The Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT) was a standardized test used to assess applicants to veterinary schools. It consisted of 300 multiple-choice questions and was discontinued in 2003. Veterinary schools now accept the MCAT or GRE for admission.
The Veterinary College Admission Test, abbreviated as the VCAT, was a standardized test used specifically to assess applicants to veterinary schools. The exam was used as one of the measurement tools to determine candidates’ level of academic ability and knowledge in an effort to predict how successful they would be in graduate school. The VCAT was similar to other standardized graduate tests, such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which law school applicants use; the Medical School Admission Test (MCAT), which is intended for medical school applicants; and the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) for prospective pharmacy students. VCAT was finally discontinued in 2003.
The VCAT was administered by the Psychological Corporation, founded in New York in 1921 by James McKeen Cattell, a psychologist who was president of the American Psychological Association at the time. Psychological Corporation is a division of Pearson’s Assessment & Information group, which specializes in educational assessment tools. The Psychological Corporation veterinary test consisted of 300 multiple-choice questions, which awarded one point for each correct answer. These were divided into five test areas: biology, general and organic chemistry, reading comprehension, quantitative ability and verbal ability. There was an additional sixth section, but it served as an experimental part of the test and was consequently not scored.
Most VCAT questions had at least four options, labeled A through D. Some of them, however, had more than four. Generally, test takers used about three and a half hours, including lunch and rest breaks, to complete the VCAT.
Veterinary examination was offered two or three times a year, in October and November, with an occasional January offering. Test takers usually paid a $50 fee and needed to register for the exam on the College of Veterinary Medicine Application Service (VMCAS) website. Similar to the Law School Admissions Board (LSAC), VMCAS collected VCAT scores as one of the components to create streamlined reports for application to veterinary schools. Other VMCAS report items include transcripts and letters of recommendation, which are standard components of any college and university application.
In April 2003, the Psychological Corporation announced that it was discontinuing the VCAT. The test effectively ended on June 30, 2003, and the organization provided support for reporting transcripts of scores through June 30, 2008. As of 2011, veterinary schools accept the MCAT or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the last of which is the general standardized test for admission to graduate school.
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