5% | 13 |
Other Animals: What It Includes
This category covers food and fiber animals, avian species, marine animals and other exotic species. It is only 13 questions, but the breadth is wide and the questions reward comparative anatomy knowledge.
How the Blueprint Is Nested
Inside the species categories, content is organized by region and by task:
- Regions: Adnexa, Anterior Segment and Posterior Segment.
- Subdivisions (canine, feline and equine content): Cornea, Iris/Ciliary Body, Glaucoma and Lens.
- Tasks: Examination, Assessment and Treatment Planning.
Do not treat the within-species anatomical percentages as whole-examination weights. A region that looks small inside the Canine category is still part of a 125-question block, so it can carry more total questions than a similar-looking region in a smaller species category.
Question Style and Disciplines
Every MC item is single-best-answer: one correct answer and three distractors. The exam draws on eight disciplines:
- Anatomy and embryology
- Physiology
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Surgery
- Pharmacology
- Pathology
- Medical ophthalmology
- Diagnostics
For the 2026 MC, the ABVO journal references cover 2019 through 2025 using online or ePub dates. That reading list applies to MC preparation. IR images are not limited to that publication window or reading list, so your clinical image bank has to be broader than your journal review.
Image Recognition Essentials
IR presents clinical images and asks for structured short answers rather than picking from options. Questions are organized into three sections, randomized across the exam:
- Orbit and Adnexa
- Anterior Segment
- Lens and Posterior Segment
One wrinkle worth knowing: ABVO documents describe the timing slightly differently. The October 2025 FAQ specifies 2.5 hours per section, totaling 7.5 active hours, while Nature and Scope and the Policies and Procedures describe approximately 2 to 2.5 hours per section. Plan for the longer figure and confirm the exact schedule in your candidate instructions.
How to Prepare for Structured Short Answers
Because answers are written rather than selected, you must produce the terminology yourself.
- Practice naming the lesion, the likely cause and the next diagnostic or treatment step in a concise written format.
- Build image sets across all three sections, including fundus, gonioscopy, histopathology and advanced imaging where available.
- Include species beyond dogs. Feline, equine and exotic presentations all fair game.
Practical Surgery: Cadaver Eye Facts
The two practical assessments are held in person at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Each allows 50 minutes including setup and uses cadaver eyes.
| Assessment | Procedure | Time | Rubric Passing Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intraocular | Extracapsular lens extraction | 50 minutes including setup | 70 |
| Extraocular | Corneo-conjunctival transposition | 50 minutes including setup | 70 |
- Candidates supply their own required instruments and consumables.
- The candidate rubrics (updated October 2024 and currently linked for 2026) are the best preview of how points are earned, so read them closely.
- Because setup counts against your 50 minutes, rehearse your table organization as deliberately as your surgical steps.
Key Takeaway
Practice both procedures against the published rubric, with a timer running from the moment you start setup. Rubric-driven rehearsal exposes time sinks that casual practice hides.
Fees, Logistics and Dates
2026 Fees
| Item | 2026 Amount |
|---|---|
| Fee per assessed part | USD 750 |
| All four parts | USD 3,000 |
| Certifying Examination Application fee (separate) | USD 100 |
| Provisional Resident Application (separate) | USD 150 |
The Fall 2026 credentialing report announces fee restructuring beginning in 2027, so treat these as 2026 figures only. Our certification cost breakdown tracks the details.
Delivery Mechanics
- Written examinations (IR and MC) use ExamSoft/Examplify at candidate-selected, approved remote locations with local in-person proctors.
- You provide a compatible laptop and complete a software practice examination. That practice exam is explicitly not representative of exam content, so use it only to verify your technology.
- Practical examinations are in person at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Dates
- 2026: IR on July 20, MC on July 21, and surgical practicals July 27 to 31.
- 2027 (provisional): remote MC/IR examinations July 19 to 20, 2027, without individual parts assigned to specific dates in the report, and the practical examination at the University of Florida in the week of July 27.
See the exam dates guide for deadlines and scheduling.
Eligibility in One Glance
Under the currently posted March 3, 2026 Policies and Procedures, candidates need:
- A veterinary degree.
- Licensure in good standing, or an applicable institutional exemption.
- At least 12 months of full-time clinical practice before residency.
- An approved residency of at least 36 months, including 104 weeks (520 days) of clinical ophthalmology training, with at least 80% under direct supervision.
