- What the Five "Domains" Actually Are
- Canine: Half of the Multiple-Choice Exam
- Feline and Equine: 50 Questions Each
- Lab Animals and Other Animals: The Small Slices
- Anatomical Regions and Tasks Inside Each Species
- How the Domains Fit the Four Assessed Parts
- Blueprint Allocation at a Glance
- Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Blueprint
- Logistics, Fees and Dates That Shape Your Plan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The five domains are species categories on the multiple-choice exam only: Canine, Feline, Equine, Lab Animals and Other Animals.
- Canine carries 125 of 250 MC questions; Feline and Equine have 50 each; Lab Animals 12; Other Animals 13.
- The DACVO has four assessed parts: Image Recognition, Multiple Choice, and two practical surgery sections.
- Domain percentages never apply to the whole certification, and within-species anatomy percentages are not whole-exam weights.
What the Five "Domains" Actually Are
Most certification exams divide content by topic. The Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (DACVO) credential does something different. The five domain lines you see in this article are the species categories of the formal multiple-choice (MC) examination, as laid out in the Exam Specification Blueprint (the currently linked file is titled ACVO blueprint 2020, with no newer printed revision date). Credentialing, certification examinations and maintenance of certification are administered by the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ABVO), the credentialing arm that works alongside the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO).
That distinction matters for how you read everything that follows. The blueprint headings describe how the 250 MC questions are distributed. They are examination blueprint headings, not a preparation curriculum, and their percentages apply only to the MC part. They do not describe the Image Recognition section, and they say nothing about the two surgical practicals. If you want the broader context on what the credential is and who earns it, see What Is DACVO? and What Does DACVO Stand For?.
Canine: Half of the Multiple-Choice Exam
Canine is the single largest allocation: 50% of the MC exam, or 125 of 250 questions. That is exactly one full 125-question section's worth of content, though questions are not necessarily grouped that way. No other domain comes close, and a candidate who is weak in canine ophthalmology cannot make it up elsewhere on the MC.
Domain 1: Canine (50%)
Because the canine domain is the foundation of most residency caseloads, it also tends to be where the exam probes depth rather than breadth.
- Corneal disease, including ulcerative keratitis, indolent ulcers and endothelial disorders
- Glaucoma classification, medical and surgical management, and breed-associated predispositions
- Lens and cataract disease, including lens-induced uveitis and surgical considerations
- Uveitis and posterior segment disease, from inflammatory to degenerative processes
- Adnexal and eyelid conditions, including conformational problems and neoplasia
Within canine, the exam subdivides content by region (Adnexa, Anterior Segment, Posterior Segment) and, inside the anterior segment, by Cornea, Iris/CB, Glaucoma and Lens. Section five covers how those regions and the three tasks (Examination, Assessment, Treatment Planning) layer on top of each species.
Feline and Equine: 50 Questions Each
Feline and Equine each have 50 questions, which makes them equal in size on the MC even though they feel very different to study. Together they account for 100 of the 250 questions, so ignoring either one is a real risk.
Domain 2: Feline
Feline questions reward candidates who know that cats are not small dogs.
- Feline herpesvirus-related ocular disease and its chronic sequelae
- Feline uveitis and its systemic associations
- Species-specific corneal conditions and treatment cautions
- Feline glaucoma and lens disease, which often differ in cause from the canine presentation
Domain 3: Equine
Equine content is a distinct body of knowledge, with its own anatomy, disease patterns and drug-delivery realities.
- Equine recurrent uveitis and its management
- Corneal ulceration, fungal keratitis and stromal disease
- Equine anatomy and examination technique, including nerve blocks and sedation considerations
- Adnexal and orbital disease, and common neoplasms
For feline and equine alike, the blueprint carries the same nested regions and subdivisions used for canine. The question is simply how many items sit under each species heading.
Lab Animals and Other Animals: The Small Slices
The two smallest domains are Lab Animals (12 questions) and Other Animals (13 questions). Together they make up 25 questions, one tenth of the MC exam. Other Animals includes food/fiber animals, avian species, marine animals and other exotic animals.
Domains 4 and 5: Lab Animals and Other Animals
These slices are small, but the breadth within them is wide, which is what makes them awkward to prepare for.
- Comparative anatomy across species that most candidates rarely see clinically
- Rodent, rabbit and other laboratory species ocular conditions
- Avian, marine and exotic ocular anatomy and disease
- Food and fiber animal ocular disease
Anatomical Regions and Tasks Inside Each Species
Below the species level, the blueprint organizes content in two ways. First, by region: Adnexa, Anterior Segment and Posterior Segment, with the anterior segment broken into Cornea, Iris/CB, Glaucoma and Lens for canine, feline and equine content. Second, by task: Examination, Assessment and Treatment Planning.
One caution deserves emphasis. The percentages given for anatomical regions apply within each species. They must not be treated as whole-examination weights. A region that looks heavy inside the canine domain does not carry that same share of the full 250 questions, and you should not multiply or recombine those numbers into a single master weighting.
- Examination tasks test whether you know what to look for and which diagnostic to choose.
- Assessment tasks test interpretation: what a finding means and how to distinguish between differentials.
- Treatment planning tasks test therapeutic choices, drug selection, surgical decision-making and monitoring.
Separately from species and region, the MC draws on eight disciplines: anatomy/embryology, physiology, neuro-ophthalmology, surgery, pharmacology, pathology, medical ophthalmology and diagnostics. A single question may be a canine corneal item that is really testing pharmacology, or an equine item that is really testing anatomy.
How the Domains Fit the Four Assessed Parts
The March 3, 2026 Policies and Procedures identify four assessed parts: Image Recognition (IR), Multiple Choice (MC), Practical - Extraocular Surgery and Practical - Intraocular Surgery. The five species domains belong to MC only. The other parts are structured differently, and understanding that keeps you from over-weighting canine study at the expense of everything else.
| Assessed Part | Format | What Organizes the Content |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice (MC) | 250 single-best-answer questions (one correct answer, three distractors), two sections of 125, 3.5 hours per section with a one-hour break | The five species domains plus eight disciplines |
| Image Recognition (IR) | Images with structured short answers, randomized across three sections | Orbit and Adnexa, Anterior Segment, and Lens and Posterior Segment |
| Practical - Intraocular | Cadaver eyes, 50 minutes including setup | Extracapsular lens extraction |
| Practical - Extraocular | Cadaver eyes, 50 minutes including setup | Corneo-conjunctival transposition |
The IR timing is worth noting because the sources vary slightly: the October 2025 FAQ specifies 2.5 hours per section (7.5 active hours total), while the Nature and Scope document and the Policies and Procedures describe approximately 2-2.5 hours per section. Plan for the longer figure. For a deeper look at how these parts translate into difficulty, read How Hard Is the DACVO Exam?.
Blueprint Allocation at a Glance
The table below shows the MC question counts by domain. The percentages are of the 250-question MC exam only.
| Domain | MC Questions | Share of MC |
|---|---|---|
| Canine | 125 | 50% |
| Feline | 50 | 20% |
| Equine | 50 | 20% |
| Lab Animals | 12 | 5% |
| Other Animals | 13 | 5% |
Lab Animals and Other Animals are rounded to 5% each in the percentage column; the question counts of 12 and 13 are the more precise figures. A quick way to check yourself: 125 + 50 + 50 + 12 + 13 = 250.
Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Blueprint
Generic study advice is less useful here than a plan that reflects how the DACVO is built. The sketch below ties the weeks to the blueprint. It is a template to adapt, not a prescription, and the complete method is in the DACVO Study Guide.
Build the canine core
- Work through canine cornea, glaucoma, lens and uveitis first, because they anchor the largest share of MC
- Layer in pharmacology and pathology as you go, since they cut across every domain
Add feline and equine as comparison studies
- Study cat and horse disease as contrasts to the dog, so you remember what differs
- Reserve dedicated time for equine anatomy and recurrent uveitis
Cover the small domains and the practicals
- Skim comparative literature for Lab Animals and Other Animals
- Rehearse extracapsular lens extraction and corneo-conjunctival transposition on cadaver eyes
Because the 2026 MC reading list drew its journal references from 2019-2025 (using online/ePub dates), that window is a reasonable guide to recent literature for MC. IR images, however, are not limited to that publication window or reading list, so image study should be broader. Keep the one-page reference at DACVO Cheat Sheet 2026 handy for quick review, and use a practice-question bank such as the DACVO Exam Prep practice tests to check how well you retain species-specific details.