Documentation includes species/case and surgery logs, evaluations and Supervising Diplomate forms. Training expectations include 12 hours of histopathology annually and two hours of literature review monthly.
For the full pathway, read DACVO requirements and our overview of DACVO training.
Reported Outcome Data
Two ABVO annual credentialing reports give the most recent published outcomes. Treat them as reported percentages rather than something to reverse-engineer into pass counts.
| Measure | Fall 2025 Report | Fall 2026 Report |
|---|---|---|
| Combined rate | 63.8% | 42.9% (21 of 49 participating in some portion completed certification) |
| First-time candidates | 61.8% | 50% |
| Repeat candidates | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| IR | 78.7% | Not used here |
| MC | 82.6% | Not used here (row contains an inconsistent count/percentage pairing) |
| Intraocular | 83.3% | Not used here |
| Extraocular | 77.8% | Not used here |
Caveats: the Fall 2025 overall denominator does not reconcile to an integer pass count, and the Fall 2026 MC row is internally inconsistent, so neither should be used to derive component pass counts. Small candidate cohorts also mean year-to-year swings can be large. For interpretation, see the pass rate analysis and the passing score explainer. MC and IR passing points are set with Angoff and Hofstee procedures, while each surgical rubric uses a passing point of 70.
Scheduling Your Prep by Domain
Generic study advice is plentiful, so here is one DACVO-specific way to sequence an 8-week final review. It front-loads the heaviest MC domain, and it interleaves surgical rehearsal and image work because those parts are scored separately from MC.
Canine Core (50% of MC)
- Cover cornea, iris/ciliary body, glaucoma and lens across examination, assessment and treatment planning.
- Add posterior segment and adnexal disease, and review pharmacology as you go.
- Begin your IR image bank with canine cases.
Feline and Equine (20% each)
- Study feline-specific disease patterns and equine-specific ocular conditions.
- Alternate species by day so comparisons stay sharp.
- Rehearse the extracapsular lens extraction against the intraocular rubric.
Lab Animals and Other Animals (5% each)
- Review food/fiber, avian, marine and exotic species alongside laboratory species.
- Rehearse corneo-conjunctival transposition with a timer including setup.
Integration and Simulation
- Take timed sets at the real MC length, with 125 questions per sitting.
- Run IR-style written answers across all three image sections.
- Review journal references from 2019 to 2025 for MC and confirm your Examplify laptop setup.
Adjust the plan to your residency schedule. The full study guide goes deeper, and the practice question bank lets you drill by species category.
After You Pass: Maintenance of Certification
Maintenance of certification (MOC) is mandatory for Diplomates first certified in 2015 or later. They must earn at least 300 approved, verifiable MOC credits every five years and remain in professional good standing. Credits come from education, scholarship, service and rounds, and they must not be equated with 300 CE contact hours. Earlier Diplomates may participate voluntarily.
The Fall 2026 report describes a future attestation-and-audit process, with policy details still being finalized. It does not establish replacement credit requirements, so keep your documentation organized and watch abvo.us for updates.
Thinking about what comes next? Explore DACVO jobs, the salary guide and our ROI analysis.
Key Takeaway
Certification is not the finish line. Start logging verifiable education, scholarship, service and rounds early so MOC credit tracking is routine rather than a scramble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Four: Image Recognition, Multiple Choice, Practical Extraocular Surgery and Practical Intraocular Surgery. All four must be passed, and only unsuccessful parts are repeated.
Of 250 questions, Canine has 125 (50%), Feline 50 and Equine 50 (20% each), Lab Animals 12 and Other Animals 13. These percentages apply only to the MC part, not the whole certification.
Published 2026 fees were USD 750 per assessed part, USD 3,000 for all four, plus a separate USD 100 Certifying Examination Application fee. Fee restructuring is announced beginning in 2027, so verify current amounts.
IR and MC are delivered through ExamSoft/Examplify at candidate-selected, approved remote locations with local in-person proctors. Practicals are held in person at the University of Florida in Gainesville using cadaver eyes.
Yes for Diplomates first certified in 2015 or later, who need at least 300 approved, verifiable MOC credits every five years. Earlier Diplomates may participate voluntarily. Credits are not the same as 300 CE contact hours.
For a broader introduction, see DACVO certification and what DACVO certification is, then put this cheat sheet to work with timed practice on the practice test site.