Key Takeaway
Do not let the canine weighting trick you into skipping the rest. Feline and equine together are 100 questions, and the four surgical and image components are scored separately. A strong canine score cannot rescue a failed surgical practical, because all four assessed parts must be passed.
Logistics, Fees and Dates That Shape Your Plan
The written parts (IR and MC) are delivered through ExamSoft/Examplify at candidate-selected, approved remote locations with local in-person proctors. You supply a compatible laptop and complete a software practice examination, which is explicitly not representative of examination content. The practical examinations are held in person at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and candidates supply the required instruments and consumables.
For 2026, the IR and MC examinations were held July 20 and July 21, and the surgical practicals ran July 27-31. The Fall 2026 credentialing report provisionally schedules remote MC/IR examinations for July 19-20, 2027 (without assigning individual parts to those dates) and the practical examination at the University of Florida in the week of July 27. See DACVO Exam Dates 2026 for scheduling detail.
| Item | 2026 Published Amount |
|---|---|
| Fee per assessed part | USD 750 |
| All four assessed parts | USD 3,000 |
| Certifying Examination Application fee | USD 100 (separate) |
| Provisional Resident Application | USD 150 (separate) |
These are explicitly 2026 figures. The Fall 2026 report announces fee restructuring beginning in 2027, so confirm current amounts with the ABVO before budgeting. The full breakdown is in DACVO Certification Cost 2026.
Eligibility Snapshot
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, and an approved residency of at least 36 months. That residency includes 104 weeks (520 days) of clinical ophthalmology training, with at least 80% under direct supervision. Training also includes 12 hours of histopathology annually and two hours of literature review monthly. After residency completion, Section 5.11 allows five consecutive examination offerings, while the credentials section describes five consecutive years; that wording difference is retained here, so verify which applies to you. Full detail is in DACVO Requirements 2026 and DACVO Training.
What the Outcome Data Say
The ABVO Annual Credentialing Report - Fall 2026 reports 21 candidates completing certification among 49 participating in some portion, a combined completion rate of 42.9%, with first-time and repeat-candidate rates of 50% and 33.3%. For historical context, the Fall 2025 report published a combined rate of 63.8% (first-time 61.8%, repeat 66.7%) and component rates of 78.7% for IR, 82.6% for MC, 83.3% for intraocular and 77.8% for extraocular. These are reported percentages, not reconstructed counts, and the 2025 figures are not a substitute for 2026 results. The Fall 2026 report's MC row contains an inconsistent candidate-count/percentage pairing, so it is not used to derive an MC pass count. See DACVO Pass Rate 2026 for more.
After the Exam
Certification is the start of a career path rather than the end. Maintenance of certification is mandatory for Diplomates first certified in 2015 or later, requiring at least 300 approved, verifiable MOC credits every five years and professional good standing. Those credits span education, scholarship, service and rounds and should not be equated with 300 CE contact hours. For career context, see DACVO Jobs, DACVO Salary Guide 2026 and Is the DACVO Certification Worth It?.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Canine, Feline, Equine, Lab Animals and Other Animals are the species categories of the multiple-choice exam only. Image Recognition is organized by Orbit and Adnexa, Anterior Segment, and Lens and Posterior Segment, and the two surgical practicals are skills-based.
Of the 250 MC questions, Canine has 125, Feline 50, Equine 50, Lab Animals 12 and Other Animals 13. The percentages (50%, 20%, 20%, 5%, 5%) apply to the MC part only.
No. Region percentages for Adnexa, Anterior Segment and Posterior Segment apply within each species and must not be treated as whole-examination weights. Use the species question counts for MC planning, and study IR and the practicals on their own terms.
Yes. All four (Image Recognition, Multiple Choice, Practical - Extraocular Surgery and Practical - Intraocular Surgery) must be passed, and only unsuccessful parts are repeated. Each surgical rubric uses a passing point of 70.
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 pricing with the ABVO.
For a broader introduction to the credential, you can also read DACVO Certification and What Is DACVO Certification?, and when you are ready to test your recall across species and disciplines, head to the DACVO Exam Prep practice test site.